Sir Steven Runciman's contribution to the field of Byzantine studies is immense. His three-volume 'History of the Crusades' is still an unsurpassed classic, which has enabled the wider public to appreciate the complicated relationship between East and West, Muslim and Christian, in the medieval period. Shown here, aged eighty-seven, Sir Steven is ever the gentleman. He is impeccably dressed and his erect posture complements the sophisticated interior of his Dumfriesshire home. Those who knew him personally loved him for his wit and learning and, not least, for his culinary skills.