The Great Pretender
A Catalogue of Chaos and Creativity
Published on 9. May 2019
Book
Paperback/Softback
256 pages
978-1-84697-470-0 (ISBN)
Description
'Give me three years and we'll be millionaires,' Nick challenged his long-suffering family in 1980, when cash was king. 'I've got an idea that's going to take us to the top.'
Tinkering with alchemy in an old stable he shared with a Shire horse, Nick discovered how to create the most convincing antique replicas ever made. He started by selling a few of his netsukes on a market stall at the Birmingham Rag Market and met extraordinary and eccentric people, the risk-taking gamblers with fast tongues. Each had their own money-spinning ideas; you name it, he replicated it for the wheeler-dealers chasing the dream. When Nick and his crew reached the rarefied circles of the London art world he realised he could be dangerously out of his depth.
This is the unlikely and often hilarious story of where nothing but enthusiasm and self-belief can take you.
Tinkering with alchemy in an old stable he shared with a Shire horse, Nick discovered how to create the most convincing antique replicas ever made. He started by selling a few of his netsukes on a market stall at the Birmingham Rag Market and met extraordinary and eccentric people, the risk-taking gamblers with fast tongues. Each had their own money-spinning ideas; you name it, he replicated it for the wheeler-dealers chasing the dream. When Nick and his crew reached the rarefied circles of the London art world he realised he could be dangerously out of his depth.
This is the unlikely and often hilarious story of where nothing but enthusiasm and self-belief can take you.
Reviews / Votes
'The true story of the charming indefatigable Nick Perry and his attempt to go from rags to riches. A joyous tone infuses his escapades - with the wisdom of hindsight, of course. ... Colourful and eccentric characters inject comedy and humour throughout the story. Think silver-tongued gamblers and risk-takers, all with an eye on the main chance. ... Something to enjoy on the beach this summer' * Dundee Courier * 'The saying, 'You couldn't write the script' could have been coined for the wild life of zany entrepreneur-turned-author Nick Perry' * Sunday Post *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Edinburgh
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Birlinn General
Illustrations
b/w throughout
Dimensions
Height: 195 mm
Width: 130 mm
Thickness: 20 mm
Weight
282 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-84697-470-0 (9781846974700)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
05/2019
Polygon An Imprint of Birlinn Limited
€9.59
Available for download
Person
Nick Perry spent his childhood in Dorset, out in the countryside daydreaming most of the time. He was educated at Parkstone Sea Training School before leaving for London where he worked for ATV Television. He travelled around Europe moving from job to job until he came into money and on impulse he bought a hill farm in North Wales. He lives with his wife Arabella in the Wiltshire countryside where he spends his time writing, walking and listening to classical music. He is the author of Peaks and Troughs and Escape to Ikaria.