A fisherman in the Saddle : Seawitched / horse medicine

Riding crop and fishing rod forever in hand, the author's stories centre on the two great driving forces for renewal in his life: horses and fishing both of which, he says, are "cheaper than seeing a shrink".

Thus we have two books in one: "Seawitched" and "Horse Medicine", this author's solution for surviving the modern world and his guide to healing oneself.

The author was born and grew up in the Cape in South Africa, which made an indelible impression on him. And this is where his stories start, on the stunning beaches of his boyhood home.

In 1980, Julian and his wife left South Africa for political reasons, so his story continues across the ocean in the cool, cathedral-like forests and heathery moors of Sussex in England (home of the fabled Winnie-the-Pooh).

Later, further travels took him to California and the American Northwest. "A Fisherman in the Saddle" celebrates life, love and family and the ties that bind us to nature and the world.

It will teach you how to buy a horse, how not to buy a dog, how to catch a kabeljou, stay dry in the rain and avoid dangerous women.

There is romance here as well as clear-eyed truth.