Peter Townsend was a professional airman, and one who adored his work. When the war came he proved himself a brilliant fighter pilot; his description in this book of the Battle of Britain provides one of the most moving and totally convincing evocations of aerial warfare since Richard Hillary's Last Enemy.

He was as effective at planning the battles of others as he was at fighting his own. A distinguished career in the post-war airforce seemed his sure destiny. And then, in February 1944, it was decided to widen the range from which the royal equerries were selected. Group Captain Townsend, desperately in need of a rest from flying, was put forward for the job.

His assignment was for three months: in the event it lasted for eight years, destroyed his marriage and his career and changed the course of his life for ever. Peter Townsend portrays his life in the royal household; his admiration and affection for the King and Queen; the quirks and qualities of his colleagues; the comradeship; the jokes and jollities; the occasional disasters; with vivid detail and a keen eye for the pompous or the absurd.

Above all, he describes his feelings for Princess Margaret with honesty and dignity. It is a sad, perhaps even tragic story - the love of two warm-hearted and intensely human individuals in conflict with the demands of the Establishment. The author does not hesitate to blame where he feels blame is merited but he writes without bitterness or self-pity. This is a fascinating and moving book written by a man whose sincerity and decency shine through on every page. hardcover