Never before have as many outrageous and out-sized characters appeared in one place at the same time. Words like rogues, rascals, rapscallions, reprobates and rodomontades don't completely describe these individuals; they are more than each or any combination thereof. They are scalawags. People who claim to push the envelope are stamped, sealed and delivered compared with this bunch. They may be conmen or conwomen, adventurers, fabulists and/or delusional but they all share the extremepassion for life – always more Life! Some are of the modern era, some go way back, but their lust and spirit link them throughout the ages. This book, like its predecessor, Scalawags: Rogues, Roustabouts, Wags & Scamps, is devoted to the celebration of that passion that refuses to be stifled by convention. These lovable but mostly disreputable men and women are scalawags, too.

Read about the adventurous lives and wild exploits of Caroline Otero, Andre Malraux, Lord Timothy Dexter, Suzanne Valadon, William Hunt, Mata Hari, Emma Hamilton, Bata Kindai Amgoza, and many more in this second volume of Scalawags!

Praise for Scalawags: Rogues, Roustabouts, Wags & Scamps:

"Christy's work reminds us that losers are cool, that the middle-of-the-road might be smoother but the ditches are more interesting, and that every rounder has a good story to to tell." (The Globe and Mail)

"If the proverb is correct and a life lived in fear is a life half lived, then these unapologetic oddballs knew nothing of doubt and fear. ... Christy's short biographies highlight the salacious and the sensational with wit and aplomb." (The Westender)

"These are larger-than-life characters in stranger-than-fiction stories. ... It's perfectly suited to those times when you're seeking a momentary escape. There's nothing like outrageous lives and flamboyant characters to take you out of the dreary day-to-day." (Robert Wiersema, The Vancouver Sun)

"Christy's style is wry, conversational and witty." (The Star)

Always in search of original characters and experiences, Jim Christy is a literary vagabond with few peers. He was once described by George Woodcock as “one of the last unpurged North American anarchistic romantics.” His publisher has called him a hip Indiana Jones; one reviewer credited him with a “Gary Cooper-like presence.” His buddies have included hobos, jazz musicians, boxers, and non-academic writers such as Charles Bukowski, Peter Trower and Joe Ferone. “I never dismiss another’s story out of hand,” he writes, “no matter what it’s about or how outrageous it may seem.” Christy’s often wry reminiscences of his travels, trysts and trials are fuelled by a hard-won pride. A gardener, a sculptor and a spoken word performer with a jazz/blues ensemble, Christy has been seen in film and television productions, usually in non-speaking roles as a thug or a gangster.

Jim Christy's profile page