Mainstay

A narrative of the remarkable life of polymath Val ffrench Blake



If the word polymath is defined as a "person of varied learning" then Val ffrench Blake surely qualifies. In this book he writes with refreshing candor and insight about his family, Eton in the 1920s, Sandhurst and the life of a cavalry officer in 1930's India, and his subsequent participation in World War II. Blake's post–war life was no less interesting—he helped reestablish a forward–thinking syllabus at Sandhurst, left the Army to farm, and was immensely involved in the horse world.