| Publication date: | 1954 |
|---|---|
| Genre: | Nonfiction |
| Preceded by: | Sky Lift |
| Followed by: | The Star Beast |
| Wikipedia page |
“Tramp Royale” is a nonfiction travelogue by science fiction writer Robert A. Heinlein, describing how he and his wife, Ginny, went around the world by ship and plane between 1953–1954. It was published posthumously in 1992, and subsequently went out of print.
Exposition
Much of the book is devoted to social and political commentary and observation, including two lengthy but half‐hearted defenses of the McCarthy hearings, about which the Heinleins were interrogated repeatedly in the countries they visited.
Much of the humor in the book consists of riffs on the idea that Ginny is the hothead, while Robert is the easygoing one. For example, in a shipboard incident at the captain’s table, Robert continues eating his dessert after being doused in salad during a food fight started by Ginny.