This, the second volume of Alan Ross's autobiography, deals with his postwar life as cricket correspondent, publisher, man of letters and racehorse owner. The narrative is richly peopled: Johnny Minton, Keith Vaughan, Agatha Christie, Gavin Maxwell, Wilfred Thesiger, Cyril Connolly, T. C. Worsley , William Plomer, Terence Rattigan, William Sansom are just some who are memorably characterized. Ross, 'He was the opposite of parochial, his interests were wide and not elitist, his enthusiasms were carefully hedonistic. He was a very fine writer of prose - his two volumes of memoirs are small classics - and his poetry is limpid and evocative.' As a beguiling bonus, each chapter of Coastwise Lights is eked out with a small and apt selection of his poems. as will be many other of his titles. engaged him in the last four decades.' Philip Oakes, New Statesman sketchbook is masked by a writer's curiosity and detached amusement.' Euan Cameron, Independent life from the end of the war.' Chris Peachment, The Times