I haven't read any of the Poldark books but I have seen some of the TV show. What really attracted me about this book was that my husband and I spent part of our honeymoon in Cornwall. We weren't there in the tourist season (it was December) but we enjoyed exploring Land's End and Penzance and other spots along the south coast. The pictures in this book brought back a lot of great memories of that time.

As for the text, it was less interesting to me. Graham comes across as a Conservative snob. I lost track of how many times he deplored how caravans were spoiling the countryside. He also managed to work in references to his son's public school and his club. The worst part was when he referred to people visiting them in the summer. He said the sun was so strong they turned "nigger-brown" in a few days. I realize this book was first published in 1983 but, to my recollection, even at that time the n word was frowned upon. In fact, I am surprised that the publisher allowed it through. It speaks volumes for the privileged upbringing of the author. That tainted the whole book for me but someone else might enjoy this look into the writer's life and the setting for the Poldark TV series. ( )