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| Tom Swift and His Electric Runabout, or, the Speediest Car on the Road (Dodo Press) |  | Author: Victor [pseud.] Appleton
Publisher: Dodo Press
Category: Book
Buy New: $14.99
as of 3/18/2010 00:14 EDT details
New (12) Used (5) from $10.72
Seller: Amazon.com
Rating:  1 reviews
Sales Rank: 2,142,938
Media: Paperback
Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Pages: 144
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.5
ISBN: 1406509019
EAN: 9781406509014
ASIN: 1406509019
Publication Date: July 7, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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| • | Paperback - Tom Swift and His Electric Runabout; Or, the Speediest Car on the Road | | • | Paperback - Tom Swift and His Electric Runabout, Or, the Speediest Car on the Road | | • | Hardcover - Tom Swift and his electric runabout;: Or, The speediest car on the road, (His The Tom Swift series) | | • | Hardcover - Tom Swift and His Electric Runabout or the Speediest Car on the Road | | • | Kindle Edition - Tom Swift and His Electric Runabout, or, the Speediest Car on the Road | | • | Hardcover - Tom Swift and his electric runabout; or, The speediest car on the road, | | • | Kindle Edition - Tom Swift and His Electric Runabout, or, the Speediest Car on the Road | | • | Kindle Edition - Tom Swift and His Electric Runabout, Or, The Speediest Car on the Road | | • | Kindle Edition - Tom Swift and His Electric Runabout, or, the Speediest Car on the Road | | • | Kindle Edition - Tom Swift and His Electric Runabout, or, the Speediest Car on the Road |
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Product Description
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.
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| Customer Reviews:
One of the better books in the original Tom Swift series . . . . December 30, 2009
Patrick J. Callahan (La Crosse, WI USA)
I just finished rereading this entertaining boys book. It is the fifth in the series, copyright 1910 in the original issue.
One pleasing aspect of the Tom Swift originals is the manner the writer has of linking the various books. Numerous references are made to the earlier books in the series, to include "and his Motorcycle," "and his Speedboat," "and his Airship," and finally, "and his Submarine Boat." Characters we have met earlier in the series reappear, and even characters that will not come back are mentioned. For instance, Captain Weston, from the preceding volume, is briefly described as having gone to Latin America to participate in a revolution.
The books are full of humor. For one example, Tom's electric runabout, which is an electric racing car, breaks down during a test run. Tom is forced to ask his hired handyman, Eradicate, to hitch his mule to the car and tow it back to the shops for repair. Tom laments, "the fastest car on the roads, pulled by a mule!" Alas, Tom passes some of his enemies -- other boys Tom's age -- who subject him to a lively ribbing.
Tom has many adventures with his electric car, the most notable being his brave run cross-country to bring replenishments of cash to a failing bank. If Tom cannnot reach the bank by 3:00 p.m., the run on the bank will overwhelm the bank's cash reserves. He is finally rescued from a failed robbery attempt by a band of farmers with pitchforks. So unexpected, so "off the wall," and so fun.
Unlike some other boys series books I have collected, Tom has a serious girlfriend named Mary Nestor. Tom also has a number of friends who emerge as somewhat developed characters. These include his best chum, Ned Norton, as well as the aging wealthy gentleman Wakefield Damon. One bit of humor is the confusion of the book's author, who sometimes mentions that Mr. Damon is from Waterford, and a chapter later, mentions that his from Waterfield.
Is there any science in these books? Remember, this book hit the market in 1910. Actually, there's quite a bit of basic science of the "Popular Mechanics" variety. Everything Tom designs and builds, from this Electric Runabout to his submarine to his airship, is always the best. Tom is a Horatio Alger type character who -- through grit and education -- pulls himself up by his bootstraps. Late in this series of about 35 books, Tom is president of a highly successful company.
One comment -- in this initial series of Tom Swift books everything is "electric." There's the "electric runabout" car, there's the "electric rifle," there's the "electric locomotive," and so on. Starting in 1955 or so a series began of "Tom Swift Jr." These are totally different books, not to be confused with the first series. BUT . . . now the key word is not "electric" but "atomic." These book include titles such as " . . . in the Caves of Nuclear Fire" and " . . . and his Atomic Earth-Blaster." I guess the exciting world of engineering in 1910 was "electric" -- the days of Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse. Forty years later, we entered the atomic age, so now all the books capture the words "nuclear" or "atomic" in the titles.
Hope you enjoy the book. One of the better written issues of the original Tom Swift series. I do enjoy these boys books, even though I am a senior citizen "boy."
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