In the Cannon's Mouth

The definitive biography of the celebrated naval hero who brought down a Prime Minister. Roger Keyes was one of the most inspiring and controversial military figures Britain produced in the twentieth century, pursuing a distinguished career in the Royal Navy. In 1918, his leadership of the Zeebrugge and Ostend raids became the stuff of legend, earning eleven Victoria Crosses and transforming him into a national hero who symbolised Britain's fighting spirit. Passed over for the position of First Sea Lord due to his opposition to naval disarmament, in 1934 Keyes entered Parliament, where he campaigned fiercely against appeasement alongside Churchill. It was his decisive, fiery intervention in the 1940 Norway debate that broke the back of Neville Chamberlain's government and cleared the path for Churchill to become Prime Minister. Just months later, Churchill restored him to command as the first head of Combined Operations. Keyes created and championed the Commandos, forging the elite special forces unit that terrorised Hitler's coastal defences. A hero in two world wars, Keyes was revered by the men under his command and frequently compared to Nelson, but his abrasive style also made him powerful enemies. Cutting through the controversy that surrounds his name, this definitive, warts-and-all biography aims to restore Keyes to his rightful place in British history.