"Tom Newcombe; Or, the Boy of Bad Habits" by Harry Castlemon follows the journey of fourteen-year-old Tom Newcombe, a privileged but unhappy boy whose bad habits and restless spirit lead him on a path to self-discovery. Dissatisfied despite his comfortable life, Tom dreams of adventure and imagines himself in a different career almost daily, especially longing for the life of a sailor. He spends his days dissatisfied, blaming his misfortunes on his inability to focus and apply himself to his studies. Tom convinces his successful ship-owner father to let him experience life at sea, expecting a grand, romantic experience; however, the grim reality of hard work and mistreatment quickly shatters his illusions, forcing him to confront the difference between his fantasies and the demands of the real world.
Tom Newcombe; Or, the Boy of Bad Habits
By Harry Castlemon
A spoiled boy's dreams of adventure turn to harsh reality when he discovers that life at sea is far from the glamorous escape he imagined.
Summary
About the AuthorCharles Austin Fosdick, better known by his nom de plume Harry Castlemon, was a prolific writer of juvenile stories and novels, intended mainly for boys. He was born in Randolph, New York, and received a high school diploma from Central High School in Buffalo, New York. He served in the Union Navy from 1862 to 1865, during the American Civil War, acting as the receiver and superintendent of coal for the Mississippi River Squadron. Fosdick had begun to write as a teenager, and drew on his experiences serving in the Navy in such early novels as Frank on a Gunboat (1864) and Frank on the Lower Mississippi (1867). He soon became the most-read author for boys in the post-Civil War era, the golden age of children's literature.
Charles Austin Fosdick, better known by his nom de plume Harry Castlemon, was a prolific writer of juvenile stories and novels, intended mainly for boys. He was born in Randolph, New York, and received a high school diploma from Central High School in Buffalo, New York. He served in the Union Navy from 1862 to 1865, during the American Civil War, acting as the receiver and superintendent of coal for the Mississippi River Squadron. Fosdick had begun to write as a teenager, and drew on his experiences serving in the Navy in such early novels as Frank on a Gunboat (1864) and Frank on the Lower Mississippi (1867). He soon became the most-read author for boys in the post-Civil War era, the golden age of children's literature.
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