Yet when books have been read and reread, it boils down to the horse, his human companion, and what goes on between them.

On his office wall he had a note to himself: ‘Money is necessary–but it isn’t too important.’ Money meant for him to keep on writing and to go his own way.

I believe that half the trouble in the world comes from people asking ‘What have I achieved?’ rather than ‘What have I enjoyed?’ I’ve been writing about a subject I love as long as I...