5 h 38 minAudiobook5 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
What happens when following orders is no longer enough—and other soldiers must now depend on you?
In H. Irving Hancock’s Uncle Sam’s Boys as Sergeants, two young soldiers face their first real commands in the U.S. Army. Promotion brings more than stripes. They must learn to lead other men, not simply obey. Between officers who plan and privates who carry out the work, a sergeant bears the weight of both orders and responsibility.
This boys’ adventure places duty, honor, and danger at its center. It explores the step from rising through the ranks to taking charge of others. Drill and discipline give that change its shape, while comradeship gives it a human heart. What does it mean to earn trust when your role asks you to stand firm?
What you’ll discover
- The weight of stripes See promotion as a demand to grow, rather than simply a reward to enjoy.
- Between officers and privates Explore a sergeant’s place between the men who give orders and those who carry them out.
- Comradeship under pressure Discover why loyalty between soldiers matters when duty asks more than individual courage.
- Honor beyond the drill Consider how danger gives the ideals of discipline and clear judgment their real weight.
- An earlier ideal of duty Meet the values this adventure presents to young readers: responsibility, loyalty, and service.
Who will love it
Readers who like clean adventure about duty, loyalty and friendship, and anyone curious about daily life at a regular Army post of a century ago, from bugle calls to mountain camps.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Two corporals set out to learn more
- A gentleman officer meets the Army
- Money vanishes and suspicion falls
- The envelope that points to Hal
- A young sergeant earns respect
- The tournament in Denver and a trap
- Promotion, desertion, and an officer who stays
- The hunting party in the Rockies
- Camp under siege, and a rescue
Who’s who
- Hal OvertonA steady young soldier, promoted to sergeant, who wants to master every part of soldiering and work his way up to a commission.
- Noll TerryHal's bunkmate and loyal friend, eager for telegraphy, quick in a crisis, and set on becoming an officer.
- Lieutenant Dick PrescottA young West Point officer who guides Algy, trusts Hal, and works to clear a good man's name.
- Algy FerrersA wealthy, cheerful lieutenant from civilian life who knows nothing of the Army and would rather go back to society.
- Private HinkeyA sullen soldier who blames Hal for his troubles and will do anything to get even.
- Colonel NorthThe grizzled regimental commander, strict but fair, who fights to keep honor and discipline in his regiment.
- William GreenA saving private who carries his money with him and lends it to his comrades, and loses it.
- Corporal HymanA joking, loyal friend who backs Hal in the squad room and knows the hills well as a hunter.
Formats and delivery
- eBook
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- Large-print eBook
- The same book in bigger, clearer type, from the first page.
- Audiobook
- 5 h 38 min, complete, read by Lucas Linden.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 5 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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Uncle Sam's Boys as Sergeants
by H. Irving Hancock · 1911
A rich dandy lands in an Army post by touring car, while a stolen purse casts doubt on honest Corporal Hal Overton.
Medium level5–10 hours to read25 languages
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In short
Uncle Sam's Boys as Sergeants, by H. Irving Hancock, is the third book in his series about the United States Regular Army.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
Two corporals set out to learn more
The story opens at Fort Clowdry. Corporal Hal Overton asks Lieutenant Pope for two signal flags. No order requires it. He and his bunkmate, Corporal Noll Terry, simply want to become better soldiers.
Sergeant Hupner teaches them to send letters by dropping the flag to left and right. Noll would rather practice telegraphy, but Hal holds that every part of a soldier's work is worth learning.
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What is Uncle Sam's Boys as Sergeants about?
It follows Corporals Hal Overton and Noll Terry of the Thirty-fourth Infantry at Fort Clowdry. They deal with a missing money pouch, a spoiled young lieutenant, a Denver military show, and a mountain hunting trip.
Do I need to read the earlier Uncle Sam's Boys books first?
No. The book gives short reminders of what came before, so you can follow the story on its own. It is the third in the series, after the books about recruits and field duty.
Who is Algy Ferrers?
Lieutenant Algernon Ferrers is a rich young man who joins the Army straight from civilian life. He arrives by touring car with servants, and Lieutenant Prescott teaches him the duties of an officer.
The author
H. Irving Hancock
1868–1922 · American journalist and children's writer
H. Irving Hancock (1868–1922) was an American journalist and author who lived in the United States. He wrote books for young readers in the early twentieth century, including the Uncle Sam’s Boys series and the Grammar School Boys series. He also wrote instructional books about jiu-jitsu.
More by H. Irving Hancock
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