Leagues Under The Sea, by Jules Verne.The story of Captain Nemo and his incredible underwater machine, the Nautilus.

A submarine of considerable modern content (mysterious secret power plants, able to sustain underwater travel for extraordinarily long periods of time, complete living quarters, etc.), the Nautilus is Nemo's chief weapon in the war against Slaver's plying the African nations for their trade.

This work was also popularized by Walt Disney Studios, bringing a rich color view of Verne's machines.

Nemo while being a bit crazy is never-the-less a visionary both in terms of certain moralities as well as, of course, in his scientific discoveries and application to the underwater realm.