<p><span style="background-color: rgba(9, 30, 66, 0.06); color: rgba(23, 43, 77, 1)">This is the memoir of a soldier and actor, from his childhood, playing with toy soldiers and making up plays, through the trenches of the first world war, to being evacuated from Dunkirk in the second war. He describes the gritty reality of trench warfare, the thrill of doing aerobatics in biplanes with open cockpits, and meeting TE Lawrence of Arabia while learning to drive tanks. Between the wars he was a jobbing actor who went on to make a difference to thousands by helping start Equity, the union for performers and support staff, ensuring they were paid decent wage and had improved health and safety conditions. A vivid portrait of a bygone age.</span></p>