Swift and Sure: The Story of a Hydroplane

"Swift and Sure: The Story of a Hydroplane" by Herbert Strang is an early 20th-century adventure where a daring young engineer named Will Pentelow finds himself in the middle of a revolution-torn Venezuela while chasing his dream of building a hydroplane. The story plunges into action right away with a gripping scene of a jaguar stalking an Indian man in the Venezuelan jungle, only for Will to appear in his hydroplane to save the day. As Will tackles the challenges of working on a railway project in the wild, the book mixes engineering with action, revealing a land filled with political disruption and personal ambition. Through encounters with local people and navigating dangerous situations, Will's bravery and invention take center stage in this thrilling tale set against the backdrop of a nation in turmoil.