Mckie's Gazetteer: A Local History of Britain

(Paperback, Main)

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Description

From Castle Dangerous in South Lanarkshire to Defiance Platform in Cornwall, from the City of Three Waters in Leicestershire and Llanthony in Monmouthshire, McKie's Gazetteer brings together the intriguing and fascinating, the enigmatic and downright bizarre from every corner of the country.

McKie tells the story of the submerged medieval village of Shipden, leads the way to the only legal Knockin Shop in Britain and introduces us to Sir William, the Kent Messiah, who, armed with two pistols, a sword and a bugle, claimed that he was the reincarnation of Jesus Christ before murdering the local plumber who was wielding a warrant for his arrest.

The result is a book of discoveries, a pleasure to read and to dip into - to use as a basis for exploring the secrets and scandals, the characters and crimes that make Britain its own unique self. David McKie's search for Britain's best-kept secrets will entertain and enthral in equal measure.

Reviews

"Glorious . . . cherishable and unusual." "Daily Telegraph""
"Open it on any page and you'll be enthralled by tales of curious places, and the good and not so good tightly bound up with their history." "BBC Who Do You Think You Are" magazine"
"Glorious . . . cherishable and unusual." --"Daily Telegraph"

Author Bio

David McKie was deputy editor of the Guardian from 1975 to 1984 and wrote both its 'Smallweed' and 'Elsewhere' columns. His book Jabez: The Rise and Fall of the Victorian Rogue (Atlantic Books, 2004) was shortlisted for the Whitbread Biography Award and the Saga Award for Wit. Great British Bus Journeys: Travels through Unfamous Places was published by Atlantic Books in 2006.