Order of Book Series
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Tom Swift Books in Order

Tom Swift appears in 139 books, published between 1910 and 2023. The first book is Tom Swift and His Motor-Cycle / Fun and Adventure on the Road (1910) and the newest is Tom Swift and His Flying RaceYacht (2023). Publication order is the reading order below.

Books
139
Published
1910–2023
Pages on record
12,067 in 72 of 139 books
Reading time
201–302 hours

Reading time is an estimate, not a recorded figure: 12,067 pages at 300 words a page, read at 200–300 words a minute, covering the 72 of 139 titles with a page count on record.

See all 139 books in order Printable Tom Swift checklist

Tom Swift is the title character of 139 catalogued books published from 1910 to 2023, most of them credited to Victor Appleton. The first wave arrived in 1910 with Tom Swift and His Motor-Cycle, Tom Swift and His Motor-Boat, Tom Swift and His Airship and Tom Swift and His Submarine Boat, and 1911 added Tom Swift in the Caves of Ice and Tom Swift and His Wireless Message. Lines in the listing include Tom Swift I, Tom Swift Jr., Tom Swift III, Tom Swift IV, Tom Swift, Young Inventor and Tom Swift: Inventors' Academy. Inventors, robots, space flight and adventure appear among the subjects, and Tom Swift and His Flying RaceYacht (2023) is the newest title.

How many Tom Swift books are there?

Tom Swift appears in 139 books, released between 1910 and 2023.

Tom Swift Books in Publication Order

The table lists all 139 Tom Swift books in the order they were published, with the release year, the page count where one is on record, and how many independent book listings confirm each title. Catalogue data as of September 2026.

  1. Cover of Tom Swift and His Motor-Cycle / Fun and Adventure on the Road by Victor Appleton, book 1 of the Tom Swift I series
  2. Cover of Tom Swift and His Airship / The Stirring Cruise of the Red Cloud by Victor Appleton (1910)
  3. Cover of Tom Swift and His Submarine Boat / Under the Ocean for Sunken Treasure by Victor Appleton (1910)
  4. Cover of Tom Swift and His Electric Runabout / The Speediest Car on the Road by Victor Appleton (1910)
  5. Cover of Tom Swift and His Wireless Message / The Castaways of Earthquake Island by Victor Appleton (1911)
  6. Cover of Tom Swift Among the Diamond Makers / The Secret of Phantom Mountain by Victor Appleton (1911)
  7. Cover of Tom Swift and His Electric Rifle / Daring Adventures in Elephant Island by Victor Appleton (1911)
  8. Cover of Tom Swift in the Caves of Ice / The Wreck of the Airship by Victor Appleton, book 10 of the Tom Swift I series
  9. Cover of Tom Swift in the City of Gold / Marvelous Adventures Underground by Victor Appleton (1912)
  10. Cover of Tom Swift in Captivity / A Daring Escape by Airship by Victor Appleton, book 13 of the Tom Swift I series (1912)
  11. Cover of Tom Swift and His Great Search Light / On the Border for Uncle Sam by Victor Appleton (1912)
  12. Cover of Tom Swift and His Giant Cannon / The Longest Shots on Record by Victor Appleton, book 16 of the Tom Swift I series
  13. Cover of Tom Swift and His Photo Telephone / The Picture That Saved a Fortune by Victor Appleton (1914)
  14. Cover of Tom Swift and His Aerial Warship / The Naval Terror of the Seas by Victor Appleton (1915)
  15. Cover of Tom Swift and His Big Tunnel / The Hidden City of the Andes by Victor Appleton, book 19 of the Tom Swift I series
  16. Cover of Tom Swift in the Land of Wonders / The Underground Search for the Idol of Gold by Victor Appleton (1917)
  17. Cover of Tom Swift and His Air Scout / Uncle Sam's Mastery of the Sky by Victor Appleton, book 22 of the Tom Swift I series
  18. Cover of Tom Swift and His Undersea Search / The Treasure on the Floor of the Atlantic by Victor Appleton (1920)
  19. Cover of Tom Swift Among the Fire Fighters / Battling with Flames in the Air / Tom Swift and the Flaming Air Battle by…
  20. Cover of Tom Swift and His Electric Locomotive / Two Miles a Minute on the Rails by Victor Appleton (1922)
  21. Cover of Tom Swift and His Jetmarine by Victor Appleton, book 2 of the Tom Swift Jr. series (1954)
  22. Cover of Tom Swift and His Rocket Ship by Victor Appleton, book 3 of the Tom Swift Jr. series (1954)
  23. Cover of Tom Swift and His Giant Robot by Victor Appleton, book 4 of the Tom Swift Jr. series (1954)
  24. Cover of Tom Swift in the Caves of Nuclear Fire by Victor Appleton, book 8 of the Tom Swift Jr. series (1956)
  1. 1
    Tom Swift and His Motor-Cycle / Fun and Adventure on the RoadTom Swift I #11910 · 96 pages · confirmed 2/4
    191096
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  2. 2
    Tom Swift and His Motor-Boat / The Rivals of Lake CarlopaTom Swift I #21910 · confirmed 2/4
    1910–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  3. 3
    Tom Swift and His Airship / The Stirring Cruise of the Red CloudTom Swift I #31910 · 100 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1910100
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  4. 4
    Tom Swift and His Submarine Boat / Under the Ocean for Sunken TreasureTom Swift I #41910 · 144 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1910144
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  5. 5
    Tom Swift and His Electric Runabout / The Speediest Car on the RoadTom Swift I #51910 · 136 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1910136
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  6. 6
    Tom Swift and His Wireless Message / The Castaways of Earthquake IslandTom Swift I #61911 · 140 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1911140
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  7. 7
    Tom Swift Among the Diamond Makers / The Secret of Phantom MountainTom Swift I #71911 · 144 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1911144
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  8. 8
    Tom Swift and His Sky Racer / The Quickest Flight on RecordTom Swift I #81911 · confirmed 2/4
    1911–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  9. 9
    Tom Swift and His Electric Rifle / Daring Adventures in Elephant IslandTom Swift I #91911 · 192 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1911192
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  10. 10
    Tom Swift in the Caves of Ice / The Wreck of the AirshipTom Swift I #101911 · 148 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1911148
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  11. 11
    Tom Swift in the City of Gold / Marvelous Adventures UndergroundTom Swift I #111912 · 116 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1912116
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  12. 12
    Tom Swift and His Air Glider / Seeking the Platinum TreasureTom Swift I #121912 · confirmed 2/4
    1912–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  13. 13
    Tom Swift in Captivity / A Daring Escape by AirshipTom Swift I #131912 · 152 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1912152
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  14. 14
    Tom Swift and His Wizard Camera / Thrilling Adventures While Taking Moving PicturesTom Swift I #141912 · 148 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1912148
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  15. 15
    Tom Swift and His Great Search Light / On the Border for Uncle SamTom Swift I #151912 · 118 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1912118
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  16. 16
    Tom Swift and His Giant Cannon / The Longest Shots on RecordTom Swift I #161913 · 152 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1913152
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  17. 17
    Tom Swift and His Photo Telephone / The Picture That Saved a FortuneTom Swift I #171914 · 152 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1914152
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  18. 18
    Tom Swift and His Aerial Warship / The Naval Terror of the SeasTom Swift I #181915 · 156 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1915156
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  19. 19
    Tom Swift and His Big Tunnel / The Hidden City of the AndesTom Swift I #191916 · 156 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1916156
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  20. 20
    Tom Swift in the Land of Wonders / The Underground Search for the Idol of GoldTom Swift I #201917 · 148 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1917148
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  21. 21
    Tom Swift and His War Tank / Doing His Bit for Uncle SamTom Swift I #211918 · confirmed 2/4
    1918–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  22. 22
    Tom Swift and His Air Scout / Uncle Sam's Mastery of the SkyTom Swift I #221919 · 104 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1919104
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  23. 23
    Tom Swift and His Undersea Search / The Treasure on the Floor of the AtlanticTom Swift I #231920 · 214 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1920214
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  24. 24
    Tom Swift Among the Fire Fighters / Battling with Flames in the Air / Tom Swift and the Flaming Air BattleTom Swift I #241921 · 100 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1921100
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  25. 25
    Tom Swift and His Electric Locomotive / Two Miles a Minute on the RailsTom Swift I #251922 · 144 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1922144
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  26. 26
    Tom Swift and His Flying Boat / Castaways of the Giant IcebergTom Swift I #261923 · confirmed 2/4
    1923–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  27. 27
    Tom Swift and His Great Oil Gusher / The Treasure of Goby FarmTom Swift I #271924 · confirmed 2/4
    1924–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  28. 28
    Tom Swift and His Chest of Secrets / Tracing the Stolen InventionsTom Swift I #281925 · confirmed 2/4
    1925–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  29. 29
    Tom Swift and His Airline Express / From Ocean to Ocean by DaylightTom Swift I #291926 · confirmed 2/4
    1926–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  30. 30
    Tom Swift Circling the Globe / The Daring Cruise of the Air MonarchTom Swift I #301927 · confirmed 2/4
    1927–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK

Do you have to read Tom Swift books in order?

You should read the Tom Swift books in publication order, the order of the numbered table above. The catalogue does not record whether each Tom Swift book also stands alone.

Where to start with Tom Swift

Start with Tom Swift and His Motor-Cycle / Fun and Adventure on the Road (1910), the earliest published title.

What is the newest Tom Swift book?

Tom Swift and His Flying RaceYacht (2023) is the newest Tom Swift book released so far.

Is there a new Tom Swift book coming?

No next Tom Swift book is announced in the catalogue, which is a gap in the listings it merges rather than a sign that the run has ended.

Tom Swift at a glance

Paused
No new Tom Swift title has appeared for 3 years. The last was published in 2023.
Release pace
Tom Swift books have appeared about one a year on average.
Length
12,067 pages across the 72 of 139 books with a recorded length, a median of 160 pages each.
Busiest decade
Most Tom Swift books, 30 of 139, were published in the 2010s.
Attribution
Of the 139 titles, 137 are credited to Victor Appleton and 2 to Thomas Hudson.

What the Tom Swift books are about

58 of the 139 Tom Swift books carry subject tags in Open Library's catalogue. The subjects below are the ones that recur across them, most frequent first: children's fiction is tagged on 40 of 58. The subjects are cataloguers’ headings, not a plot summary.

Series featuring Tom Swift

Each series linked below has its own reading-order page.