Using letters and photographs preserved by his mother, Jack Rosenthal reconstructs the wartime relationship of his parents in this poignant and unconventional military history. Tracing their courtship from the day of its beginning in March 1944, to its culmination in marriage in July 1945, the narrative ranges from a dramatic escape after the fall of Hong Kong to the nightmares of the Arctic convoys and is supported by lively insights into the histories and social circumstances of the four families involved. A fascinating insight into the human element of war not usually covered by conventional military histories, this is a love story that has stood the test of time.