Tom Swift Circling the Globe by Victor II Appleton

Tom Swift Sr. #30

by Victor Appleton

Tom Swift is the hero in several series of juvenile adventure novels which began in the early twentieth century. Tom is a genius inventor whose breakthroughs in technology drive the plots of his books.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Adventure

Paperback

First published January 1, 1927

About the author

Victor Appleton was a house pseudonym used by the Stratemeyer Syndicate and its successors, most famous for being associated with the Tom Swift series of books.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_...

The character of Tom Swift was conceived in 1910 by Edward Stratemeyer, founder of the Stratemeyer Syndicate, a book-packaging company. Stratemeyer invented the series to capitalize on the market for children's science adventure. The Syndicate's authors created the Tom Swift books by first preparing an outline with all the plot elements, followed by drafting and editing the detailed manuscript. The books were published under the house name of Victor Appleton. Edward Stratemeyer and Howard Garis wrote most of the volumes in the original series; Stratemeyer's daughter, Harriet Stratemeyer Adams, wrote the last three volumes. The first Tom Swift series ended in 1941.
In 1954, Harriet Adams created the Tom Swift, Jr., series, which was published under the name "Victor Appleton II". Most titles were outlined and plotted by Adams. The texts were written by various writers, among them William Dougherty, John Almquist, Richard Sklar, James Duncan Lawrence, Tom Mulvey and Richard McKenna. The Tom Swift, Jr., series ended in 1971.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Swift

Reviews

[Nora-adrienne · Rating 5 out of 5]

The original Tom Swift stories. I read one as a teen. A friend's father owned a number of them and I borrowed the one about Tom Swift and His Great Searchlight.

[Patrick DiJusto · Rating 3 out of 5]

Look at it from their point of view. The United States entry into World War turn the tide for the allies, and brought the war to a successful conclusion. The country was bursting with Innovative people like Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, George Westinghouse. Almost without realizing it, the United States had put together a small Global Empire, from the Philippines to Hawaii to the Panama Canal to the Virgin Islands. Post World War 1 America was fertile ground for the creation of a young man like Tom Swift.

The Tom Swift books, written by Howard Garris under the pseudonym of Victor Appleton, center around a brilliant young inventor, apparently in his twenties, who nevertheless happens to be an expert in Avionics, petrochemistry, and every form of mechanical engineering. His Sound business sense is demonstrated by the trust that older established businessmen place in him and his inventions. He is a true Chum to his Pals, and a fair dealing sport who is in love, and loved by, a chipper, spunky girl named Mary. All in all, a resourceful fellow of fine fettle, an admirable role model for the tween and young teenage boys these books were clearly aimed at.

In the early part of the book, Tom Swift and his father have accepted a bet to travel around the world in 20 days. Tom sees no problem in this - his new invention, a combination airplane, boat, and automobile, should take him around the globe in plenty of time. Sure, Tom has to deal with usual mechanical problems of any new invention, as well as attempted Sabotage by one of his airplane Building rivals, but when it comes time for takeoff, Tom believes that nothing can stop him.

Then the rest of the book gets in his way. After flying across the Atlantic in a record-breaking 24 hours, Tom has to deal with, in order, ignorant Heathen Turks who had never seen a flying machine, fiendish yellow gypsies from the Caucasus Mountains- a mixed breed who combines the worst of the Armenian and the Asiatic! A fuel stop in western China put him in the hands of fiendish Indo Chinese horsemen, while a fuel stop in Eastern China has him at the mercy of Dr Sun Yat-Sen's corrupt officialdom. Engine trouble brings then down a mid the primitive canoes of the brown skin, heathen Malay Pirates, who manage to crease Tom with one of their fiendish poison-tipped spears. Escaping from the Malay pirates only brings Tom face to face with the ugly, brutish, black skinned, cannibal headhunters located somewhere between Japan and Hawaii. What a relief to finally reach the cheerful, brown skin, child like people of Honolulu, and stand safe on American soil again.

This book, singlehandedly, explains American isolationism of the 1930s.

[Rex Libris · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a big contest to see who can circle the globe the fastest, and Tom enters the Air Monarch, a sea plane that can also drive on land. Not only does Tom intend to win, he plans to do it in less than 20 days. In the process he is set upon by gypsies, bandits, pirates, head hunters, and the villainy of other contestants.

[Steve Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story

Tom Swift has plenty of adventures and mishaps in this story. Some of the cultural references are very dated, but on the whole the tale is satisfying.