4 h 4 minAudiobook8 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
Beneath the waves, courage means keeping your head when danger leaves no room for mistakes.
The Boy Volunteers with the Submarine Fleet takes you into the sea war of the First World War. Credited to Kenneth Ward, this young readers’ adventure follows boys who volunteer for service. Duty and a wish to help draw them toward a world where survival depends on more than individual bravery.
The submarine setting brings cramped steel hulls, dive orders and periscope watches into focus. Long waits give way to danger, and a crew must trust one another, follow orders and act together. In the tradition of early boys’ war fiction, quick action and loyal friendship frame a young hero’s test of nerve.
What you’ll discover
- War beneath the waves Enter a naval setting where danger comes beneath the surface as well as above it.
- Young volunteers under pressure Follow boys whose wish to help brings them face to face with wartime danger.
- Courage beyond bold words Discover why keeping a clear head matters as much as stepping forward.
- A crew working together See how trust, discipline and shared effort shape life inside a submarine.
- Old-fashioned adventure and suspense Enjoy the quick action and loyal friendships at the heart of boys’ war fiction.
Who will love it
Readers who love sea adventure, clever problem solving and wartime action, and anyone curious about how early submarines, torpedoes and Channel nets really worked, told through two brave and resourceful young heroes.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A liner enters the danger zone
- The boys become lookouts on the bridge
- The ship is torpedoed and abandoned
- Taken prisoner beneath the waves
- Learning the secrets of the submarine
- Caught in the nets and a plan forms
- A plan against the odds
Who’s who
- RalphAn American boy and cousin of Alfred, steady and observant, who wants to see his mother safe and prove useful wherever danger calls.
- AlfredRalph's cousin and Mr. Elton's son, quick-witted and brave, always asking questions and eager to help others and find his parents.
- Captain LeclereA French liner captain and former submarine officer who teaches the boys, keeps calm under fire and plans to turn the tables on his captors.
- Mr. EltonAlfred's father, who risks the voyage for urgent business and keeps his family steady when the torpedoes come.
- Mrs. EltonAlfred's mother, who stays calm in the danger zone but wants her son close and fears for the boys.
- The sub-lieutenantThe German officer who takes command of the submarine after the accident, proud and sullen and willing to use tricks to escape.
- The lieutenantThe submarine's skilled commander, who knows the Channel route and understands how to free the boat from the nets.
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- The same book in bigger, clearer type, from the first page.
- Audiobook
- 4 h 4 min, complete, read by Lucas Linden.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 8 minutes, to read or to hear.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
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I giovani volontari della Flotta sottomarina
by Kenneth Ward · 1917
Two American boys and a French captain are locked inside a German submarine creeping toward the Channel nets.
Medium level2–5 hours to read25 languages
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In short
The Boy Volunteers with the Submarine Fleet is a wartime adventure by Kenneth Ward, written for young readers during the First World War. It follows two American cousins, Ralph and Alfred, who have already seen the war from the air, the trenches and the artillery lines.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A liner enters the danger zone
The story opens on a passenger steamer in the Bay of Biscay. A lookout shouts that a submarine is in sight, and the captain swings the ship in a half circle. Ralph is reading in the lounge when his cousin Alfred runs in with the news. Soon a foamy trail shows that a torpedo is racing toward them.
The torpedo misses, and so does a second one. The ship is fast, and the passengers breathe again, but they know they must stay in the danger zone for another twelve hours. The author then fills in the boys' past. Ralph and Alfred were caught in Europe when the war began, and since then they have served with the Belgians, flown with the French, and worked with the artillery.
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What is The Boy Volunteers with the Submarine Fleet about?
It follows American cousins Ralph and Alfred as their liner is torpedoed, they are held prisoner on a German submarine, and they help a French captain capture the boat in the English Channel.
Who are Ralph and Alfred?
They are two American cousins who got caught up in the war in Europe and served in several ways, including flying and artillery work, before sailing home with their parents.
Is The Boy Volunteers with the Submarine Fleet a true story?
It is a work of fiction written during the First World War. The setting is real, with the submarine campaign, the Channel nets and the Bay of Biscay.
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