The book continues the story of Second Lieutenant Neil Rankin and the survivors of his platoon as they arrive at the evacuation beach. Instead of the tense crowds of evacuees awaiting rescue, they find themselves standing on a deserted beach in a ruined town.
Rankin knows the first duty of every soldier is to evade and escape. Adding immense pressure to this imperative are his orders that the RAF’s secret Air Ministry radar technicians must not fall into enemy hands “under any circumstances.”
To succeed, he must first come to terms with failure. His efforts to lay to rest the ghosts of military disaster set the scene for a succession of increasingly intense and difficult decisions he must make and the conflicts he must resolve if he is to lead his men to safety.
The climactic, thrilling sea-borne finale described in the author’s trademark style of realism reminds us that the cost of freedom is high and always paid in bitter coin.