author

Virgil D. (Virgil Dewey) Collins

b. 1898

Best remembered for co-authoring a lively early book on submarines, this little-known writer helped bring modern technology and military subjects within reach of young readers. The surviving record is thin, but his work reflects a practical, explanatory style aimed at curiosity and learning.

1 Audiobook

The Boys' Book of Submarines

The Boys' Book of Submarines

by A. Frederick (Archie Frederick) Collins, Virgil D. (Virgil Dewey) Collins

About the author

Available public records for this author are quite limited, but Project Gutenberg identifies him as Virgil D. Collins (Virgil Dewey Collins) and credits him as co-author, with A. Frederick Collins, of The Boys' Book of Submarines.

That book fits the kind of clear, instructional writing popular in the early 20th century, when new inventions and military technology captured the imagination of young readers. From the evidence that is easy to confirm, his published legacy seems to be tied to helping explain technical subjects in a direct and accessible way.

Because reliable biographical information appears to be scarce, details about his personal life and broader career are hard to verify. Even so, his name remains connected with a period of nonfiction writing that tried to make complex modern topics exciting for general audiences.