Whoever reads this book will be reading my life story. But in addition to that, he or she will also be reading the history of the twentieth century. That century was a very active and significant period for those of us in the European tradition. It was a period of great change, change that affected the whole world in many ways. During those one hundred years, we moved from the nineteenth century with its rustic, mainly agricultural, outlook into a period of high technological progress. And the progress of that century is now spreading to the whole world in this century. By the time we came into the twenty-first century our world outlook was altered until technology affected almost every aspect of our lives. What this book will describe for you is the human cost, the human impact, of that fantastic and traumatic change. Every event and every significant change affected us in one way or another, so what the reader will experience with us is some of the tragedy, as well as some of the good times too, that was brought into our lives by the events of that century. Good reading, and the Lord bless you all.