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Mad Dogs and Englishmen

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Mad Dogs and Englishmen

By: Ranulph Fiennes
Narrated by: Ranulph Fiennes
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About this listen

 Sir Ranulph Fiennes can trace his lineage back to Charlemagne and he's related to Jane Austen. Eustache Fiennes fought for William the Conqueror - but other Fiennes' were on Harold's side. One of his relatives, Geoffrey de Saye, was at the signing of the Magna Carta. Thomas Fiennes sat on the Jury at Anne Boleyn's trial, and was later hanged for deer poaching.
Celia Fiennes wrote a journal of her horseback exploration of England and inspired the nursery rhyme 'Ride a cockhorse to Banbury Cross to see a Fiennes [fine] lady upon a white horse'. Ranulph's grandfather, was a fur trapper, a Canadian Mountie and later served as Private Secretary to Winston Churchill. Ranulph's father was killed in Italy in 1943, four months before he was born.
MAD DOGS AND ENGLISHMEN is Sir Ranulph's personal expedition to trace the roots of this extraordinary family, which has been intimately involved in the major events of English history. His often eccentric ancestors have been an inspiration for his own life of adventure, and this personal history reveals another side to Ranulph himself.

(P)2009 Hodder & Stoughton©2009 Ranulph Fiennes Adventurers, Explorers & Survival Europe Great Britain Historical England Middle Ages Tudor Royalty

Critic Reviews

Praise for MAD, BAD AND DANGEROUS TO KNOW
'If you ever struggle to drag yourself out of bed on a winter's morning, pick up a copy of Ranulph Fiennes' autobiography. It's an inspiration.'
'Rip-roaringly readable'
'Even readers with a broadly low tolerance for macho heroism will find themselves gripped . . . compelling'
'This is the memoir of a supreme sportsman, an uber-earthling who could show the Martians a thing or two about what the best of us can achieve'
'"Ran' epitomises British phlegm, and he puts all other glory-seekers to shame. His dry wit, self deprecation and steely determination never to feel a scrap of self-pity are in the very best tradition of British travel writing. Long may he continue tomake us glad that we are not him, while we stand in awe.'
'It's exhausting just reading about his exploits, so it is a perfect bedtime book. It's delightful to plump up one's duck-down pillows while vicariously enduring Fiennes's successive plunges into the deadly waters of the Artcic, and his festering crotch-rot.'
'It is lively and vivid, and often exciting as we anticipate each plunge into deadly Arctic waters. There are some wonderful throwaway lines . . . So, not an alien species after all but - as they say - a national treasure.'
All stars
Most relevant
Found this book very interesting. Would like to hear more. I think its a great way to learn history.

Very enjoyable

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