Alan L Jeffreys, Sb, A5, 118pp

Anyone who knows Alan (aka Goon) will know of his dry sense of humour, which comes out in bucket loads in his book which is semi-autobiographical when he tells of his many adventures breaking new ground in the Scottish Caves and the founding of the Grampian Speleological Group. Alan has done it all including Cave Diving and International visits to more exotic parts of India. His narrative starts with his own personal views about caving being the need not to conform in orderto satisfy the need for a childlike tactile involvement with mud and water that we all have at the start of our lives. The hilarious encounters with midges or as he describes them ‘voracious little creatures’ give a hint towards his tales. The narrative is flamboyant and enthusiastic about every venue and entrance and the early encounters these caves had to offer with more basic kit than we have nowadays. I found the book difficult to put down and a definite read for cavers everywhere