Tom Swift in Captivity, or a Daring Escape By Airship

Tom Swift Sr. #13

by Victor Appleton

American boys' fiction under pseudonym used by the Stratemeyer Syndicate who produced Tom Swift series, Nancy Drew mysteries, the Hardy Boys, Dave Fearless and many others.

Genres: Fiction, Science Fiction

152 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2005

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

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the unlucky thirteenth volume in the original Tom Swift series. It was produced by the Stratemeyer Syndicate for publication by Grosset & Dunlap. It appeared in 1912 under the house name Victor Appleton but was written by Howard Garis, probably the most prolific children's writer in the early part of the last century, best remembered now for having written the Uncle Wiggily books. The first five Tom Swift books were published in 1910, followed by five more in 1911, and 1912 saw another quintet, after which they appeared at the more reasonable rate of one a year for the duration of their run, which was #38 in 1935. (I'm not counting the two Big/Little books that weren't part of the G&D sequence.) Anyway, I'm calling it unlucky because it's one of the weakest books in the series. There is no new big discovery or invention unveiled, some of the situations are quite unbelievable (Tom and his friends assemble an airplane inside the hut in which they're being held captive and fly away to freedom), and the whole premise of the story is unethical (they go to South America to capture a giant to be displayed in a circus). Tom takes Eradicate Sampson (but not his pet mule, Boomerang) with him for one of the few times in the series, but his childish antics are terribly racist, which was unfortunately common for 1910. Koku, one of the two giant brothers they end up bringing back becomes a series regular, and they agree to accompany Tom and crew to civilization, but it's arranged that way simply because it's easier than capturing them. One thing I did not remember at all from my earlier reading (which was probably sixty years ago, so go figure) is that at the end of the book Tom declares that Koku will henceforth be named August, but he was always Koku in the rest of the books that I remember. Tom and Ned and Mr. Damon and Rad have a successful mission and a grand adventure and make a new friend, but it's still not one of the standout volumes. I enjoyed revisiting the story via a fine Librivox performance.

[David Hibberd · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the Tom Swift Sr. books as a child and again when I got my Kindle in 2010. They are an easy read and enjoyable. It is interesting to see how writing has changed since these books were written.

[Tom · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not only is Tom Swift held in captivity in this book, but also in captivity are his friends Ned Newton and Mr. Damon, as well as Swift family handyman Eradicate Sampson, aka Rad. The four intrepid adventurers had gone to South America to capture giants for Sam Preston, a former acrobat who is now a proprietor of circuses and museums. Preston also wanted the group to find and rescue Jake Paddington, an employee of Mr. Preston, who had gone to South America a year earlier to capture giants for exhibition in Preston’s circuses and museums. In an earlier book, Tom Swift went with other people to Africa to kill elephants for their ivory tasks. So I suppose that, on the morality scale, kidnapping is a logical next step — in the downward direction.

Also in search of giants is Hank Delby, an agent of Wayland Waydell, a circus promotor and competitor of Sam Preston. Delby assumes various disguises so that he can spy on Tom and try to exploit whatever Tom finds. He is an adversary all the way to the end of the book. Of course, Andy Foger is involved in the beginning of the book as an agent of Waydell.

There are no new inventions described in this book, although technology does help the heroes at the end of the adventure. An airship is involved. Also, the electric rifle that was used to kill elephants in Africa is used in this book, although only to cause giants to become temporarily unconscious. If this was a Star Trek story, you might say that they set their phasers on stun.

You would think that attempting to capture people who are stout and between 8 feet and 11 feet tall would be a difficult undertaking. However, sometimes what cannot be done by force can be done by persuasion. Still the concept of capturing giants is a bit strange. Tom Swift in Captivity is not one of my favorites of the Tom Swift books.

As in the other Tom Swift books, the character of Rad is written as a loyal servant. He refers to Tom Swift as Massa Tom. At the same time, he is a full member of the group. When the mission of capturing some giants was still a secret as the group was traveling through South America, Tom almost reveals their mission at one point but stops himself in mid-sentence. Rad quickly finishes the sentence in such a way as to keep the secret. Despite his subservient language, Eradicate Sampson is part of the team.

How can there be giants in South America? Is Tom Swift’s theory of evolution plausible? Do the four adventurers escape captivity? Do they find and rescue Jake Poddington? Do they capture or cajole a giant or two to come with them to America to be exhibited by Sam Preston? You will have to read the book Tom Swift in Captivity in order to find out.

[Keller Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another fun adventure of Tom Swift. I am enjoying the excitement and intrigue of the series. However I will say that as a child I am not sure I would have been able to address the elephant in the room of this series and many of the old pulp novels I have recently been reading. That elephant being the racism in these books. Today I can process this and separate the adventure and have an understanding that this book was written in 1912. The sad reality is that today we have not really come that far. It would be great to say this is just history but today we still fight for the equality of everyone.

[Nikky3 · Rating 2 out of 5]

TOM SWIFT IN CAPTIVITY!!! We join our hero inbetween adventures; he is sad and more then a little bored. Suddenly his friend 'the eccentric gentleman' shows up and whisks Tom away on an adventure of a life time! Join Tom and his friend as they hike deep into the jungle!!! Will Tom and his friends survive the 'the wars of the savages'?!?!? Will Tom be able to kidnap a native giant and take him back to the USA and sell him to a circus!?!?

(No but seriously this book does not stand the test of time and is extraordinarily racist.)

[Ed · Rating 3 out of 5]

#13 in the Tom Swift series. The 19 12 series entry by pseudonymous author Victor Appleton is subtitled A Daring Escape by Airship. Tomis contracted to "obtain" one or more giants from a tribe in the South American jungle for exhibit in a circus. This sounds suspiciously like slavery until late in the book Tom mentions that they will be paid $100 per week, good money in 1912.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great adventure story for youth

The story was a fun read. It contained great adventure eiements such as travel, danger and overcoming adversity. I enjoyed the story for the time period in which it toke place . A good story for young people.

[Lynnette · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun read, not technically accurate, but it is fun to read about the adventures. One of those books I would consider a quick, fluffy book, intended for relaxation. Kind of like the Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew books, it would nowadays probably be considered a youth or young adult read.

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tom Swift goes to South America to get giants for the circus. A period piece. No passports mentioned and of course all of his amazing adventures that no kid ever had, not even Indiana Jones, though he comes in a close second.

[Tiffany Tinkham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good old classic young readers book about a young inventor that invents this awesome inventions and then goes on these wild and crazy adventures, sometimes getting into trouble in the process.

[Warren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ridiculous even from the viewpoint of the series.

Also I wonder: while it is a fantasy of a rich kid, how did they figure people could go on vacation (our disappear) for weeks/months and have nobody even find it odd?