The Bookseller.com

20th November 2008

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Ranulph plans new charts assault

03.10.08 Catherine Neilan

Hodder & Stoughton has commissioned what it hopes will be one of next year’s Christmas bestsellers—a history of Britain from the Battle of Hastings to the 20th century as told through the family history of explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes.

The book is expected to be published in autumn 2009 as a £20 hardback, and was commissioned by Rupert Lancaster after the success of Fiennes’ autobiography Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know, which has sold 119,038 copies according to Nielsen BookScan.

The new biography, which Lancaster described as “the prequel”, will be entitled Mad Dogs and Englishmen. Hodder has British Commonwealth rights, and said it expected strong demand from South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, as well as the UK.

Lancaster said: "The idea for this book came to me when I saw the annotated family tree in his autobiography. It just really intrigued me that he can trace his ancestry back as far as Charlemagne. We just decided to start with the Battle of Hastings and go from there."

Many of Fiennes' forebears played important roles in the history of Britain, with members on both sides during the Battle of Hastings and the Wars of the Roses. His ancestors fought on the side of the Roundheads in the Civil War, but also worked for Charles II during the Restoration.

"They are a completely extraordinary family," said Lancaster. "It seems that at a great many crucial moments in British history a Fiennes has been there."

But Lancaster added that not all of Sir Ranulph’s ancestors were public servants, highlighting a note left by a Fiennes who was friend to the Prince Regent that simply read: "Put six bottles of port by my bedside and call me the day after tomorrow." Lancaster described Fiennes as "a national treasure", adding: "I would be very surprised if it wasn’t a Christmas bestseller next year—that is certainly our aim."

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