Based upon the principle that human lives are the best context to understand the events of history, this is the story of men who lived through some of the most significant events of the twentieth century. They are the events that shaped the lives of our parents, and therefore impacted upon our own lives. They are connected through the lives of an English family, a German Admiral, and a place you probably never heard of. But a place you will probably never forget. Scapa Flow. It is a desolate place. A huge body of water surrounded by the Orkney Islands, off the northern coast of Scotland. Go to Google Earth. You'll find it there; large enough to contain all the navies of the world combined Because of this remote location, it was the only anchorage from which the Royal Navy could simultaneously protect both coasts of Britain from German attack. But the history of naval heroism is best understood by first understanding the men who were involved. And that's why this story begins with the parents and grandparents who shaped the lives of our main characters. That's where we find the foundation of those men who faced the scourge of two terrible wars; the facile temptations of fascism; and the challenge of creating a new nation amidst the virulent hated of powerful neighbors.