Winter Sea

''To describe Alan Ross as a polymath does scant justice to the eclecticism of an extraordinary man . . . Ross was a war hero, poet, bon viveur, travel writer, incorrigible gossip, racehorse owner and brilliant magazine editor.'' Richard Whitehead, Observer''This is Alan Ross''s fourth volume of autobiography (following on from Blindfold Games, Coastwise Lights, and After Pusan)... Winter Sea, like his previous volumes, is an intriguing mix of memoir, poetry, and travel writing.'' PN Review''Fragmentary and delightfully idiosyncratic... [Winter Sea] has a distinctly maritime flavour, and the wartime memories recalled after 50 years mostly concern North Sea or Baltic cities... The smell of the Baltic, Ross writes, is ''a fusion of salt, sand dunes, pine trees and tar''... Wherever Ross travels, he has a book in his pocket, and more often than not his reading is by way of homage to a native poet or writer... The symphonic quality of this wistful and, at times, very moving collection is maintained with a final section of 15 new poems, mostly relating to the author''s more recent travels. Winter Sea is a book to savour; Alan Ross brings history to life as only a poet can.'' Euan Cameron, Independent