Admiral of the Fleet Lord Lewin is perhaps best known for his role as Chief of the Defence Staff during the Falklands War. However, this was merely the culmination of a remarkable career that spanned four decades, that encompassed every Naval conflict since the Second World War, and saw some of the widest-reaching reforms made to the Royal Navy in recent times. In short Lord Lewin was one of the most important figures in the defence of the Realm for the best part of forty years.

Joining the Royal Navy in 1939 at the outbreak of the Second World War, Lewin served in HMS Ashanti Escorting convoys of merchant ships through the War's most dangerous waters from the Arctic to the Mediterranean. As a junior Lieutenant in possibly the most active destroyer of the War, he was awarded a DSC and three Mentions in Despatches. After the War he commanded a destroyer, a frigate squadron and a carrier, held important Ministry posts as well as National and NATO commands.

His Service career reached its zenith when in 1979 he was appointed Chief of the Defence Staff presiding over the planning of Trident and the next stage of the nuclear deterrent, and initiating reforms in the higher organization of defence that provedviable for the rest of the century. When war broke out in the South Atlantic Lewin's influence was crucial, and apart from the Prime Minister herself, he was arguably the most important actor in the Falklands Conflict. He was awarded a life peerage and the Garter in 1982. He died on January 22nd 1999.

The author was granted exclusive access to all of Lewin's archive.