Travis' father was a failed soldier, a coward and a heartless bully who tried to disown his son. Now Travis is determined to shame him by becoming the soldier his father could never have been – through joining the Parachute Regiment, the élite of the British Army. His restless urge to prove himself takes him from country to country and from army to army, where he battles with enemies both external and internal until he is finally able to put horror and tragedy behind him and find honour, love and peace.