Richard Halliburton

In line with men like R. M. Ballantyne and G. A. Henty, Richard Halliburton spent his short life adventuring and chronicling things he saw and did. He wrote (we believe) eight books during his lifetime describing his adventures all around the world, and his Book of Marvels (written for students in two volumes, but later published as one) has become increasingly sought after and hard-to-find in recent years. His books take you on journeys to many of the marvels of our world, and you'll visit wonders both natural and man-made, places you’ve heard about, and others you won’t believe you didn’t know of before.

Richard Halliburton (January 9, 1900—lost at sea, presumed dead after March 24, 1939) was an American travel writer and adventurer who swam the length of the Panama Canal and paid the lowest toll in its history—36 cents in 1928. He disappeared at sea while attempting to sail the Chinese junk Sea Dragon across the Pacific Ocean from Hong Kong to the Golden Gate International Exposition in San Francisco, California.

The publisher of the new Book of Marvels reprints has done something remarkable. He has compiled a website with modern pictures and resources for each chapter of the book, helping bring these books even more fully to life for today's student! See the Books of Marvels website here.

Richard Halliburton's books can be purchased from a variety of sellers at AbeBooks.com; Click on the links below to read most of them online for free.

• The Royal Road to Romance (1925)

  • Covering the Matterhorn, Andorra, the Alhambra, Seville, Gibraltar, Monte Carlo, the Nile, Punjab, Kashmir, Ladakh, the Khyber Pass, Angkor, Bangkok, Japan and the ascent of Mt. Fuji

• The Glorious Adventure (1927)

  • Following the path of Ulysses around the Mediterranean

• New Worlds to Conquer (1929)

  • Exploration of Central and South America, including the Panama Canal, the Mayan Well of Death, and Devil's Island

• The Flying Carpet (1932)

  • Adventures around the world in an airplane with pilot Moye Stephens

• India Speaks with Richard Halliburton, Grosset & Dunlap-Publishers, New York, 1933)

  • Richard Halliburton stared in the movie India Speaks, playing the part of a young American traveling in India and Tibet in search of adventure. The photographs in this book feature stills selected from the film.

• Seven League Boots (1935)

  • Covering Ethiopia, Russia, Arabia, the Alps

• Richard Halliburton's Book of Marvels: the Occident (1937)

  • Written for students about the wonders that can be found when traveling from South America to Europe

• Richard Halliburton's Second Book of Marvels: the Orient (1938)

  • Written for students and introducing the culture, customs and people from Greece to Japan 

• Richard Halliburton: His Story of His Life's Adventure, as Told in Letters to His Mother and Father (1940)

  •  Letters he wrote throughout his life compiled and edited by his father after Richard Halliburton's death

• Richard Halliburton's Complete Book of Marvels (1941)

  • Deluxe edition of 640 pages combining both the Orient and the Occident books for students