Gavin Maxwell (1914-1969), was one of the most brilliant and quixotic of British travel-writers. Maxwell was a romantic, self-destructive adventurer, brave and handsome, with a deep sympathy for the underdog, a wonderfully curious mind, and a dogged commitment to discovering the truth. He was most famous for his trilogy of books set in the coast of Scotland, including A Ring of Bright Water, which showed his affinity with nature and a love of wild things, most especially otters. The author was a trusted friend of Maxwell's as well as a fellow explorer-traveler-writer, and the book reads like a most unusual and eccentric adventure story.