Chapters will cover: - Volunteering: who volunteered? About 2,000 yachtsmen in total, encompassing a huge variety of backgrounds, personalities, motivations, experience, social class. This is inescapably an officers' books, as it was as officers that the volunteers were commissioned (distinguished barristers for instance became '[probationary temporary sub-lieutenants) - What were they ordered to do: The volunteers undertook a huge variety of tasks from mine-sweeping and clearance, convoy escort, commanding destroyers and battleships (and even submarines - Edward Young, Penguin's pre-war design director) or secret kayaking missions around Japan (Edward's friend, typographical expert Ruaru MacLean), mine laying, sabotage, commanding of landing craft (Alex Guinness commanding one craft during the invasion of Sicily and Elba) - The boats: there are many 'little ship' tales here, such as the story of the yacht HMS Campeador , manned by four elderly grandees (including a retired WW1 admiral and a Master of Foxhounds) who volunteered as RNVR temporary sub-lieutenants and took Campeador on Channel patrol in all weathers, until she was finally sunk by a mine and they all lost their lives - Attitudes, expertise and the development of trust: the effect on individuals being required to do things way beyond their normal lives. The Navy changed the amateurs, and the amateurs also changed the navy: relationships were often difficult in the early days, but by the end of the war there was generous recognition by the Navy of the party played by all the volunteers - Communications: this was an articulate group, and there is a large amount of published contemporary commentary by them. Many chose to say nothing of their experiences, but those who did (eg Monsarrat) have had a crucial impact shaping our perception of the war at sea - Those who survived and who didn't: volunteering because one was a yachtsman was analogous in some ways to WW1 volunteering as part of a Pals Battalion. Strong bonds of friendship built up and endured, but result in particular anguish over the deaths of friends, or ships which simply failed to return.