The American statesman Dean Acheson said in 1963: ' Great Britain has lost an empire but has not yet found a role.' During the postwar period following the Second World War Britain struggled to find that role. It was not until Margaret Thatcher was elected in 1979 that the country began to consider a radical new approach to its future that resulted in a clash of loyalties and values. The novel When the Lions are Drinking takes a look at these turbulent times and gives a unique insight into the corridors of power of the British Foreign Office. The story is told through the eyes of the head of a government film unit who has been given the job of providing the tools to fight the propaganda war on various fronts ranging from the Falklands to Afghanistan. The author was a senior information officer with the British Government from 1979 to 1995