War and devastation made us. What is past is past and resulted in you, me and everybody else. We are all haunted by the ruptured history that created us.

Steve lives a reasonably content and secure life in early retirement. He is dealing with the impending death of his mother, out-of-control garden ants and his own need for both security in and understanding of this world. He is assisted by an unusual Roman Catholic priest as he copes with loss while reviewing how his family history reflects the new world that was inevitably born from the major wars of the past. He recognises that his story is everybody’s story; we are all the result of destruction and violent change. His reflections and adventures lead him to look at the changes in the world, to commit a crime, to recall the stories of the fear, gore, loss and love that war generates. Steve shows you who you are.

He shows that his story is your story, only the details vary. By seeing the slaughter, murder, evil and good that war provokes he shows you why you are. The horrors of the family history take us to the First World War Western Front, the Second World War D-Day, the Holocaust and the Russian Front. He also provides tips for dealing with ants. Some books grab you by the throat and pull you into a few hours of escape. Other books, this book, take you gently by the hand and lead you towards a new view of the world and your place in it. Twenty Five Million Ghosts mourns those who have been lost or never existed because of our terrible propensity for violence. It also celebrates those who only exist because of it.