Celtic chieftains emerging from the mists of ancient Wales, the ‘battle-keen’ Cadogans play their part at Blenheim alongside Marlborough, on board Pellew’s Indefatigable, with Wellington at Mondego Bay and Vittoria; at Balaklava and Sevastapol; at Ypres, Gallipoli and El Alamein. But opening the family archives – private letters, diaries and albums – we also find multilingual spies, evangelical clergymen, watercolour artists and society ladies who defy convention for love; illegitimacy, duels and gambling. There are diplomats, courtiers and confidantes. Told with affection and humour, interweaving world events and private dramas over a thousand years, this book brings to life the story of one family that is also to the story of the British Isles.