A Grain of Sand

I acquired this rather rare book second-hand in 2011, because in 1993 I briefly met the author on Moyenne Island in the Seychelles, which he owns and inhabits.

Just over half the book tells the story of his involvement with Moyenne Island, while Part Two is filled with assorted anecdotes from his earlier life in various parts of the world.

He's had an unusual and interesting life with many adventures, and he writes about it fluently, so it's rather odd that the book is amiably readable but easy to put down. He's a competent writer who lacks the knack of gripping the reader, and his anecdotes include some genuinely interesting bits all mixed up with things he happened to remember that aren't really of general interest.

The book could benefit from editing (cutting out the duller bits) and reorganization. The chronology is all mixed up and dates are rarely mentioned. It would have made more sense to arrange the book in chronological order, or at least to date the sections clearly and systematically.

I was surprised to find some of the most interesting anecdotes near the end of the book, when he talks about his time in the British Army in the 1940s (he was never in combat but visited various foreign locations) and his later travels in Asia.

Overall, it's not a bad book, it's quite pleasant to read, there are some interesting things to be found in it, but it seems a missed opportunity that he couldn't make a better book than this out of a life crammed with interest and adventure. Some people have written better autobiographies after living less interesting lives.

He seems a decent and likeable chap. He's sincerely religious but doesn't talk about it much. He seems to drink more than doctors would recommend (without being a drunk), but he's survived well on it, as some people do. He's a bachelor who reveals nothing in the book about his involvement with love or sex, but he's entitled to his privacy.