Published in 1910, this book is only the second Tom Swift book ever published. It dates to a time when motor- cars were a novelty and airplanes had not been invented. The original dust jacket blurb is worth quoting in full: "It is the purpose of these spirited tales to convey in a realistic way the wonderful advances in land and sea locomotion and to interest the boy of the present in the hope that he may be a factor in aiding the marvelous development that is coming in the future." That description -- written with boys of 100 years ago in mind -- indicates what the modern reader is in for.

Young Tom acquires a motorboat and has various adventures -- he has a boat race with a local bully, rescues a pretty girl, and captures criminals from the "Happy Harry gang" who have stolen inventions from his father's workshop. There is much description of how an outboard motor works, and how Tom adjusts the various features to obtain the maximum speed. Frankly, the action is awfully tame, the dialogue is wooden and stilted, and the characters are one- dimensional. Perhaps choices from the second generation of Tom Swift books might have attributes of interest to today's readers, but as something written for the great- great- grandfathers of today's boys, this one is of historical interest only. ( )

No. 2 ( )