Things I know about kings, celebrities, and crooks

A breezy, first‑person chronicle, this memoir follows a self‑described wanderer who has never stayed put long enough to call any city a home. Drawing on a career as a foreign correspondent, explorer, and early radio pioneer, he offers readers a series of vivid, often humorous snapshots from the cafés of Paris to the snow‑capped slopes of the Alps. The tone is conversational, as if he is sharing a private chat with fellow travelers gathered around a fireside.

In the opening chapters he recounts surprising introductions to royalty—an audience with a czar, a private audience with the King of Italy, and a light‑hearted encounter with Queen Victoria—while simultaneously revealing the practicalities of a life spent chasing news, sketches, and secret signals. His anecdotes blend the dignity of court ceremonies with the gritty details of espionage, giving a rare glimpse into the diplomatic undercurrents of early twentieth‑century Europe.

Interwoven with these high‑society moments are the author’s off‑beat hobbies: pistol practice, ski expeditions, and a fascination with Egyptology and wireless technology. The result is a lively mosaic of personalities—kings, celebrities, and crooks—presented with enough honesty to entertain without sacrificing the intrigue of a life lived on the move.