Highly observant, with a keen sense of the incongruous, Eric Newby is always entertaining as he transports the reader around the world, from his earliest childhood adventures among the shops, streets and eccentrics of darkest Barnes to an elephant fair in India; from the faded glamour of days and nights on the Orient Express to a troglodytic settlement of opal-miners in Australia, where men carrying large amounts of cash travel armed, but have still been known to disappear. Whether dealing with the logistics of baby-rearing or attempting to escape from the tourist trail in China, the exuberance and humour that distinguishes Newby's best work will delight both existing admirers and new readers.