A witty anthropological journey in search of the quintessential English eccentric.
The English eccentric is under threat. In our increasingly homogenised society, these celebrated parts of our national identity are anomalies that may soon no longer fit. Or so it seems. On his entertaining and thought-provoking quest to discover the most eccentric English person alive today, Henry Hemming unearths a surprisingly large array of delightfully odd characters.
He asks what it is to be an eccentric. Is it simply to thrive on creativity and non-conformity, and where does this incarnation of Englishness stem from? Hemming concludes that this tribe is, in fact, in rude health, as essential as ever to the English national identity, only they are no longer to be found where youd expect them.
'A lovely, heartfelt paean to English eccentrics, by a member of the tribe. A funny, timely and moving encounter with a dying breed.' - Jon Ronson
The new Michael Palin - Tatler
'Hilarious' - Daily Mail
'Hemming is a kindly collector and a champion of people who live as they see fit' - Metro
'Highly entertaining' - Traveller
'Intelligent and encouraging' - TLS
Hemming makes a convincing case for the ways in which eccentrics benefit any society or era - Financial Times
Hemming makes some good points - Sunday Telegraph/ Seven
Henry Hemming is the author of six works of non-fiction including the Sunday Times bestseller M, published as Agent M in North America, the Dolman Travel Award-shortlisted Misadventure in the Middle East and Churchill's Iceman, published as The Ingenious Mr Pyke in the US where it was a New York Times bestseller.
He has written for the Sunday Times, Daily Telegraph, Daily Mail, The Times, The Economist, FT Magazine, the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post, is an experienced public speaker and has given interviews on Radio 4's Today Programme and NBC's Today Show. He lives in London with his wife and two children.