The author of "Once a Jolly Swagman" and "Bagman to Swagman" shares his amusing, and sometimes hair-raising, anecdotes about his life as an international collector of antiques and works of art. These are stories of excitement and disappointment, passion and commerce, and a world where philanthropy rubs shoulders with crime - often to hilarious effect. An inveterate collector all his life, in this book Alistair McAlpine invites the reader to join in the wheeling and dealing of the shop and the sale-room, as well as offering a humorous insight into the minds of collectors and dealers. Here are the obsessive cravings, the squirrelling instinct, the gullibility born of pride or greed, and for every bargain, a disaster. We learn about the fakes that have hoodwinked the experts, tricky questions of provenance and the beautiful pieces that can be found in the most unexpected places. Since starting his own collection, Alistair McAlpine has travelled the world "collecting" countries, this book is an eclectic catalogue of the places and peoples that have thrilled him, from Ayers Rock to Euro-Disney. Join McAlpine on his travels and marvel at the weird and wonderful objects, including ostrich-skin cowboy boots in LA, a Dadaist urinal in Venice and a six-foot budgie in Bangkok.