I Fought The Law - Laws Are Made To Be Broken - Aren't They? - Softcover

Kieran, Dan

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0593058089 ISBN 13: 9780593058084

Publisher: Bantam Press, 2007

Synopsis

The fascinating but often disturbing realities of post-Blair Britain are revealed as Dan Kieran embarks on a satirical 'crime spree' across the country. Originally intended to be a simple Christmas humour book, I Fought The Law, ended up becoming something rather different. The premise was simple enough. Dan was going to spend a year trying to break as many stupid old laws as he could find, for your amusement. Imagine if Fred Dibnah met Bonnie and Clyde. This book would have been the result. You see there are loads of ridiculous laws on the statute book. For example, it is still illegal to beat a carpet in the Metropolitan Police District, to take possession of a beached whale or to get within a hundred yards of the Queen without wearing socks. The list goes on and on. But in the process of researching these silly old laws Dan found a glut of stupid legislation that was equally ridiculous - and these laws had one thing in common. They'd all been passed by our current Government. And when Dan met a man who has a criminal record for eating a cake that had 'Freedom of Speech' written on it in icing in Parliament Square, the idea of breaking the Adulteration of Tea Act of 1776 started to seem a little frivolous. Lifting up this legal concrete slab in the garden of England, however, caused all sorts of creepy crawlies to emerge that began to cast doubt on the health of the nation, so Dan's adventure began to change tack. His journey ended up taking him all across the country where he found some unlikely heroes fighting back. Follow his adventures as he...Meets a man who dresses like Chaplin's tramp and keeps getting arrested outside Downing Street - because we no longer have the right to remain silent either. Explains why a flat pack chest of drawers is more likely to kill you than a suicide bomber. Meets the hairy history expert paid to have custard pies thrown in his beard by Ant and Dec. Reveals the ten worst laws in Britain in association with human rights campaign group Liberty. So, whether it's fighting to protect our environment, our freedom, or the right to live in an unconventional way, I Fought the Law is an unashamedly patriotic call to arms to all those for whom enough is enough.

About this title

About the Author

Dan Kieran is Deputy Editor of the Idler and a travel writer for the Observer, Sunday Times, Mail on Sunday and Sunday Telegraph. He also compiled and edited Crap Towns, Crap Jobs and Crap Holidays and co-authored The Myway Code. He lives in London with his girlfriend Rachel and their son Wilf.

From the Back Cover

Dan Kieran wants to fight a one-man crusade against the forces of homogeneity. But travelling around Britain he finds he s not alone. Out there are multitudes of people battling against the tedium of Britain PLC. Out there amidst the uniform high streets, no-go estates and shopping malls - the mouse is raging!

Follow Dan s fun-packed crimespree as he reveals why

a group of protesters were arrested for eating cakes in Parliament Squarea woman called Dorothy spends her days on the roof of a bus station in Derby a group of pensioners were forced to let off stink bombs in a court of lawKing Arthur can be found alive and well up a tree in Newbury one woman got an ASBO for being naked in her own home and a Tourette s sufferer was given an ASBO for swearing.
Packed with many more hilarious stories, fascinating facts and a sprinkling of sage advice from the likes of Winston Churchill, Admiral Nelson, George Orwell and William Blake, I Fought the Law is a patriotic celebration of the British spirit and a call to arms for all those for whom enough is enough!

Edition details

• Publisher: Bantam Press
• Publication date: 2007
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0593058089
• ISBN 13: 9780593058084
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 320