The last deep mine in Britain has now closed. The mining communities are dying and the memories of those who experienced the grimness of working underground and the poverty and privations of life in the pit villages are dying with them. This novel attempts to paint a picture of what life was like there in the period from the 1920s to the 1970s. This is the story of a coal miner and a soldier, a man who defied death on a regular basis. John Mckinley built solid friendships and commanded strong loyalty. We follow Mckinley through school, family life, working the coal face, love, and life in the British Army. We travel with him and fight with him through India, Burma and Europe. We experience the changing of the social, political and economic landscape of Britain in the post-war years. We meet many lively and interesting characters. A novel of friendship, bravery, love and life in and around the mining villages of Northern England, and a testament to the contribution and sacrifice of their people, without whom Britain could not have achieved its industrial greatness or won either world war.