Definitely a book for cat lovers only. In fact, probably only a crazy cat-person will fully appreciate Patrick Moore's strong attachment to his feline companions. Even as a cat owner and ailurophile myself, I found the sentiment rather saccharine and mawkish.

That said, Patrick Moore was a bona fide English eccentric and generally an all-round nice man who was held in genuine affection by his TV audience (including me) and those whose lives he touched more directly as inspiration, mentor and benefactor. Having lost his fiancée, who was serving as a nurse in the Second World War, when her ambulance was hit during a Nazi bombing raid, Moore never entered into another romantic relationship. So, if he found comfort, consolation and an outlet for his tender feelings by doting on his cats, I can only be happy that they brought him joy and contentment.

The book, then is rather slight in both content and page count, being a loose collection of personal anecdotes about Moore's last two pets, Jeannie and Ptolomy, padded out to 62 pages with a quantity of "family" cat photographs.

Were it not for the affection in which I hold Mr Moore, I'd probably have given this 2 stars, but 3 it is in memoriam of a national institution and treasure whose like we are unlikely to see again. ( )