Lynda J Murray. A Zest for Life: the story of Alexander Keiller. Morvern Books,
Wootton Bassett. 1999. £9.99 . ISBN 0 9536039 0 3.

This small book crams the life and work of Keiller into its ±130 pages and reminds us
that he did a lot more for archaeology than sponsor the work for Wessex from the Air.
The book does not claim to be a full biography and so omits much of the boring stuff
with which these often are filled. Instead it covers the subject in a series of short, almost
unconnected, mini-chapters which are interspersed with 'box features' which provide a little more detail. Because Keiller was a 'bad finisher' it is easy to forget the
archaeological work that he did undertake: surveys in NE Scotland [maybe something
there for AARG00?]; extensive excavation at Windmill Hill using techniques that seem
somehow to bridge the gap between Pitt Rivers and Wheeler (although I don't recall this
being mentioned in any of my old text books); excavation and restoration of Avebury,
preservation of Windmill Hill and Avebury, and an offer (not accepted) to build a museum at Stonehenge.

Keiller comes across as a man with a wide range of interests (cars, women, booze -
maybe quite a normal bloke!) with the money to indulge in them (ok, not a normal
bloke). Aerial photography occupied one brief phase of his life, but it came at just the
right time to lay one of the foundation blocks. This and the other sides of Keiller are
sketched out in Zest.