The Author's last non-fiction book, "The Perfect Stranger" charted his early experiences, the premature death of his wife being the central event, causing him to reflect, and try to make sense of his life. In the form of a journey to Australia to search for his great-grandfather, Patrick, from County Carlow, he tells of the sense he has made of his life in the 25 years since his wife's death. The journey takes him not only into the the south-west wilderness of Tasmania, the rain forest, and the bush of New Zealand, but also into the past and present, into the nature of "Irishness" and its effects, into religion, tradition, myth and into the life of the author's father, writer of the wartime radio show ITMA. The author's autobiographical memoir, "The Perfect Stranger" won the Richard Hilary Prize 1966.