It is a pleasure to read an autobiography of someone who was not all messed up. No drugs, odd sex, child abuse, or extreme feelings of insecurity. A picture of growing up in a genteel English countryside doing what he loved. Riding and racing horses. A lot of backstory concerning the sport of steeplechasing that will add depth to his novels. Glimpses of the Queen Mother and other nobility, but no dirt. The only dirt to be found in this book is on the jockies when they miss a jump. Like his novels, this is just a pleasant read.