On the eve of marking the centenary of the opening of the hostilities that devastated the world and changed its history, old wounds gape rawly open.

No two countries in Europe possess a stronger history of cultural and familial sympathy, trust and mutual respect than Britain and Germany. This book sets out the diverse stories of some of the people who contributed to the building of a house of shared dreams and aspirations, of mutual enlightenment and fruitful exchange. These are the stories of emperors, kings and queens, of travellers, writers, artists, students and political exiles; of ambassadors, reformers and the families so closely woven into the fabric of both countries that, when war came, divided loyalties ripped them apart.

All these people have played their part. All, in their different ways, are remarkable; all deserve to be called noble for what they set out to achieve. All - glimpsed here only at the point where they contribute to the story of England and Germany - have earned their place in a history of the love and mutual admiration that two nations once shared - and that they deserve to share again.