This memoir recalls a boyhood spent experiencing the harsh realities of World War II - a fascinating journey full of danger and uncertainty. Set against a background of impending death, the powerful yet reflective prose is interspersed with quotes from Churchill's speeches and an overview of the major campaigns in the important theatres of conflict - showing how close the Allies came to disaster. The book is written from the standpoint of people directly involved and embraces a variety of venues including South London, Bournemouth, a village in Yorkshire, the Isle of Man and finally Manchester. Shortly after watching his father build an Anderson shelter, Lingard introduces the reader to the terrors of war when a family picnic is interrupted by a German bomber looming overhead. They return home to find that their Anderson shelter had taken a direct hit. This led them to believe: If a bomb has your name on it, you're dead whatever you do; if not, it will miss you. Subsequently, Lingard's childhood was spent first as an evacuee in Yorkshire then in Manchester which suffered brutal bombing. On a trip to the Isle of Man where his father is stationed, he and his mother find themselves on a ferry which is being targeted by a German U-Boat.