Why is it that men have problems getting close to other people? And what does this have to do with the powerful feelings that mothers have towards their sons? This work argues that the intensity of the relationship most boys have with their mother, together with the emotional absence of their father, makes it difficult for them to explore their emotions, deal with their anger or feel safe in the arms of another. Drawing on 150 interviews with mothers and their sons, the book presents case histories which reveal how men's attitudes to women are shaped by their first relationship.