14 minSummaryRead it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook editionPaperback · 6 × 9 in · 168 pagesHardcover · 6 × 9 in · 168 pagesAbout this book
What does duty demand when young soldiers face danger far from home?
In Uncle Sam's Boys in the Philippines, H. Irving Hancock follows young American soldiers into unfamiliar country. They serve in the years after the United States takes control of the Philippine Islands. Their conflict with the Moro people of the southern islands frames a brisk adventure about army life, loyalty and courage.
Orders bring hard tasks, and duty means carrying them out even when fear stands in the way. Jungle, rivers, heat and distance give this military adventure its setting. Published in 1912 for young readers, the novel presents a colonial war from one side, with a view of the Moros that reflects its time.
What you’ll discover
- Duty under pressure Follow young soldiers as difficult orders test their courage and their sense of loyalty.
- An unfamiliar landscape Enter a setting where jungle, rivers, heat and distance add to the danger.
- Life in uniform Explore an old-fashioned adventure built around army service, hard marches and frightening tasks.
- A colonial viewpoint Read with an eye for the period attitudes that shape Hancock's portrayal of the Moros.
- Brisk adventure storytelling Meet a plain, direct style that keeps duty and courage at the story's heart.
Who will love it
You will enjoy this book if you like army life told in a lively way, tropical settings, loyal friends and clever scouting.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A gift hides a threat
- A friendly invitation becomes a trap
- Hal turns talk into escape
- Duty means holding back anger
- The siege reveals a hidden connection
- Discipline carries men through the night
- An ambush tests the marching soldiers
- Quick thinking matters beyond the battlefield
- Honesty answers the promise of money
Who’s who
- Hal OvertonA young infantry sergeant, quick-thinking and loyal, who becomes acting first sergeant and wants to prove himself in a real campaign.
- Noll TerryHal's close friend and fellow sergeant, steady and brave, who wants active service and stands by Hal in every danger.
- Lieutenant Dick PrescottA young West Point officer who commands B Company's detachment and wants to win without wasting his men's lives.
- Vicente TombaA dandy and schemer who tries to buy the sergeants and then to destroy them for his employers.
- Mr. DraneyA florid planter in Moro country who seems helpful but is suspected by the officers of plotting against the soldiers.
- Captain CortlandThe post commander at Fort Franklin, who wants hard proof before acting against Draney and sends relief to the plantation.
- Private KellyA grumbling Irish soldier and practical joker who complains in peace and fights cheerfully in war.
- Datto HakkutA hidden Moro chieftain who demands tribute from planters and marks his threats with a crab.
Formats and delivery
- eBook
- On your phone, tablet, computer or Kindle, with the type as large as you like.
- Large-print eBook
- The same book in bigger, clearer type, from the first page.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 14 minutes, to read today.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in, 168 pages: USD 7.95 when you start free, USD 14.95 on its own.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in, 168 pages: USD 16.95 when you start free, USD 22.95 on its own.
- Large print paperback
- 6 × 9 in, 260 pages: USD 10.95 when you start free, USD 16.95 on its own.
- Large print hardcover
- 6 × 9 in, 260 pages: USD 19.95 when you start free, USD 25.95 on its own.
Every printed copy is made when you order it and shipped worldwide; shipping is shown at checkout. The eBook opens when the book texts go online.
How it works
- Start free. Nothing to pay today; the eBook of this book is yours to keep.
- Read and print. 200,000+ classics as eBook, large-print eBook and 15-minute summary, and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print, 5 accounts for the price of one.
- We remind you first. Free for 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment. Then USD 0.14 a day in your first year on the yearly plan and USD 0.27 a day after, or USD 0.66 a day on the monthly plan. Cancel online in two clicks.
Bought on its own? Every eBook and printed book you buy without the plan carries our 30-day money-back guarantee.
25 languages, side by side
Uncle Sam's Boys in the Philippines in 25 languages, side by side, paragraph by paragraph, once the book texts are online: the way to learn a language with a book you love.
Uncle Sam's Boys in the Philippines
by H. Irving Hancock · 1912
Two young sergeants in Mindanao face a secret cellar, a hidden datto and a Gatling gun on a mountain road.
Medium level2–5 hours to read20 languages
Learn a language with medium classicsSpanishFrenchGermanItalianJapanesePortugueseEnglishHow we measure levels
Excellent
Free for 3 months · starts right away, on any device
Read free3 months free · cancel anytimeRenews every year · Cancel anytimeHow it works
- Read, large type too
- 25 languages, side by side
- Print and large print at cost
- 5 accounts for the price of one
“Even Satan is not known for often appearing in an evil guise at first.”
In short
What would you do if a smiling stranger offered you a gift worth a hundred dollars, just for being a soldier? Sergeants Hal Overton and Noll Terry of the Thirty-fourth United States Infantry simply say no. That refusal follows them across the Philippine Islands.
Uncle Sam's Boys in the Philippines at a glance
- Reading time
- About 3 h 15 min2 h 35 min fast, 3 h 50 min slow
- Length
- 46,300 words
- Library level
- Medium longer sentences, everyday words
- First published
- 1912by H. Irving Hancock
Reading time at 238 words a minute (fast 300, slow 200). How long the classics take to read · Updated
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A too-generous stranger follows two sergeants
The story opens in Manila, three days after the Thirty-fourth Infantry lands. Unknown to Hal and Noll, a Filipino dandy trails them. He wears spotless white and a blue-black mustache waxed to two sharp points. He thinks two young enlisted men must crave things only money can buy.
In a Chinese curio shop, Hal admires a carved chest he wants to send his mother, but it costs two hundred pesos. The dandy offers to give it to him for nothing. When the sergeants refuse, he urges them into a carriage for a night of pleasure. Hal pushes him aside, and the two walk away.
Renews every year · Cancel anytime
You looked at
Which edition is right for me
- eBook
- On your phone, tablet or computer. Your place follows you, and you can make the type as big as you like.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas of the whole book in about 14 minutes. A good first look, or a refresher.
- Paperback
- Light and easy to carry. A real book for the bedside table and the beach.
- Hardcover
- Made to last. For the shelf, and for giving.
- Large print paperback
- Bigger, clearer type. Easy on the eyes for long evenings and for reading aloud.
- Large print hardcover
- Bigger, clearer type. Easy on the eyes for long evenings and for reading aloud.
See the type size
Pick a size and read a line at that size. Hold your phone at reading distance.
Two young sergeants in Mindanao face a secret cellar, a hidden datto and a Gatling gun on a mountain road.
Shown close to the printed size on most screens.
Details
- First published
- 1912
- Language
- English
- Level
- Medium level
- Paperback
- 168 pages · 6 × 9 in
- Hardcover
- 168 pages · 6 × 9 in
- Large print paperback
- 260 pages · 6 × 9 in
- Large print hardcover
- 260 pages · 6 × 9 in
- Delivery and returns
- Printed when you order. Usually here in 12 to 14 days.Arrives Wed 2 Dec to Tue 8 Decto United States, printed for you at cost
For Christmas, order by Thu 12 Nov
Cite this edition
Hancock, H. Irving. Uncle Sam's Boys in the Philippines. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/uncle-sams-boys-in-the-philippines.
Hancock, H. I. (2026). Uncle Sam's boys in the Philippines. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/uncle-sams-boys-in-the-philippines (Original work published 1912)
Hancock, H. Irving. Uncle Sam's Boys in the Philippines. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/uncle-sams-boys-in-the-philippines.
@book{hancock2026uncle,
author = {Hancock, H. Irving},
title = {Uncle Sam's Boys in the Philippines},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/uncle-sams-boys-in-the-philippines},
note = {First published 1912}
}
Free gifts
USD 580 in free gifts when you start
Every book in every format and in 25 languages, 5 accounts for the price of one. Nothing to pay today.
- 200,000+ classic eBooksIn 25 languages, side by side
USD 170FREE - Every eBookIn 25 languages, any device
USD 120FREE - 15-minute summariesRead in 25 languages
USD 60FREE - Print at cost, no markupPaperback, hardcover, large print
USD 60FREE - 5 accounts for the price of oneA shelf for everyone at home
USD 170FREE - A part in rebuilding the libraryNew languages and books for all
FREE
Questions about Uncle Sam's Boys in the Philippines
Can I read it free?
Yes. The first key idea of the 15-minute summary is free with no sign-up. Start free and the whole book is yours for 3 months, with the eBook to keep, plus 200,000+ more classics and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print. Nothing to pay today: we email you 7 days before your first payment, and you can cancel online in two clicks.
Can I buy just the printed book?
Yes. The paperback costs USD 14.95 on its own. Start free and you pay the cost of printing: USD 7.95 for this paperback, and any other book at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print.
How many accounts do I get?
Five, for the price of one: you and 4 more people, each with their own login, shelf and their own place in every book.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes. Cancel online in two clicks at any time and nothing more is charged. Nothing is charged in your first 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment.
What is Uncle Sam's Boys in the Philippines about?
It follows two young army sergeants, Hal Overton and Noll Terry, as their regiment moves from Manila to Mindanao. They uncover a plot by Vicente Tomba and Mr. Draney, and join a campaign against a Moro chieftain named Datto Hakkut.
Is Uncle Sam's Boys in the Philippines part of a series?
Yes. It is the fourth book in the Boys of the Army series by H. Irving Hancock, after Uncle Sam's Boys in the Ranks, on Field Duty and as Sergeants. Each book follows Hal and Noll as they rise in rank.
Who are the Moros and what is a datto in this book?
A datto is a Moro chieftain. In the book, Datto Hakkut demands money from planters and leads raids on those who refuse, though most Moros are shown as peaceful.
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.
“Even Satan is not known for often appearing in an evil guise at first.”
More by H. Irving Hancock
See all their booksMore like this
Our mission
The library burned once. We are building it back.
Every great book, in every language and every format, for every family. Every plan helps pay for new languages and books for readers who have never had them. Join the movement.
Read our story- Every language25 languages today, side by side, and more every year
- No wastePrinted on demand: no warehouses, no unsold stock, no pulped copies
- For everyonePaperback, hardcover and large print at the cost of printing
