Beautiful Idiots and Brilliant Lunatics published on November 15 2015.
It’s been a long time coming, for which I apologise, but the book of this website is published on the 15th November. Years ago I started this site, initially as a music blog, and I chose a line from one of my favourite songs ‘One for my Baby’ by Frank Sinatra. When the opportunity arose to put the website into book form it was obvious that the title doesn’t really make sense for a book about London. I found an Oscar Wilde quote from An Ideal Husband.
Mabel Chiltern says to Lord Faversham after he has complained about the decline of society:
Oh, I love London society! I think it has immensely improved. It is entirely composed now of beautiful idiots and brilliant lunatics.
Beautiful Idiots and Brilliant Lunatics contains twenty-four stories that have mostly come from Another Nickel in the Machine but there are a few that come from Flashbak.com for whom I also contribute. The stories have all been completely re-written (usually with even more tangents and digressions!) and have also now been properly attributed. I’ve also made sure that the book is still extensively illustrated with about 150 pictures and photos.
If you would like a signed copy of the book leave a comment or email me rob at nickelinthemachine.com or on twitter and I’ll get back to you with details.
The cover by the way is from the 100 Club on Oxford Street in 1949. They happy people are dancing to Humphrey Lyttelton and the photographer was Charles Hewitt. Here’s the actual picture:
12th November 1949: Jazz fans dance the night away to the wild sounds of Humphrey Lyttelton and his band, playing at a meeting of the London Jazz Club in the basement of No 100 Oxford Street. Original Publication: Picture Post – 4919 – A New Jazz Age – pub. 1949 (Photo by Charles Hewitt/Picture Post/Getty Images)
Tags: 100 Club, book, dancing, Oscar Wilde, stories
Hi Rob (Nice to have a name at last!).
Your site has given me much pleasure and I would be delighted to buy a copy of your book just to say Thank You. However, I’ve no doubt that I’ll end up discovering many more fascinating snippets of London history.
Regards,
Tony
Thank you Tony, that’s very kind.
Ditto Tony Anderson
Congratulations!
I’ve ordered the book from http://www.bookdepository.com/Beautiful-Idiots-Brilliant-Lunatics-Rob-Baker/9781445651194
Plus Ditto Tony Anderson
These may interest you from my own blog:
http://osullivan60.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/london-in-movies-part-2.html
http://osullivan60.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/blow-up-location-documentary.html
http://osullivan60.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/hollywood-uk.html
http://osullivan60.blogspot.co.uk/2010/07/london-in-movies.html
I have just ordered a copy of your book from Amazon, it looks like a must have for me.
cheers
Mike.
Good luck with the book . This has been a fantastic site and is justly popular .
Hi Rob, is there any way of buying a signed copy?
HUZZAH!
In admiration:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/cdp/member-reviews/A7EO7G9QOTPE4/ref=cm_pdp_rev_all?ie=UTF8&sort_by=MostRecentReview
wonderful – I’m savouring it and loving it!
Hi Rob, I too would like to buy a signed copy.
Could you please email me details
I got your book from the library while i was in prison, read it in one sitting, loved it. Now I’m out of prison, I’m trying to get a copy for friends.