Why has the month of November had a special significance - a month in which I seem to have often experienced some particular, even notable, event, change, or development? Sir Patrick Nairne led a remarkable life with a ringside view of history in the making. He fought with the Seaforth Highlanders in North Africa; worked in the post-war Admiralty and Ministry of Defence; organised the first EU Referendum in 1975; monitored the consultation process in Hong Kong before the territory was handed back to China; and served as the first Chair of the Nuffield Council on bioethics. In this book, Patrick's son assembles his father's writings into a volume which offers a snapshot of the range of his thinking and creativity: his first-hand experience of significant events in public affairs, his watercolours, and his meditations on a life spent working for the public good.