
audiobook
by Bartimeus
In a quiet stretch of the River Dart, a handful of naval cadets drift lazily in a blue‑boat, their conversation darting between the practical art of navigation and the wild possibilities of future warfare. The scene captures the mix of youthful camaraderie and restless curiosity that drives them—one dreaming of submarines slipping through mud‑laden channels, another envisioning aircraft dropping bombs from the sky. Their banter, set against the slow‑moving tide and the crumbling stone quay, offers a vivid glimpse of a generation on the cusp of dramatic change.
Beyond this opening, the work unfolds as a series of richly illustrated episodes that follow the Navy in three distinct realms: the traditional fleet that sails, the daring air arm that flies, and the hidden world beneath the waves. Each story balances technical detail with personal experience, celebrating the daring spirit, ingenuity, and evolving tactics that have defined naval service. Listeners will be drawn into a tapestry of adventure and reflection that honors both the past and the imagined future of maritime power.
Language
en
Duration
~6 hours (355K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Original publisher
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1918.
Credits
Chuck Greif and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)
Release date
2023-09-02
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1886–1967
Best known by the pen name Bartimeus, this British naval officer turned his years at sea into lively, humorous writing about ships, sailors, and naval life. His books mix insider knowledge with a storyteller’s gift for vivid detail.
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