Complete Book of Marvels, finally found it!!

The Book of Marvels was written by Richard Halliburton in the 30’s. it is basically his travel log of his world-wide tour. It can also be found in two volumes, The Occident and The Orient. I love his letter to the reader in the beginning:

“Dear reader:

When I was a boy in school my favorite schoolbook was filled with pictures of the world’s most wonderful cities and mountains and temples, and had big maps to show where they were. I loved that book because it carried me away to all the strange and romantic lands. I read about the Egyptian Pyramids, and India’s marble towers, about the great cathedrals of France, and the ruins of ancient Babylon. The stories of such things always set me to dreaming, yearning for the actual sight and touch of these world wonders.

Sometimes I pretended I had a magic carpet, and without bothering about tickets and money and farewells, I’d skyrocket away to New York or to Rome, to the Grand Canyon or to China, across deserts and oceans and mountains…then suddenly come back home when the school bell rang for recess.

I often said to myself: “I wish my father, or somebody, would take me to all these wonderful places. What good are they if you can’t see them? If I ever grow up and have a son, we are going traveling together. I’ll show him Gilbraltar and Jerusalem, and the Andes and the Alps, because I’ll want my boy not only to study geography – I’d like for him to live it, too.

Well, I’m grown up now. But as yet I haven’t any son or any daughter to go traveling with me. And so, in their places, may I take you?”

Halliburton never had that son or daughter. He was lost at sea at the age of 39 after setting out in a Chinese junk to sail from Hong Kong to San Francisco…doing what he loved.

Other of Halliburton’s books are The Road to Romance which tells of his travels while working on a freighter then touring England and France just after Armistice. The Glorious Adventure is fabulous and tells of his adventures as he retraced the steps of Ulysses! New Worlds to Conquer relates his time in Central and South America and They Flying Carpet records his 18 month, 40,000 mile tour across Asia.

If you look up the Book of Marvels on Amazon, you will find many comments which tell what this book has meant in past generations. Very moving. I have one copy of this book put back for my geography-loving son. A special treasure. I hope everyone has a chance to get their hands on one. Pricey, I know, but some things are just worth it.

RobinP, thank you for clearing it up for us. I will be on the lookout for such treasures. Great find, my3boys.

The Complete Book was also published in two volumes, The Occident and The Orient. You have The Orient? It covers places such as Ephesus, the pyramids, Jerusalem, Great Wall, etc. The Occident primarily covers America and Europe.

I love book sales, too. 🙂 Nothing like a good fit of hyperventilation before going into one. 🙂

Melissa, with all those wonderful finds, looks like you’re getting set up to start your own lending library?? …hint, hint… Always like to stir the waters since the need is so great. 😉

HA! I knew it! PM me if you ever have questions.