Children's book about a flying ship?

January 5, 2008 7:56 PM

Does anyone know of a kid's book about Admiral Benbow and a flying ship?

My boyfriend is trying sleuth-out the title of a children's book vaguely remembered from the early- to mid- eighties (though it could have been written before then). What he remembers:

- It was centered around the character of an Admiral Benbow, who got very red or purple when he was angry
- There was a flying ship
- It was probably 200-300 pages long
- There may have been something about chewing gum, or possibly a pipe that someone chewed on
- "Flying" may have been somewhere in the title

Any ideas? I'm googled-out.

posted by drycleanonly to media & arts (3 comments total)

Admiral Benbow was a real person, and there was an Admiral Benbow Inn in Treasure Island. (right, now answer the question) Could he have been thinking of Harry Harrison's "The Stainless Steel Rat Sings the Blues"? This features an Admiral Benbow who is "head of League Navy Security," and sky ships (zeppelins). However, it would be hard to imagine it as a book for children.
posted by ubiquity at 1:06 AM on January 6, 2008

You might be thinking about The Flying Inn by Gilbert Keith (G.K.) Chesterton

From Wikisource:

"I will not for one moment maintain," said the old gentleman, "that there are no difficulties in my case; or that all the examples are as obviously true as those that I have just demonstrated. No-o. It is obvious, let us say, that the 'Saracen's Head' is a corruption of the historic truth 'The Saracen is Ahead'--I am far from saying it is equally obvious that the 'Green Dragon' was originally 'the Agreeing Dragoman'; though I hope to prove in my book that it is so. I will only say here that it is su-urely more probable that one poo-ooting himself forward to attract the wayfarer in the desert, would compare himself to a friendly and persuadable guide or courier, rather than to a voracious monster. Sometimes the true origin is very hard to trace; as in the inn that commemorates our great Moslem Warrior, Amir Ali Ben Bhoze, whom you have so quaintly abbreviated into Admiral Benbow. Sometimes it is even more difficult for the seeker after truth. There is a place of drink near to here called 'The Old Ship'--"
posted by parmanparman at 1:32 AM on January 6, 2008

Thanks to both of you... unfortunately, none of those seem to be it, so we'll keep looking.
posted by drycleanonly at 8:27 PM on January 10, 2008