A true story of survival. How a boy from rural poverty in the English Lake District survives difficult times. Charles' autobiography shows us a world very different from the modern, urbanised lifestyle of relative luxury most of us are now familiar with. Forced to deal with profound loss at an early age, Charles becomes a trusted farm manager by sixteen, but he has greater ambitions. Intending to earn entrance into the police force, Charles joins the army on the eve of the Second World War ...