Riassunto
Riassunto di Pericolo! e altri racconti
A chi è rivolto
Readers who like inventive short fiction, from early war prophecy and flying adventure to ghost stories, courtroom drama and warm family sketches, and who enjoy the lively voice of Arthur Conan Doyle.
Che cos’è questo libro
Danger! and Other Stories gathers ten pieces by Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes. They range from war fiction and a mountain-high flight to a gentleman highwayman, a Regency prank, a ghostly car crash and a nursery full of children. The title story first appeared in 1914, when many people in Britain thought a modern war could be fought only by great fleets. Doyle asked a sharper question: what if a small power used a handful of submarines against the ships that carry the nation's food?
This summary takes the stories in turn and stops before every ending. You meet a submarine captain who calls himself the best man to tell his own tale, a masked robber who stops motorists by night, an aviator who hunts for monsters in the upper air, a lodger on a lonely Yorkshire moor and a soldier on trial for a killing. Each piece is short, quick and built around one strong idea. Let us begin with the submarine captain and his plan to starve a mighty empire.
In questo riassunto
- 1A small navy takes aim at BritainFree
- 2Food ships become the target
- 3Cat and mouse in the Channel
- 4A nation's hunger closes the war
- 5Two tales of masks and manners
- 6The dandy, the nephew and the bully
- 7The air jungle above Wiltshire
- 8A mad road trip and a ghost on the moor
Punto chiave 1 di 8
A small navy takes aim at Britain
The title story is the log of Captain John Sirius, an officer of a tiny European state. Britain has sent an ultimatum, and the King and his Foreign Minister think surrender is the only sane choice. Admiral Horli begs them to hear Sirius first. The captain promises to bring England to her knees in a month or six weeks, and the King is won over after a half hour of calm, exact argument.
His plan is odd. Sirius will not fight a single warship. The fleet is to shelter behind the forts at Blankenberg, and he asks only for the eight submarines. He says plainly that he would never go near a battleship, because the boats are too precious to risk.
Britain, he tells us, spends nearly a hundred million pounds a year on its forces. Yet when the test comes, he claims, all of it is useless against his flotilla, which costs a fraction as much. The story is told in his proud, cheerful voice, which makes his cold arithmetic all the more chilling.
Sirius also hides his base in a lonely whitewashed villa belonging to a retired confectioner, far from any port. No one will think to watch it. You can already see the story's central idea: a modern island nation is only as strong as its supply lines.
That’s 1 of 8 key points.
The rest of the summary, written and spoken, and the whole book: free to start.
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Questions about Pericolo! e altri racconti
What is Danger! and Other Stories about?
It is a collection of ten pieces by Arthur Conan Doyle. The title story imagines a small nation using submarines to starve Britain, and the others include a highwayman tale, a flying horror, a moorland mystery and children's sketches.
Is Danger! a true story or did Doyle predict submarine war?
It is fiction. Doyle wrote it in 1914 as a warning that submarines could attack merchant ships carrying Britain's food. Many readers later saw it as a forecast of the First World War at sea.
Who are Laddie, Dimples and Baby in Three of Them?
They are three small children in a family sketch. Laddie is the gallant older boy, Dimples is the loud and curious second boy, and Baby is a quiet, strong-willed girl who loves her blanket called Wriggly.
Is Danger! and Other Stories easy to read?
Yes, the stories are short, with clear plots and lively talk. Each piece stands alone, so you can read one in a single sitting and enjoy a different style and mood each time.