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Doc Savage (Bantam) #19
Pirate of the Pacific
Not ships but nations are the prey of the sinister Oriental mastermind, Tom Too. Only Doc Savage and his daring crew stand a chance of saving the world from this figure of evil and his lethal legions. On land and sea, in the weirdest corners of the wide world, Doc and his friends plunge into their wildest adventure -- against their most dangerous foe!
136 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published July 1, 1933
6 people are currently reading
159 people want to read
About the author
Kenneth Robeson
916 books134 followersKenneth Robeson was the house name used by Street and Smith Publications as the author of their popular character Doc Savage and later The Avenger. Though most Doc Savage stories were written by the author Lester Dent, there were many others who contributed to the series, including:
William G. Bogart
Evelyn Coulson
Harold A. Davis
Lawrence Donovan
Alan Hathway
W. Ryerson Johnson
Lester Dent is usually considered to be the creator of Doc Savage. In the 1990s Philip José Farmer wrote a new Doc Savage adventure, but it was published under his own name and not by Robeson. Will Murray has since taken up the pseudonym and continued writing Doc Savage books as Robeson.
All 24 of the original stories featuring The Avenger were written by Paul Ernst, using the Robeson house name. In order to encourage sales Kenneth Robeson was credited on the cover of The Avenger magazine as "the creator of Doc Savage" even though Lester Dent had nothing to do with The Avenger series. In the 1970s, when the series was extended with 12 additional novels, Ron Goulart was hired to become Robeson.
William G. Bogart
Evelyn Coulson
Harold A. Davis
Lawrence Donovan
Alan Hathway
W. Ryerson Johnson
Lester Dent is usually considered to be the creator of Doc Savage. In the 1990s Philip José Farmer wrote a new Doc Savage adventure, but it was published under his own name and not by Robeson. Will Murray has since taken up the pseudonym and continued writing Doc Savage books as Robeson.
All 24 of the original stories featuring The Avenger were written by Paul Ernst, using the Robeson house name. In order to encourage sales Kenneth Robeson was credited on the cover of The Avenger magazine as "the creator of Doc Savage" even though Lester Dent had nothing to do with The Avenger series. In the 1970s, when the series was extended with 12 additional novels, Ron Goulart was hired to become Robeson.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
January 29, 2022
I once wrote that I didn't believe in the term 'dated' when describing a book, but this one got awful close to pushing me to the other side.
Since I discovered Doc Savage, I've found it a supremely enjoyable series of short novels. I've only read a few, but they are always full of action and intrigue, mystery and allure, banter and wit. On one hand, the Doc Savage novels seem to be aimed at a young adult audience, explaining Doc's physicality not as a built-in mutant superpower, but as something attainable through daily exercise, and his intelligence has been achieved through hard work and constant study. Very good lessons for a young mind. On the other hand, the level of violence might make Dick Tracy puke in his wicker wastebasket.
'Pirate of the Pacific' is a fun and action-packed read, but it was written in the 1930s. The pirates are Asians, so the author has pulled out his Rainbow Thesaurus to explain exactly which shade of yellow each particular pirate's skin colour resembles. The author has also taken a stab at the . . . dialect of the pirates. But he doesn't stop at Asians. There is a particular dress-up scene in which one of the main characters goes undercover as a black man. But these scenes, offensive though they are today, never came off as maliciously racist. It didn't feel like anti-Asian rhetoric, it felt like casual racism from a time when casual racism was acceptable.
Every book is literally 'dated' on the copyright page. If, as an adult, you choose to read an action novel from the 30s that has Asian bad guys--assume there will be casual racism. Doc Savage is a very fun series of novels, but maybe don't give this one to an impressionable youth. There are better ones to start with; even ones with dinosaurs in it!
My rating is 3 big grains of salt.
Since I discovered Doc Savage, I've found it a supremely enjoyable series of short novels. I've only read a few, but they are always full of action and intrigue, mystery and allure, banter and wit. On one hand, the Doc Savage novels seem to be aimed at a young adult audience, explaining Doc's physicality not as a built-in mutant superpower, but as something attainable through daily exercise, and his intelligence has been achieved through hard work and constant study. Very good lessons for a young mind. On the other hand, the level of violence might make Dick Tracy puke in his wicker wastebasket.
'Pirate of the Pacific' is a fun and action-packed read, but it was written in the 1930s. The pirates are Asians, so the author has pulled out his Rainbow Thesaurus to explain exactly which shade of yellow each particular pirate's skin colour resembles. The author has also taken a stab at the . . . dialect of the pirates. But he doesn't stop at Asians. There is a particular dress-up scene in which one of the main characters goes undercover as a black man. But these scenes, offensive though they are today, never came off as maliciously racist. It didn't feel like anti-Asian rhetoric, it felt like casual racism from a time when casual racism was acceptable.
Every book is literally 'dated' on the copyright page. If, as an adult, you choose to read an action novel from the 30s that has Asian bad guys--assume there will be casual racism. Doc Savage is a very fun series of novels, but maybe don't give this one to an impressionable youth. There are better ones to start with; even ones with dinosaurs in it!
My rating is 3 big grains of salt.
February 10, 2023
Pirate of the Pacific is a "Doc Savage" novel by Kenneth Robeson. Kenneth Robeson was the house name Street and Smith Publications used as the author of their popular Doc Savage novels. Though most Doc Savage stories were written by the author Lester Dent, there were many others who contributed to the series, including:
William G. Bogart
Evelyn Coulson
Harold A. Davis
Lawrence Donovan
Alan Hathway
W. Ryerson Johnson
I love reading these old pulp novels from time to time. I recently came across several of them in a used bookstore and snapped them up. I read about 80%+ of the Doc Savage novels when I was a teenager but that was a very long time ago.
In this one, Doc Savage and his men are in the thick of it again. The action is classic Doc Savage, filled with good old fashion adventure and with gadgets that always seem to be there when the hero needs them. You can relax and escape for a little while. A good read in the Doc Savage series.
William G. Bogart
Evelyn Coulson
Harold A. Davis
Lawrence Donovan
Alan Hathway
W. Ryerson Johnson
I love reading these old pulp novels from time to time. I recently came across several of them in a used bookstore and snapped them up. I read about 80%+ of the Doc Savage novels when I was a teenager but that was a very long time ago.
In this one, Doc Savage and his men are in the thick of it again. The action is classic Doc Savage, filled with good old fashion adventure and with gadgets that always seem to be there when the hero needs them. You can relax and escape for a little while. A good read in the Doc Savage series.
March 2, 2020
This is a rollicking good adventure, and it feels like author Robeson/Dent has finally, and very
clearly, figured out exactly who Doc Savage is, while also getting a clearer feel for at least three of Doc's five stalwart BFFs. (Incidentally, in case you haven't already seen this fact in other reviews, "Pirate of the Pacific" was the fifth Savage novel written and published; Bantam Books didn't do the re-releases in the original chronological order.)
So why only two stars?
Pure and simple, overwhelming in-your-face ethnic stereotyping. I fully realize how prevalent and accepted racism was in 1930s general society. It's popped up in one form or another in the prior four Doc novels. But in this work it's displayed front and center in the third paragraph -- then continues unabated till the closing scene. Here, the racism is targeted squarely on Asians. And it pops up so frequently that the collision with my ethics kept pulling me out of the fun of the core plot, interfering far too much with my suspension of disbelief. It's flat-out jarring to a modern reader.
Because of the great plot and further character development of Doc and his scrappy pals, I recommend this for die-hard pulp novel and Doc Savage fans. The only other readers it may serve well are students and researchers of ethnic stereotyping in the history of American pop culture.
clearly, figured out exactly who Doc Savage is, while also getting a clearer feel for at least three of Doc's five stalwart BFFs. (Incidentally, in case you haven't already seen this fact in other reviews, "Pirate of the Pacific" was the fifth Savage novel written and published; Bantam Books didn't do the re-releases in the original chronological order.)
So why only two stars?
Pure and simple, overwhelming in-your-face ethnic stereotyping. I fully realize how prevalent and accepted racism was in 1930s general society. It's popped up in one form or another in the prior four Doc novels. But in this work it's displayed front and center in the third paragraph -- then continues unabated till the closing scene. Here, the racism is targeted squarely on Asians. And it pops up so frequently that the collision with my ethics kept pulling me out of the fun of the core plot, interfering far too much with my suspension of disbelief. It's flat-out jarring to a modern reader.
Because of the great plot and further character development of Doc and his scrappy pals, I recommend this for die-hard pulp novel and Doc Savage fans. The only other readers it may serve well are students and researchers of ethnic stereotyping in the history of American pop culture.
May 23, 2020
Doc and his crew go up against a notorious villain named Tom Too and his gang of pirates. This is a fast-moving, action-packed story. Keep in mind that this was written in the early 1930s and, as in many pulp fiction stories and b-movies of the day, the Asian stereotypes are cringe worthy. But if you can overlook that, it is a very enjoyable story.
February 9, 2016
Of all the pulp era heroes few stand out above the crowd, Doc Savage is one of these. With his 5 aides and cousin he adventures across the world. Fighting weird menaces, master criminals and evil scientists Doc and the Fab 5 never let you down for a great read. These stories have all you need; fast paced action, weird mystery, and some humor as the aides spat with each other. My highest recommendation.
October 5, 2013
I'm usually willing to make SOME allowances for the racism and xenophobia that are contained in these Doc Savage books, due to the years they were written in. But "Pirate of the Pacific" really takes the cake. The constant descriptions of chinese people as "slant-eyed," "yellow skinned," etcetera, were more than I could stomach. As a result, I can't recommend this book.
November 16, 2013
Doc Savage tackles his most cunning foe yet: a modern pirate lord who aims to overthrow the Luzon Union.
It is an unusually bloody adventure, with no shortage of gunfight, murder and violence. But the pace is good and Lester Dent always keeps the villain one step ahead of Doc. A very good entry.
It is an unusually bloody adventure, with no shortage of gunfight, murder and violence. But the pace is good and Lester Dent always keeps the villain one step ahead of Doc. A very good entry.
June 5, 2012
I do find it frustrating that the books are numbered out of order here on Goodreads. This is book #5.
February 4, 2025
I just finished a Doc Savage adventure about pirates, so I thought I would read another one. The Pirate Of The Pacific is one of the earliest of the Doc Savage adventures, as it was the lead story in the fifth issue of Doc Savage Magazine and was published in July of 1933.
The story gets off to an interesting start as several Oriental thugs commandeer four pursuit planes from a guarded airport; their objective is to destroy a submarine in Long Island Sound that is returning from a desperate mission to the North Pole. Of course, Doc Savage and his five associates are onboard the sub. Doc is aware of their presence as he makes use of an early experimental version of television to watch the planes flying overhead. The bad guys bombed the submarine, or what they thought was the submarine … Doc had prepared a decoy of some sort as their futuristic submarine was resting on the bottom of the sound while the attack was raging. Lester made it a point to inform the reader that this part of the Long Island Sound is shallow.
Doc and his crew are transporting fifty million dollars in gold and diamonds in the submarine, which they brought back from the Arctic, to be deposited in an all-night bank in New York City. Lester doesn’t mention it, but he is referencing his preceding story, The Polar Treasure, published in the June, 1933 issue of Doc Savage Magazine. The Pirate Of the Pacific contains a vague reference to that story.
Shortly, thereafter, Doc and his crew are at headquarters, where their leader explains the nature of their next adventure, which will be depicted in this story, The Pirate Of The Pacific. Doc soon finds himself at the estate of a friend of an influential man, named Juan Mindoro, who is, “a political power in the Pacific island group known as the Luzon Union.” This is undoubtedly a reference to the Philippines, and this “influential man” who seems to be in desperate need of Doc’s help; Mindoro and Doc are close friends and met while Doc was studying tropical diseases in Luzon Union; he and his friend, a wealthy sugar importer named Scott S. Osborn is nowhere to be found. The oriental hit squad tries again to kill Doc; he evades them, but not before one of the thugs is killed in a most hideous manner.
So, The Pirate Of The Pacific promises to be a story chock full of mystery and intrigue; after four chapters, there have been four murders, an attempt on Doc's and his associate’s lives, a vicious fight, complete with knives and machine guns, and Doc using his favorite weapon, his glass containers of anesthetic gas. The scene of this adventure will shift to the mysterious Orient … a favorite locale of the pulp fiction genre from back in the day.
This interesting story does shift to the Orient by way of San Francisco and a passenger ship called the Malay Queen. Long Tom, Johnny, and Monk were eventually kidnapped. We learn who the master mind of the bad guys is … a guy named “Tom Too” is the Pirate of the Pacific, but he’s not a pirate from the days of Treasure Island and Long John Silver … he’s a modern day version with much bigger plans that far exceed those of the pirates in Stevenson’s epic story.
Tom Too’s scheme almost comes to fruition, but as usual, Doc and his crew are successful in foiling the cunning pirate’s plan, but they had their hands full in doing so. The Pirate Of The Pacific is one of the best Doc Savage stories I have read. It had a little of everything the reader would expect in a Doc Savage adventure story … mystery, intrigue, gunplay, fist fights, close calls and death knocking at the door, in short … wall to wall action abounds in the last few chapters, but Doc and the guys succeed in their objective, which is to thwart the plan, witness the deserved demise, and then reveal the true identity of … the Pirate Of The Pacific. *****
The story gets off to an interesting start as several Oriental thugs commandeer four pursuit planes from a guarded airport; their objective is to destroy a submarine in Long Island Sound that is returning from a desperate mission to the North Pole. Of course, Doc Savage and his five associates are onboard the sub. Doc is aware of their presence as he makes use of an early experimental version of television to watch the planes flying overhead. The bad guys bombed the submarine, or what they thought was the submarine … Doc had prepared a decoy of some sort as their futuristic submarine was resting on the bottom of the sound while the attack was raging. Lester made it a point to inform the reader that this part of the Long Island Sound is shallow.
Doc and his crew are transporting fifty million dollars in gold and diamonds in the submarine, which they brought back from the Arctic, to be deposited in an all-night bank in New York City. Lester doesn’t mention it, but he is referencing his preceding story, The Polar Treasure, published in the June, 1933 issue of Doc Savage Magazine. The Pirate Of the Pacific contains a vague reference to that story.
Shortly, thereafter, Doc and his crew are at headquarters, where their leader explains the nature of their next adventure, which will be depicted in this story, The Pirate Of The Pacific. Doc soon finds himself at the estate of a friend of an influential man, named Juan Mindoro, who is, “a political power in the Pacific island group known as the Luzon Union.” This is undoubtedly a reference to the Philippines, and this “influential man” who seems to be in desperate need of Doc’s help; Mindoro and Doc are close friends and met while Doc was studying tropical diseases in Luzon Union; he and his friend, a wealthy sugar importer named Scott S. Osborn is nowhere to be found. The oriental hit squad tries again to kill Doc; he evades them, but not before one of the thugs is killed in a most hideous manner.
So, The Pirate Of The Pacific promises to be a story chock full of mystery and intrigue; after four chapters, there have been four murders, an attempt on Doc's and his associate’s lives, a vicious fight, complete with knives and machine guns, and Doc using his favorite weapon, his glass containers of anesthetic gas. The scene of this adventure will shift to the mysterious Orient … a favorite locale of the pulp fiction genre from back in the day.
This interesting story does shift to the Orient by way of San Francisco and a passenger ship called the Malay Queen. Long Tom, Johnny, and Monk were eventually kidnapped. We learn who the master mind of the bad guys is … a guy named “Tom Too” is the Pirate of the Pacific, but he’s not a pirate from the days of Treasure Island and Long John Silver … he’s a modern day version with much bigger plans that far exceed those of the pirates in Stevenson’s epic story.
Tom Too’s scheme almost comes to fruition, but as usual, Doc and his crew are successful in foiling the cunning pirate’s plan, but they had their hands full in doing so. The Pirate Of The Pacific is one of the best Doc Savage stories I have read. It had a little of everything the reader would expect in a Doc Savage adventure story … mystery, intrigue, gunplay, fist fights, close calls and death knocking at the door, in short … wall to wall action abounds in the last few chapters, but Doc and the guys succeed in their objective, which is to thwart the plan, witness the deserved demise, and then reveal the true identity of … the Pirate Of The Pacific. *****
June 3, 2020
Pulp novel featuring Doc Savage. This was actually the fifth book in the series, and it is clear that the author was still trying out ideas and developing personalities. This is a "yellow peril" novel and is laughably politically incorrect, Doc and his crew actually disguise themselves in blackface at one point. The Asian villains all speak pidgin English, of course.
December 17, 2021
Pirate of the Pacific was an entertaining and enjoyable book. The story starts out in New York City, where some of the action occurs over the first third of the book. Soon though, Doc and his men are on a ship out of San Francisco on their way to the Philippines.
August 5, 2017
These books from the 30's are fantastic the writers are great
October 4, 2017
Another good Doc adventure that I read back in the 70s.
February 2, 2018
A much better putting for the pompous, know-it-all Doc than the last book, but that's not saying much.
May 15, 2018
Another enjoyable Doc Savage read. The main villains always seem to be the first characters they meet in the first two or three chapters. Lol 😂
April 15, 2019
Not as good as others I've read. Much more violent.
April 30, 2021
Could not finish this adventure. Way too many racist comments.
April 10, 2025
A full on yellow peril novel. Chaotic running around.
May 8, 2023
I've enjoyed all the Doc's so far, but I have two nits to pick with this one, one personal peeve and one story problem.
Story-wise: the pacing-it feels both rushed and plodding if that's possible. all the proceeding Doc's have been campy adventures-glorious pulpy goodness. don't know how else to put it but this one just feels off. it never kicks into high gear (or any gear for that matter)
Personal peeve: Doc's men have always been represented as the most awe-inspiring,chips-down colleges, best at what they do. if best at what they do is getting kidnapped and force Doc to rescue them, then yes they are quite good. this is half the plot. this is only #5 in the series and I refuse to believe Dent had already ran out of ideas for a full-length novel already. which is a shame because what should have been the major driving plot of the book is quite ingenious- our villains goal is to destabilize the economy of the Philippines and rush in to conquer/save the populous. hey, that can easily happen today!
Maybe Dent was under a deadline-no worries, I will gladly continue the series -inherited a massive run of the pulps so I'm not going anywhere.
Story-wise: the pacing-it feels both rushed and plodding if that's possible. all the proceeding Doc's have been campy adventures-glorious pulpy goodness. don't know how else to put it but this one just feels off. it never kicks into high gear (or any gear for that matter)
Personal peeve: Doc's men have always been represented as the most awe-inspiring,chips-down colleges, best at what they do. if best at what they do is getting kidnapped and force Doc to rescue them, then yes they are quite good. this is half the plot. this is only #5 in the series and I refuse to believe Dent had already ran out of ideas for a full-length novel already. which is a shame because what should have been the major driving plot of the book is quite ingenious- our villains goal is to destabilize the economy of the Philippines and rush in to conquer/save the populous. hey, that can easily happen today!
Maybe Dent was under a deadline-no worries, I will gladly continue the series -inherited a massive run of the pulps so I'm not going anywhere.
April 28, 2023
Come for the adventure and stay for the in your face racism on almost every page. You can defiantly tell this was written in another time because the first sentence alone would never have passed. Not just because of that, but in the first few chapters it mentions how they pass the just started construction on the new Golden Gate bridge. But that aside, this could have almost been Doc Savage meets the Titanic, not a bad adventure but also not the greatest, but well worth a read.
This adventure was brought to you by the following lines of greatness, like:
'One driver lifted an arm — a silent signal.' (That he needed stronger deodorant)
'This was leaving a creamy wake.' (with a chewy dark chocolate center)
'Man of mystery, the radio commentator had labeled Doc Savage. Wizard of science! Muscular marvel!' (This is his Tinder bio)
'Liang-Sun was fumbling inside the waistband of his trousers.' (Is that a sword or are you just happy to see...OH! It IS a sword, my bad!)
'Pistols slammer thunder!' (Sorry Thor!)
'He looked like an acrobatic Santa Claus.' (So in other words he looked NOTHING like Santa Claus. Got it!)
'No quarter was given or expected.' (Good, because I don't have any change.)
'Nor did he hear the might form of a man who glided up to his back.' (How do you hear a shape?)
And don't forget the (insert your own joke here) line of the adventure-
'They goggled like small boys seeing their first lion.' (Yeah!...wait...what?)
For those who are playing Superamalgamated bingo at home - 0 is the count for this adventure.
But I did add the 'Wallah' count this time around and that came out to a whopper of 10 as well as the 'Mongol' count that clocked in at 114. Yes, i counted them all...Yes, i have no life.
Oh well, on to the next one...
This adventure was brought to you by the following lines of greatness, like:
'One driver lifted an arm — a silent signal.' (That he needed stronger deodorant)
'This was leaving a creamy wake.' (with a chewy dark chocolate center)
'Man of mystery, the radio commentator had labeled Doc Savage. Wizard of science! Muscular marvel!' (This is his Tinder bio)
'Liang-Sun was fumbling inside the waistband of his trousers.' (Is that a sword or are you just happy to see...OH! It IS a sword, my bad!)
'Pistols slammer thunder!' (Sorry Thor!)
'He looked like an acrobatic Santa Claus.' (So in other words he looked NOTHING like Santa Claus. Got it!)
'No quarter was given or expected.' (Good, because I don't have any change.)
'Nor did he hear the might form of a man who glided up to his back.' (How do you hear a shape?)
And don't forget the (insert your own joke here) line of the adventure-
'They goggled like small boys seeing their first lion.' (Yeah!...wait...what?)
For those who are playing Superamalgamated bingo at home - 0 is the count for this adventure.
But I did add the 'Wallah' count this time around and that came out to a whopper of 10 as well as the 'Mongol' count that clocked in at 114. Yes, i counted them all...Yes, i have no life.
Oh well, on to the next one...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 4, 2014
Coming directly off the heels of The Polar Treasure, the gang returns by submarine to New York only to be attacked by Asian pirates. The chase/capture/escape cycles go from the skyscrapers of New York to a cruise ship from San Francisco to a stand in for the Philippines. Big action in this one, as Savage gets in more fisticuffs than I've seen in the previous books combined and his five compatriots tear through crates of ammo for their machine pistols. Remmy gets the spotlight this time, and Monk and Ham get separated early on so there's less of their squabbling.
Not much in the way of plot. After the failed assassination attempt, Savage tracks down and chases the culprits, led by the elusive pirate Tom-Too, who seems more like a pan-Asian revolutionary than a bandit.
I was worried about this one because it opened with an almost surreal barrage of racial invective. Most of the time this stuff is just either outdated terms or casual bigotry, but Dent really unloads. This makes for uncomfortable reading for the modern reader, but it was also just bad writing. You really can't use "inscrutable" more than once in a paragraph. Luckily it seems that he was just getting it out of his system and he lets off a bit later in the book, though he stirr lesolts to that annoying R and L swap in the diarect. Also, Remmy is in black-face.
More reviews at Trash Menace.
Not much in the way of plot. After the failed assassination attempt, Savage tracks down and chases the culprits, led by the elusive pirate Tom-Too, who seems more like a pan-Asian revolutionary than a bandit.
I was worried about this one because it opened with an almost surreal barrage of racial invective. Most of the time this stuff is just either outdated terms or casual bigotry, but Dent really unloads. This makes for uncomfortable reading for the modern reader, but it was also just bad writing. You really can't use "inscrutable" more than once in a paragraph. Luckily it seems that he was just getting it out of his system and he lets off a bit later in the book, though he stirr lesolts to that annoying R and L swap in the diarect. Also, Remmy is in black-face.
More reviews at Trash Menace.
September 25, 2016
The first Doc Savage story appeared in 1933 and the series ran in pulp and later digest format into 1949. Bantam reprinted the entire series in paperback with wonderful, iconic covers starting in the 1960's. Doc was arguably the first great modern superhero with a rich background, continuity, and mythos. The characterizations were far richer than was common for the pulps; his five associates and their sometimes-auxiliary, Doc's cousin Pat, and the pets Chemistry and Habeas Corpus, all had very distinctive characteristics and their byplay was frequently more entertaining that the current adventure-of-the-month. The settings were also fascinating: Doc's Fortress of Solitude, the Hidalgo Trading Company (which served as a front for his armada of vehicles), and especially the mysterious 86th floor headquarters all became familiar haunts to the reader, and the far-flung adventures took the intrepid band to exotic and richly-described locations all over the world. The adventures were always fast-paced and exciting, from the early apocalyptic world-saving extravaganzas of the early days to the latter scientific-detective style shorter works of the post-World War Two years. There were always a few points that it was difficult to believe along the way, but there were always more ups than downs, and there was never, ever a dull moment. The Doc Savage books have always been my favorite entertainments... I was always, as Johnny would say, superamalgamated!
December 18, 2012
As Doc Savage and his five sidekicks sail the submarine “Hellfire” home from the Arctic, a nefarious plot unfolds in New York City. A friend of Doc’s, Juan Mindoro, comes to him for help thwarting a plan to overthrow the government of the Luzon Union, a Pacific island nation. Doc and his men do battle with a motley crew of Asian pirates in New York and across the Pacific after Johnny, Long Tom, and Monk are taken captive by the pirate leader, Tom Too. Doc’s crew again falls into Too’s clutches on a remote island, and Doc takes to the jungle to rescue them. They battle the pirates at every turn until Doc outwits them at last and brings an end to the attempted coup d’êtat.
While it is often obvious these books were written over 70 years ago, it’s part of their charm. The fun and adventure contained within their pages is timeless. Once again, I am compelled to highly recommend these books to anyone who loves a good, swashbuckling tale.
While it is often obvious these books were written over 70 years ago, it’s part of their charm. The fun and adventure contained within their pages is timeless. Once again, I am compelled to highly recommend these books to anyone who loves a good, swashbuckling tale.
October 9, 2013
This is the fifth Doc Savage novel, printed July, 1933. It's a bit weaker story, but the two most interesting things about it were that it came directly on the heels of the fourth novel, the Polar Treasure, and Doc spent much of this story either by himself or with only one or two aides to help him. It's possible Lester Dent realized he had a far more powerful character than he originally planned and having Doc and all six of his aides would be just too easy in defeating the vicious Tom Too. Long Tom, Johnny and Monk spend almost 100 pages of this 134 page novel as captives, and so don't do much at all.
January 29, 2015
This book as more ambitious than the earlier ones; Doc Savage and crew are fighting an evil mastermind plotting to overthrow a government. As was consistent with the times, the descriptions of the "slant-eyed mongols" were very unattractive and prejudiced. Doc first uses his special fingertip knock-out drops in this story. The girl-smitten-with-Doc angle is absent in this book. One of the marvels of Doc's inventing genius is a scuba apparatus, first used here but I've seen it in later stories as well. Not quite as good as some of the other books but, given that the bar is so high with these, still a fun read.
December 14, 2013
I loved that "Pirate of the Pacific" picked up right after the previous 1933 tale left off, as Doc and the boys are returning from the adventure of "The Polar Treasure."
"Pirate of the Pacific" (check out the classic James Bama cover art of the Bantam, one my favorites) is a terrific example of early Doc Savage in all his pulpy glory. This story of a modern day (1933) pirate in the Philippines (called the Luzon Union here), name of Tom Too, really satisfies.
It's not a truly great tale, but it's close enough.
"Pirate of the Pacific" (check out the classic James Bama cover art of the Bantam, one my favorites) is a terrific example of early Doc Savage in all his pulpy glory. This story of a modern day (1933) pirate in the Philippines (called the Luzon Union here), name of Tom Too, really satisfies.
It's not a truly great tale, but it's close enough.
September 14, 2016
5 for Nostalgia but still a very good story. Batman vs Pirates. Racial in style but that is OK for the period it was written. A good introduction to the gadget side of Doc Savage and it includes all 5 companions, making this a great introductory novel to the Doc Savage saga. Going to lend this one out to a friend.
August 27, 2009
A great adventure in which Doc Savage and company travel to the South China Sea to battle a notorious pirate.
Great setting adds spice to atypical Doc story. Fun read.
Great setting adds spice to atypical Doc story. Fun read.
April 5, 2018
Another good entry in the early Doc Savage series.
July 19, 2016
Ok, I figured out who the bad guy was way early in, but it was still a fun adventure.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews