Charlotte Brewer and Barry Windeatt have allowed me to see the book for which they asked me to write a short piece. Derek and Elisabeth Brewer were close friends of mine for almost sixty years. I knew Derek best when we saw each other almost every day in Birmingham at the beginning of our academic lives, and of course I saw less of him when the three of us, Geoffrey Shepherd, Derek, and I, were no longer together discussing everything we did by way of teaching and scholarly writing. I am glad that this book, a monument raised in his honour, is so full of praise. His honour and integrity are mentioned several times.

I recall receiving a surprising phone call in my room in Pembroke College, Oxford, from Peter Clemoes, Derek's colleague at Emmanuel College, telling me that Derek was being considered by some of the Fellows for the office of Master. What did I think? I remember saying that the Fellows could not do better, and that Elisabeth would be an excellent person to have as the wife of the head of house. His virtues, many mentioned in this book, came to mind, and among them, above all else, his utter trustworthiness, that he would deal with undergraduates as with Fellows as with those in college offices honestly, saying what he thought and always doing his best to the best of his great abilities.