The years 1934-1937 are the times covered by this novel. Back in England, Lanny Budd is more and more concerned with the evil of the Nazis of Germany and the Fascists of Italy and Spain but his wife just wants to enjoy the life of leisure her inheritance has allowed. Despite his promise to her to stay out of trouble, Budd becomes a double agent using his art dealer connections to get close to Hermann Goering and other art looters, all to keep track of what they are doing to counter them at every opportunity.