In contemporary Britain there are substantial ethnic minorities of Polish and Baltic origin, who arrived here shortly after World War II. Using official records and the words of survivors and their children, the author explores the reasons for their savage uprooting at the hands of Stalin and Hitler, their subsequent odysseys, and the reasons for their resettlement in Britain. This is a study of totalitarianism, political asylum, and the relationship of ethnic minorities to the host society, combining first-hand accounts with historical analysis.