"Alec Shorecross is 15, and has already left school to work in the local mine--toiling in the underground darkness for only 13 cents an hour. When World War One breaks out, Alec ships overseas in search of a different life and a dream of doing something heroic. But much to his horror, Alec soon finds himself underground again. While battles rage on the ground and in the sky, down deep below the surface, Alec endures a hidden struggle. He joins the invisible crew of soldiers who risk their lives building tunnels so that they can plant explosives beneath enemy territory"--Back cover.