&i;Dance of the Brush&o; spans some seven decades of the artistic life of Ralph Thompson, known for his illustrations of the Gerald Durrell books. This wonderful book chronicles Ralph's early life through art colleges in Leeds and London and onto his artistic career after the Second World War. His text describes how he is always searching to improve his technique and the art of his painting. He recalls interesting episodes when travelling through Africa and India hunting wild animals with his sketchbook, many of whose pages are reproduced. We also see the finished studio work; some from his personal collection and others collected together, to be included in this celebration of one of the greats of wildlife art in the 20th century. His special affinity with and his ability to capture an animal's personality gives his paintings and drawings an immediate appeal.