INTRODUCTION In April 1987, when I was in Betley to be with Jaap and Miggy for Jaap's last weeks, he gave me a bundle of papers in which he had started to write his autobiography. He asked me to finish it for him 'afterwards! Together with Annelies, who came over for a few days, the three of us went through what he had written. There were several things incorrect or incomplete, especially where he wrote about the periods before his time. I left Jaap's text completely in tact, and added corrections and additions as footnotes. The last chapter is completely written by me. In the appendix the reader will find a draft for the article for the Rotarian Magazine, which eventually became Chapter One. I put it in because it gives a lot of different information. Also I added to the Appendix a copy of the letter of Charles Boissevain, because it sheds a bit of light on Jaap's early friendships. I feel greatly honoured that Jaap asked me to do this, and I do hope I have done him proud. I would like to dedicate my part of this manuscript to Miggy, without whom Jaap would not have been able mentally to get through the ordeal of his last year. summer 1987 Boulder, Colorado, U.S.A. Dieuwke de Haas Joustra