This is the fascinating story of Desmond de Silva's life and work, from the prosecution of Charles Taylor for war crimes in Sierra Leone, to defending household names such as John Terry, via murder, celebrity and spy cases.Born in Ceylon during World War II, Desmond de Silva went on to become one of the most distinguished and high-profile lawyers of his generation. This memoir provides an authoritative account of his most remarkable cases, covering over half a century of practice in the courts of England, the Commonwealth and as Chief Prosecutor of an international criminal court that in 2012 brought to justice the first Head of State since the Nuremberg trials in 1946.It is also a revealing portrait of Britain's post-war social, political and cultural landscape - and a testament to the unparalleled importance of the rule of law in society. De Silva's own reminiscences are complemented by a series of stories relating to his most colourful cases by the Evening Standard's veteran court reporter Paul Cheston.