Honourable Misfits: A Brief History of Britain's Weirdest, Unluckiest and Most Outrageous MPs

by Marie Le Conte

Politicians are weird - we can all agree on that. But do you know how much weirder they used to be? If not, Honourable Misfits is the book for you.

Spanning from the past 700 years, this is a celebration of the oddest and most eccentric MPs the House of Commons has ever seen. From mad inventors and fearless adventurers to machiavellian villains and mavericks with more money than sense, it offers 64 pen portraits of the unique, the mysterious and the downright deranged.

There is the one who built a complex network of tunnels and underground rooms underneath his estate; the one who liked to go hunting naked; the one who set himself on fire to cure his hiccups, and the one who invented a very small gun with which to kill flies.

Still, they weren't all useless; there was also the MP who invented weather forecasts, and the one who documented more animal species than nearly everyone else. They weren't all good either; between the fascist turned Buddhist monk and the spy who faked his death, there are more than enough villains to go around. They also weren't all lucky; included in Honourable Misfits are tributes to MPs with tragic deaths, from falling on a turnip to getting in a car accident the day after getting elected. This is a book to celebrate human nature in all its odd, compelling complexity.

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, History, Biography

223 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 22, 2021

Reviews

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice little book of assorted eccentrics, perfect for dipping into from time to time.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful

[Ernie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really short biographies, so very pacy but felt a little like a catalogue

Ideal for dipping your toe into history

[Alexander, James Pickering · Rating 3 out of 5]

Delightful book of short biographical accounts of the weird, dangerous, and wonderful lives of MP's. Its strength is also its weakness, short accounts of some really interesting characters which left me wanting more. Nonetheless, would recommend, if for no other reason than Marie Le Conte's sense of humour.

"Sitwell Sitwell - fell in love with the daughter of a merchant whom his father thought wasn't good enough for the Sitwell family*

* You could even say that the prospect of this engagement did not.... sit well with him." (pg. 94)

[Dylan Vieites Glennon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marie Le Conte’s Honourable Misfits is an entertaining and lively collection of pen portraits spanning 700 years of British parliamentary history. The book highlights 64 of the most eccentric, unlucky, and downright bizarre MPs, from inventors and adventurers to schemers and oddballs. With stories ranging from MPs who dug secret tunnels or hunted naked, to those who met tragic or absurd ends, Le Conte offers a witty and affectionate celebration of the strange and colourful characters who have passed through Westminster. It’s a fascinating and amusing read providing a brief insight into these people's lives. In doing so, it provides the impetus to continue researching MP's you otherwise would never have heard of.

[Dave Russell · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's definitely a dip into book rather than read from beginning to end as I did. I found that hard going towards the end. Probably not as its intended to be read, but hey each to their own. I would have liked to have seen a few more eccentric misfits of more recent history, but I guess misfits are not so pronounced in the 20th and 21st centuries.

Nonetheless, it is an interesting read and surprising how many people got into UK parliamentary circles more on who they knew rather than earning the privilege or by actual democratic means. Nothing changes then!!

[Alastair Hill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun book filled with short biographies of the weird and wonderful members of Parliament over the years. Well put together and removes on the whole the political elements of their careers to not make it divisive, it has prompted me to look into some of the more intriguing ones and I will be reading further books on their lives. There are some passages which I think are poorly structured and edited but on the whole it's absolutely solid.

[Matthew James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting and funny like all Marie's books

Some great choices of subjects, described with the research, wit and humour, and odd excruciating pun (Sitwell...) anyone familiar with Marie's work will recognise. Highly recommended.

[Sophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun little vignettes from the weirder recesses of British political history

[Peter Black · Rating 5 out of 5]

Does what it says on the cover with verve and wit

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Audiobook
A largely lighthearted short read with some interesting stories about former MPs.

[Kenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

The sort of book that all the reviews will call a ‘romp through political history’, or words to that effect. A fun, brief look at some of the weirdos that have represented us in Parliament. Democracy is a terrible idea.

[Joseph McHale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amusing and interesting, Honourable Misfits highlights MPs new and old who have been notorious or just plain interesting with some unfortunate cases. Makes for good reading and is thoroughly enjoyable.