The Eighth Anniversary

In 1997, on my fiftieth birthday and on the fiftieth anniversary of Dr Arthur Kassel's death, I began researching the story of his life. I knew where his life ended but I did not know where it began, or the path he was forced to take between the two. I soon realised that the subject was immense, covering much more ground than I had initially imagined, both geographically and emotionally.

I wondered, at times, why I was bothering with one man's life. Why bother with one? One ruined life does...