Heinrich Schliemann, nineteen, predisposed to consumption, and penniless, looked back on a heritage of misfortune. Determined to vindicate the family name - his father was a scholar, who through weakness became embroiled in a financial scandal - the boy left his native Germany and set about amassing a fortune huge enough to subsidize his dream of unearthing the ruins of Troy. The story of his fabulous discovery, of his hardships and his ultimate recognition, is told here.