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While Gethin's mother spent most of the Second World War cracking German codes at Bletchley Park, his father was a conscientious objector.
As he grew up, and his mother maintained her Government-imposed silence on what she had been doing, Gethin's father was voluble on his pacifism, and Gethin dreaded the question 'What did your father do in the War?' The answer 'Nothing' seemed shameful.
Now, with his mother's story out in print, he sets off to find out why his father took the stance he did, the roots of the tradition of conscientious objection in the Welsh valleys, and how the family felt about the decision and the shame it brought.
Family Tree 8
Chapter 1: War Child 9
Chapter 2: Conchie 12
Chapter 3: A Good Year for Diaries 25
Chapter 4: Strong Mothers 34
Chapter 5: Hovel Fit for a King 44
Chapter 6: I Was in School with Him 57
Chapter 7: John the Baptist 71
Chapter 8: 1936 and the Rise of Nationalism 85
Chapter 9: 1938, a Year of Preparation 97
Chapter 10: Sunday 1 September 1939 110
Chapter 11: 1939, Cardiff 9050 117
Chapter 12: 1940, Air Raid Warden 129
Chapter 13: An Appointment in London 143
Chapter 14: Let Me Now Be God's Soldier 159
Chapter 15: 1943, a Badly Chewed Suit 171
Chapter 16: 1944, a Love Letter to Piety 186
Chapter 17: Today I Had a Long Discussion with a Young Lady About
Pacifism and Christianity 196
Chapter 18: 1944, a Deep-Rooted Problem 205
Chapter 19: Not Fit for Human Occupation 212
Chapter 20: A Strange Courage 223
Notes 233