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Edward Louis Spears was born in Paris on 7 April 1886. His supreme ability to speak fluent, accent- less French owes much to his upbringing.

He joined the British Army in 1903 and was commissioned into 8th Royal Irish Hussars. His career was anything but conventional. His liaison assignment, described in this book, made him the first British Officer at the Front.

He continued in a liaison role throughout the War and his range of high level French contacts proved invaluable if not universally popular.

His subsequent career involved business interests at home and overseas. He was twice a Member of Parliament. Like his friend Winston Churchill he was strongly anti-appeasement.

In 1940, Churchill appointed him his Personal Representative to the French Prime Minister and later to de Gaulles Free French.

He was knighted in 1942 and created a baronet in 1953. He died in 1974