Dandy in the Underworld - Tapa dura

'Sebastian Horsley is a pervert who stands for everything that is wrong with British society today.' -- Jeremy Vine 'He is simultaneously enthralling, charming and fantastically annoying.' -- Will Self 'A posturing popinjay, a neon narcissist, an incorrigible entertainer' -- Jessica Berens, Observer 'Sebastian is an atheist, but the first I've ever met whose spiritual tradition doesn't just come from a lack of imagination. His attempts to become other than he is, are epic.' -- Nick Cave 'Dandy in the Underworld is immortality for a while (with a dashing immorality)' -- Sarah Lucas

This is the story of Sebastian Horsley's life. Growing up at High Hall, in Hull, with his alcoholic mother, who regularly attempted suicide, his stepfather, a cult member dressed in orange, and his father, a crippled millionaire, Sebastian Horsley couldn't wait to leave home. Searching for happiness, meaning and a good outfit he embarked on a doomed career as a punk guitarist, had a stormy relationship with a notorious Scottish gangster, enjoyed a wildly successful period as a stock-market entrepeneur and experienced a near fatal stint as a shark-hunter. Sebastian charts his years as a dandy, an artist, a male escort and a brothel connoisseur. There are the love affairs, with Rachel 1 and Rachel 2, and a harrowing descent into heroin and crack addiction. DANDY IN THE UNDERWORLD evokes his desperate attempts to get clean, culminating in his crucifixion in the Phillippines. Sure to shock and surprise, Sebastian Horsley recounts his story with excruciating self-knowledge and a savage wit.