The Official Blurb
Tom Swift, that prolific youthful inventor, is engaged in trying to help the Allies win WWI. After reading newspaper accounts of the British tanks, Tom takes a sheet of paper and sets out to design a better one from scratch. And fortunately, he can throw the whole family business behind his venture.
He has two problems: First, his friends and acquaintances are questioning his patriotism because he hasn’t enlisted as a rifleman for the front lines. Even his girl is worried his blood isn’t true-blue. But that’s because he is developing his tank in secret, and they don’t know he’s concentrating on winning the war the American way, with machines.
The second problem is that the German spies have penetrated the secret of what is being built in the high-security shop on the Swift property. And they will stop at nothing to steal its design - not kidnapping Tom, and not kidnapping the tank itself, complete with crew.
Tom and his buddies had better work fast, or the American riflemen are going to find the Kaiser’s soldiers using American-designed tanks against them!
My Review
This is a "ripping yarn" type story. The lead character is an inventer with outlandish design and production skills. In this case the story revolves around the building of a Tank for use against the Germans during WWII.
The bad guys are German spys the hero's are all clean cut american boys. There is never any doubt about who is who and you always know that the heros are going to be okay in the end.
The adventure rolls on in the "ripping yarn" style and you dont have a chance to get bored.
The reader is excellent "Mark F Smith" is a Librivox regular and does voices that are always delighful and full of character. Sadly the recording is a little marred by a quiet whine throughout. This whine does not change so it is easily "tuned out" when listening.
All in all a good listen
Reading 3/3
Production 1/3
Story 2/3
Total Score 6/9
Get it from Librivox
Get the first chapter.
Here is the first chapter.
