By Richard Halliburton
“… in this centennial year of [Halliburton’s] birth, there is good news. His first book is again available. Perhaps the reissue of this classic book will mark the beginning of a Halliburton revival. His globetrotting writings could inspire a new generation of horizon chasers eager to discover, through his eyes and pen, the wonders of the world, the goodness of people, and the sheer joy of packing a bag, turning a key in the door, and heading out to a destination far from home.”
—The Christian Science Monitor
Long before Jack Kerouac inspired young men to leave Ivy League ideals for the romance of the open road, Richard Halliburton blazed the trail of adventure. In 1921, Halliburton graduated Princeton University, his ears ringing with the words of Dorian Gray, “Don’t squander the gold of your days… Live! Live the wonderful life that is in you. Be afraid of nothing.” Halliburton did indeed chose adventure over a career, traveling the world with almost no money, selling his stories to newspapers and magazines along the way, giving lively speeches to hungry audiences back home. Halliburton went on to become the most successful travel writer of his era, with his books selling well over a million copies. Now, for the first time in decades, Halliburton’s first book, The Royal Road to Romance, originally published in 1925, is available for a whole new generation of readers.
The Royal Road to Romance chronicles Halliburton’s escapades during a two-year-long trip. Chatting his way onto a cargo boat, Halliburton makes his way across the Atlantic. Soon thereafter, he’s ascending the Matterhorn, despite his lack of climbing experience; spending a moonlit night on the Kheops, one of Egypt’s grandest pyramids; and traversing the Himalayas for sixteen days to reach Ladakh, a village so remote only twelve westerners were allowed to visit per year. Halliburton’s wanderlust is insatiable, even in the face of danger. He is jailed for taking forbidden pictures on Gibraltar, hunts a man-eating tiger in India, and nearly perishes during his winter attack of Mount Fuji. Throughout, Halliburton approaches, and relates, each encounter and adventure with a joyful curiosity, wit, and exuberance that is contagious.
The Royal Road to Romance is a classic of travel writing, whose message and outlook are timeless: dare, experiment, live. Halliburton’s infectious, free-spirited travel stories can now inspire anew.
Classic Praise for The Royal Road to Romance
“Halliburton’s tale of travel and adventure is one of the most fascinating books of its kind ever written. It is a glorious story of the irresponsibility of youth, of the dauntless spirit of the age, told with a captivating charm and a wing and a dash that takes one’s breath away.”
—Detroit News
“Impetuous to utter recklessness, laughing at hardships, dreaming of beauty, ardent for adventure, Halliburton has managed to sing into the pages of this glorious book his own exultant spirit of youth and freedom.”
—Chicago Post
About the Author
Richard Halliburton was a writer, lecturer, and world traveler. He published numerous books in his short lifetime, including The Royal Road to Romance,Glorious Adventure, and The Complete Book of Marvels. Halliburton is known for having paid the lowest toll to cross the Panama Canal, which he swam in 1928, paying 36 cents. Born in Tennessee in 1900, Halliburton died in 1939, in an attempt to sail a Chinese junk from Hong Kong to San Francisco.
About Travelers’ Tales
Founded in 1993, Travelers’ Tales publishes the best in travel and spiritual writing from world-famous authors as well as new writers. Our goal is to inspire and enlighten readers through true stories by travelers who have explored the depths of their experiences. The series includes: country and regional guides; books which explore the themes of women’s travel, spirituality, food, humor, and adventure; travel advice books; Footsteps: The Soul of Travel, a series that features single-author travel narratives; and Travelers’ Tales Classics, a new series which introduces out-of-print favorites of travel literature to a whole new audience. The Royal Road to Romance is the inaugural book in this new series.
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The Royal Road to Romance
By Richard Halliburton
Travelers’ Tales, November, 2000
$14.95 ($23.00 Canada), trade paperback, 320 pages, 5 1/8″ x 8″
ISBN: 1-885211-53-8