There was only one clue to the bloody enigma of TAZ -- the illegible, dying scrawl of a horribly mutilated sailor. What was the message he had so desperately tried to deliver? Why had sizzling acid been forced into his mouth? What secret had the dead man unraveled about the flamboyant and brutal Captain Flamingo? Held captive aboard a tramp steamer, The Man of Bronze and his bold allies wrestle with the dread riddle of Taz.

One of my favorite Docs. Great characters and a unique plot. I love any of Dent's plot elements that reoccur in later stories and the oxygen tablets in this one pop up at least a couple of other times in later years. Gotta have that continuity!

Another great example of how Dent can weave his love and knowledge of things, the sea for example, into an amazing adventure. The Doc Savage series always shines with an intelligence and depth of detail that far outstrips the usual pulp yarns.

One question about those oxygen tablets: who invented them? I was curious, since Captain Flamingo's crooks are using them in this tale and this is an early adventure. Here's the important question, especially in relation to Doc the gadgeteer: Were the oxygen pellets invented separately by someone else in the world? Or did the crooks in this tale invent them, hence Doc got them from this adventure to use later throughout his career? Or did Doc invent them and somehow they fell into the hands of the criminals? This is an intriguing premise to explore.

Thomas Fortenberry

Thomas: It is my impression that the ancient civilization discovered the secret tablets. This would explain how Capt. Flamingo got his paws on them. I may be wrong, tho', as I have not read this in a while.

I hope doc savage will be back in book form soon,a movie would not hurt either.

This is one of the best. Exciting from beginning to end, full of great characters and humor. The underwater ruins are really vividly described and the final action is intense. To answer the question about the origin of the oxygen tablets, the character, Seaworthy, found a square stone tablet in the ruins on his first visit, desciphered the hieroglyphics, and they revealed how to mix up the formula that would allow one to breath underwater.

This is an excellent Doc story and it highlights the thing that Dent did best — he was an idea man. The whole concept of a drug that supplies you with oxygen while suppressing your urge to breathe is pretty ingenious. I also love the fact that the real treasure of TAZ was not gold and jewels, but "Egypto-Mayan" scientific knowledge. What a riot. Dent in high gear.

One of my personal favorites. It is actually the first Doc Savage book I ever read. My father gave it to me for my 14th birthday and I've been hooked on Doc Savage ever since. I liked how Doc used the sand from the cuff of the dead sailors pants and the water that he was able to wring out of the mans clothing to get his first clue. I also liked how Doc, Renny, and Stanley Watchford Topping escaped from the room that held the morays. I also liked the part where Doc locks two of the bad guys in the diving bell and lets them think that they are going to drown. I felt that it was a true mystery the first time I read it and since then it has only grown more enjoyable. I often wonder what Doc did with the formula that the villians found on their first trip to TAZ.