This descriptive account tells the history of two Lea Valley armories that were responsible for supplying weapons and explosives to British and Commonwealth forces for more than 200 years. It is also the story of historical government failings have echoed in events surrounding some of today's major military conflicts. This extraordinary story of the growth of the takes readers on an incredible journey from basic explosives through to Barnes Wallis's bouncing bomb, the development of rocket propellants, the exploration of space, and the spin-off of such materials used in everyday objects.