A phone call in the middle of the night. The father with his briefcase running around the world for the needs of the fleet. A fleet that was growing both in numbers and in the size of ships.

The book recounts the rapid rise of Stavros Niarchos, not only as a shipowner and businessman but also as a prominent figure in the global jet set. It does not overlook the historical rivalry between Niarchos and Onassis and how it began.

“...if we study the issue carefully, we will see that the trouble (and the great one, of course) started from there. From the women (cherchez la femme)…”

The author tells the story of Niarchos “through the eyes” of her father, Nikos Douzin, chief engineer and close collaborator from almost the beginning of his shipping activities to the huge growth of his businesses.

AND, beyond shipbuilding, business, and finance, there were of course also the spicy details, which were whispered quietly by the parents, “so the children wouldn’t hear. Ha!! The children heard everything…”