The Flying Inn (1914) is a satirical novel by G.K. Chesterton set in a future England where temperance forces have banned alcohol. When prohibition is imposed, eccentric innkeeper Humphrey Pump and the swashbuckling Captain Patrick Dalroy defy the law by taking to the road with a cask of rum and a portable pub sign. Roaming the countryside, they establish impromptu taverns in absurd locations, evading capture while gathering colorful allies. Blending rollicking adventure, songs, and sharp wit, Chesterton's comic tale celebrates liberty, tradition, and merriment while satirizing prohibition, imperialism, and misguided progressivism, remaining one of his liveliest and most exuberant works.
