The World in Ripeness. An Autobiography, Volume Three

London: Michael Joseph, 1972; Columbia, University of Missouri Press, 1972. Illustrated by John Ward. The other volumes in the trilogy are The Vanished World (1969) and The Blossoming World (1971).

Covering the period 1941 to about 1958, this third volume of autobiography covers Bates's war-time experiences, his travels in the South Sea islands, and his late literary works.

The Times Literary Supplement praises the book as a "straightforward and heartening story of a life humbly and consistently dedicated to his art, to his family, to his country, and to his friends."

Reviews:

• Books and Bookmen (December 1972, p. 99, Trevor Allen, attached)
• Times Literary Supplement (October 13, 1972, p. 1214, attached)
• Daily Telegraph (September 28, 1972, p. 8, David Holloway, attached)
• Sunday Times (October 15, 1972, p. 37, Paul Jennings, attached)

Reprinted as part of The Ripening World (Robinson, 1972) and H.E. Bates: An Autobiography (Methuen, 2006).