[c][5] Through the life of RN Kao, the book is a view into how the people and organisations that protect India's national interests were built.

[1] Gokhale writes about Kao's early years including the early death of his father, his university years all the way to his entrance into the police world in 1940 to 1947 when he joined the Intelligence Bureau, where his responsibilities included the security of the Prime Minister and foreign leaders visiting India.

[1] His major assignments such as the crash of Kashmir Princess are brought alive in the book, where Kao's interactions with the first Chinese premier Zhou Enlai are insightful.

[1] Gokhale goes on to describe successful Indian – US cooperation in intelligence, where Kao was in charge of setting up the Aviation Research Centre with US assistance.

[13][14][15] Lt. Gen. Manoj Mukund Naravane said "its style of writing has captured the persona of the individual (Kao)" and "If given a chance, it (can be) made into a potboiler but that was not the intent.