Doug Tennant has written Single Up! primarily to entertain. Drawing heavily on his own experiences in the Navy, aboard submarine, and as a feckless college drop-out, he uses Dave Roberts to tell a witty coming-of-age tale based in the time centered on 1961. In this book, Dave fails in his initial attempt at engineering school. Although he is clearly willing to work hard to master the material, he lacks the discipline to perform consistently in an academic environment and does poorly. Coupled with this is the fact that he joins the Naval Reserves and then chooses not to participate in mandatory meetings when they conflict with his studies or social commitments. These facts come together and force Dave into active naval service. This is where he makes the eventual transition from amiably aimless teen to a confident deep-water submarine sailor ready to tame tigers with a daffodil and entice ladies with a smooth smile. In the process, he travels to Japan and other Western Pacific ports as a crew member of the good ship, Orca, and shares both good times and life's lessons, with the reader. While enjoying Dave's adventures, the reader will also learn a lot about how the Navy turns civilians into sailors and how sailors earn the well-prized designation, Qualified in Submarines.