S. P. B. Mais (1885–1975)

The title is too bland. Unless the contents page is viewed, potential readers may have no idea of what is in store for them. Mais writes 15 chapters here all about Oxfordshire villages from Deddington, where apparently nobody ever dies, to Cumnor where Sam Hirons was concerned around 1956 'about the necessity for three bus shelters, at Farmoor, Cumnor Village and Dean Court. I expect the issue today is lack of buses.

Superb collection of short monographs on each county of 'Britain' (which for these editors includes a section 'Ireland', but on closer inspection means the counties of Northern Ireland. Lavishly illustrated (monochrome), each description written with love.

None for old Petre Mais. It makes me sad to think that all that effort yielded so little present day fruit. If you call old Mais a dog I shall love him. I relish his Johnsonian abandon all Cant ye who enter approach. Our present day book-chatters could stand a dose of SPB Mais, that's for sure.

I love old Petre Mais as he is clever enough to supress his cleverness. and he doesn't solve enigmas with puzzles. He a good old common sense bookman of the first part of the 20th Century. He wrote some fine travel books too.