{"product_id":"9780821422779-secret-of-the-hb","title":"The Secret of the Hardy Boys","description":"\u003cmeta content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\" http-equiv=\"Content-Type\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLeslie McFarlane and the Stratemeyer Syndicate. The author of the \u003ci\u003eHardy Boys Mysteries\u003c\/i\u003e was, as millions of readers know, Franklin W. Dixon. Except there never was a Franklin W. Dixon. He was the creation of Edward Stratemeyer, the savvy founder of a children’s book empire that also published the Tom Swift, Bobbsey Twins, and Nancy Drew series.\u003cem\u003eThe\u003c\/em\u003e. \u003cp\u003eThe author of the \u003ci\u003eHardy Boys Mysteries\u003c\/i\u003e was, as millions of readers know, Franklin W. Dixon. Except there never was a Franklin W. Dixon. He was the creation of Edward Stratemeyer, the savvy founder of a children's book empire that also published the Tom Swift, Bobbsey Twins, and Nancy Drew series.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Secret of the Hardy Boys: Leslie McFarlane and the Stratemeyer Syndicate\u003c\/em\u003e recounts how a newspaper reporter with dreams of becoming a serious novelist first brought to life Joe and Frank Hardy, who became two of the most famous characters in children’s literature.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eEmbarrassed by his secret identity as the author of the Hardy Boys books, Leslie McFarlane admitted it to no one-his son pried the truth out of him years later. Having signed away all rights to the books, McFarlane never shared in the wild financial success of the series. Far from being bitter, however, late in life McFarlane took satisfaction in having helped introduce millions of children to the joys of reading.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCommenting on the longevity of the Hardy Boys series, the \u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e noted, “Mr. McFarlane breathed originality into the Stratemeyer plots, loading on playful detail.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAuthor Marilyn Greenwald gives us the story of McFarlane’s life and career, including for the first time a compelling account of his writing life after the Hardy Boys. A talented and versatile writer, McFarlane adapted to sweeping changes in North American markets for writers, as pulp and glossy magazines made way for films, radio, and television. It is a fascinating and inspiring story of the force of talent and personality transcending narrow limits.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rarewaves","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40868789321825,"sku":"9780821422779","price":32.25,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0092\/7504\/8033\/files\/0201e1a22ea738cee562faf8dcad85df.png?v=1686806322","url":"https:\/\/www.rarewaves.com\/products\/9780821422779-secret-of-the-hb","provider":"Rarewaves.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}