William Clark Russell joined the Merchant Navy at the age of 13 and served an eight-year stint, permanently damaging his health in the process. He then traded in life at sea for life as a writer, penning dozens of nautical romances and action-adventure novels over the course of his literary career. In A Tale of Two Tunnels, Captain Jackman of the Lovelace leads his crew on a series of adventures on and off the water.