The Flying Carpet

Halliburton is an interesting character - “travel as an unconventional career” is the way his Wikipedia page puts it. A lifetime of travel and exploration, writing books and soliciting sponsorship. He is amusing and is appealing and interesting to the people he meets, making him popular as a guest, as is plain to see in this book.

This book covers his 1931 expedition in a small plane named The Flying Carpet, where he visited 34 countries in a somewhat random zig-zagging route based on where Halliburton might want to go next. He employs Moye Stephens - a ‘proper' pilot to fly him on a “no pay but unlimited expenses” basis, in which Stephens gets to enjoy the adventures. They basically go for it from there. The book skips over a great many of the countries they visited, many receiving just a sentence of a paragraph, but they concentrate on places interesting to write / read about - and the more out of the way experiences.

They spend some time in Mali - where they visit Morocco, then Timbuctoo, because it was a place Halliburton always wanted to visit due to its exotic name - (as good a reason as any), and then a good long time in Algeria with the French Foreign Legion, until they outstay their welcome. Then some flying over the Matterhorn and some time in Venice. Some time in Istanbul, then on to Israel and some zipping about the Middle East - Jordan, then Iraq and on to Persia (Iran). In each of these places they examine the culture, meet interesting people and most of all enjoy themselves, get into adventures and a share of trouble.

Not shy of a drink (or seven), Halliburton also plays up a role in womanising - seeking a Persian Princess, attracting the attention of German aviator Elly Beinhorn in her plane on her own journey (and then competing with Stephens for her affection) all despite Halliburton being homosexual, which I guess was playing to his audience a bit.

From Persia they travel on to India and then Nepal, before finishing the journey (in the book) in Sarawak in Borneo, where they examine the Rajah Brook story and visit with headhunters. The journey ends shortly after in the Philippines, where they load their plane onto a ship and head back to the States.

It is a short but interesting and varied book. Halliburton is likable and entertaining, and writes well with pace and excitement, and doesn't mind displaying his own flaws and weaknesses or his own bad decisions, all of which make it a great read. Crown princes, princesses, the French Foreign Legion, Mount Everest (unconquered at the time of writing), Chief Koh the headhunter, Elly Beinhorn and the many other interesting people all play their part in the story.

I will keep an eye out any of his other many books too.

4.5 stars, rounded down to 4.