The author wishes to acknowledge the support and assistance of the following people: David Godwin, my literary agent, whose support and advice has played such a crucial part throughout; Richard Whitehouse; Natalie Guerin; Geoff Helliwell; Eleanor Randall; Kit Chapman; Chris Sheppardson; Richard Mitchell; Jonathan Barnes; Michael Parslew; Jackie Kane; David Wiltshire; Mike Seymour; Sarah Phillips; Philip Sisson, Barbara Gurlach and David Gabriel; my four children Olivia, Alice, Emily and Jonathan, my sister Pauline and the de Galleani family. Finally all at Peter Owen Publishers, especially Nick Kent and Antonia Owen.