and sailed for the R.A.F. On leaving the R.A.F., he went to work for sail-makers Ratsey & Lapthorn, based at Cowes on the Isle of Wight. During his time with Ratsey, he gained the material for his first book, Teach Your Child about Sailing which was published in 1963. He was a regular sailor, racing in dragons in the Solent, but was a poor swimmer. He invented the first all-in-one sailing jacket which included many features now accepted as standard including whistle, harness etc. He also invented the Solent tide calculator, which gives the currents at any time of day. In 1967, he published Sails; illustrated by drawings and photographs, the book detailed not only how sails and spars work but also how to extract the most speed from them, and has been described as the "classic account of the sail-maker's art". The book became a best seller and has been reprinted several times and translated into at least six languages. Publisher After publishing several other books, in 1974 he was appointed managing editor of his publishing house, Adlard Coles, based at St. Albans. He remained with Adlard Coles for eight years, during which time his "efficiency, relentless insistence on other people doing their jobs, perspicacity and concern for people" transformed the company. In 1976, he published Night Intruder: A Personal Account of the Radar War between the RAF and Luftwaffe Nightfighter Forces, in which he details his time with the Fighter Interception Unit describing how to fly and navigate a Mosquito, and his missions against the German night fighter airfields. The book also explains how radar altered the air combat environment in the Second World War. He retired in 1982 to live at Warsash, near Southampton, where he wrote The Complete Crossword Companion, which remains in print and was his biggest earner. He died at Warsash on 8 September 1995. In his obituary he was described as Warmhearted, energetic, and fiercely loyal to the causes in life that he admired, punctiliously good-mannered . . . he will be remembered with affection and respect in the many circles into which his life took him. His ashes were scattered on the Solent. Works Amongst the works written or edited by Jeremy Howard-Williams are: "Teach Your Child about Sailing" 1963 "Sails" 1967 "Racing Dinghy Sails" 1971 "Crewing for Offshore Racing" 1973 "Night Intruder: A Personal Account of the Radar War between the