The anatomy of an institution and a study of a tribal society unique to this country. From Rhine Army headquarters in Germany to underground bunkers in South Armagh the author talks with the Army's Generals, officers, NCO's and soldiers. His research has coincided with a period of social and political change of dramatic implications; revisiting the Army almost 20 years after he left it he has been able to combine the understanding of an insider with the freshness of a new observer.