This is a tale of a young New Zealander who is exceptionally talented. The life of this precocious youngster would be boring if it were not for some weakness of character. The story deals with his difficulties during puberty and goes on to trace a brilliant academic career at Wellington University, culminating in a Rhodes scholarship to Oxford. On the way, this flawed genius attracts the attention of some predatory females who take advantage of his human frailty, introducing this young man of strict Presbyterian stock to the prohibited world of sex.

His time at Oxford coincides with the outbreak of war in 1939 and the young man achieves fame as a fighter pilot in the Battle of Britain. He does not emerge unscathed, however, as a tragic event causes him to turn to alcohol.

This novel is fast moving, a guaranteed page turner, as the reader hurries to find out what happens next in the life of a reluctant hero.