Brinson and Dove trace the development and historical significance of the Free German League of Culture, the foremost organisation representing anti-Nazi German refugees in Britain during the years of the Second World War. During its lifetime (1939–46), the League held a regular programme of cultural events ranging from concerts and theatre performances to publications and art exhibitions, as well as a 'university in exile'. Because of the restrictions on refugees imposed by the British authorities, this cultural programme served very much as a surrogate for direct political activity: the continuation of politics by other means.

The study concludes by tracing the fate of those who returned to a now-divided Germany and the post-war integration of those who remained into British arts and society.

The book is based largely on primary sources, using documentary material held in Frankfurt and Berlin which historians have hitherto neglected, thus most of the content and findings are new. Though based on scholarly research, the book is written in a readable and accessible style.