Reflections in a Writer's Eye: 2travel Pieces

One of Britain's most esteemed men of letters, Sir Angus offers this gathering of his travel writings dating from 1957 to 1984. His rich and candid mind, and his exuberant enjoyment of places and cultures, lead him sometimes into stylistic excesses. No matterthis, his 18th book, is literate, entertaining armchair travel. The 13 essays open with Sir Angus's impressions of the Japanese as he got to know them in 1957 while visiting Tokyo with a group of international writers. Similarly upbeat is his piece on Brighton, for the British ""the jolliest resort in the world''a gem of nostalgic affection. His 1961 return to South Africa, ``my mother's land'' (Wilson grew up there), offers sensitive speculations on apartheid's future. His pieces on the Channel Islands and his 1975 retracing of Kipling's footsteps in culturally paradoxical India give a lift to less stimulating areas where Sir Angus pens his observations on Sri Lanka, Arizona and zoos he has visited. (September 30)