What lies behind modern advances in science? How do the ideas develop? What financial and political struggles take place when large and expensive research projects are planned? Sir Bernard Lovell here provides a first-hand account of the political and scientific interplay that took place in Britain during two critical decades in astronomy: the period from 1960 to 1980. He describes the development of visionary schemes for radio telescopes of unprecedented size; the events that subsequently led to their cancellation; and how the astronomers responded with the modification of the 250-ft steerable telescope at Jodrell Bank and the completion of the MERLIN network of radio telescopes.