Illustrations

Russell Clark

From inside front dw

Technically speaking, this book is an autobiography. But autobiography is a deadly serious business and there's scarcely a serious line in Hot Water Sailor, either in Denis Glover's text or Russell Clark's illustrations.

Denis, to be perfectly honest, is the antithesis of that American institution the trouble-shooter. He's a trouble magnet. Hot Water Sailor is an account of Glover in trouble at home and abroad, at school and university, and-especially-in that British institution the Royal Navy.

Most of us look benevolently back on life magnifying our successes and contriving to forget episodes of embarrassment, failure or plain clottishness. Not so Glover. He retails with relish those instances of stubbornness, impishness or stupidity that landed him and his colleagues of the moment in piping hot water.

Technically speaking again, Hot Water Sailor might be described as the story of a New Zealander, typical of his times, growing from confused beginnings to maturity under the stress of war. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Glover is untypical, and complete maturity still eludes him - which makes this book so witty and amusing.

Russell Clark and Denis Glover are old friends - otherwise Clark's illustrations of the author might have led to a long estrangement.

From inside rear dw

Denis Glover doesn't think much of himself as any sort of sailor: he says he has been on collision courses all his life. But he quotes Chesterton to the effect that there's one good thing about Hot Water - at least it keeps you clean.

Described by John Lehmann as ''Mr Punch in naval uniform", Denis Glover is one of so many versatile civilians who turned sailor, soldier or airmen when the need arose. From ordinary seaman ("That which there is nothing lower") it was as second in command of a flotilla that he won a Distinguished Service Cross in the Hot Water of D-Day.

But there is more to him than wars or sailordom. His friends find him an indefatigably pugnacious talker, a wit and a humorist - especially when there is a full glass in front of him. (He professes an immoderate enthusiasm for draught beer, and has several times cheerfully faced death at the hands of home-brewers.)

This cosmic account of his highly orbital life suppresses a more serious side. ''As printer, publisher, critic, and poet," says J. H. E. Schroder (recently retired Director of Broadcasting in New Zealand), ''Mr Glover has contributed more variously and substantially to literature in New Zealand than any other living man."

For present purposes, however, Denis   Glover says he takes his text from Congreve: ''Leave wisdom to fools - they have need for it."