Dealing with World War I and its effects, Marr focuses on Lord Kitchener and his volunteer army and German gun-boat attacks on the north-east coast of England. Meanwhile, John Fisher, First Sea Lord disappears in strange circumstances and a sex scandal threatens the British establishment. In Belgium, Marr visits trenches of Flanders and describes the terrible conditions and gallows humour that prevailed. Back in Britain people worked tirelessly for the war effort.