Ring of Bright Water

This volume weaves together the Scottish otter stories from Gavin Maxwell's three non-fiction books, Ring of Bright Water (1960), The Rocks Remain (1963), and Raven Meet Thy Brother (1969).

Maxwell was both an extraordinarily evocative writer and a highly unusual man.

While touring the Iraqi marshes, he was captivated by an otter and became a devoted advocate of and spokesman for the species.

He moved to a remote house in the Scottish highlands, co-habiting there with three otters and living an idyllic and isolated life – at least for a while.

Fate, fame, and fire conspired against this paradise, and it, too, came to an end, though the journey was filled with incident and wonder.

Maxwell was also talented as an artist, and his sinuous line drawings of these amphibious and engaging creatures, and the homes they occupied, illustrate his story.

This book stands as a lasting tribute to a man, his work, and his passion.

It was received and has endured as a classic for its portrait not...