YOU know, I always wanted to be eccentric. Trouble is, unless you have a particular talent for it, you just come across as a bit weird, and that's an image no one wants to cultivate.

But plenty of people throughout history have had that talent, and if you can't join 'em, well, at least you can read about them.

Just recently I stumbled across a marvellous book called Rogues, Villains and Eccentrics, an A-Z guide to British society's outsiders through the ages.

I know there are plenty of places in the Echo where you can read reviews of new products, not least in today's excellent What's On section.

But this volume has been around for a while, though I've only just come across it, and what a treat I've been missing out on.

It's not just eccentrics - as the title suggests, there's a fair smattering of the bad and dangerous to know, too.

And, while there are the odd individuals one has heard of, like Dick Turpin, Jack the Ripper and, er, George Best, for the most part the tales are of those overlooked by most history books but who, nevertheless, have had a colourful life (or indeed, death).

Thus we have Frances Mary, 1st Marchioness of Salisbury, who died from a fire that started in her hat. Or Henry Prince, a priest with a messiah complex who decided to announce his divinity to the world by addressing a Weymouth tea shop.

Or the wonderfully-named Jenny Diver, 17th century pickpocket, who equipped herself with false hands and arms to make her work easier, and who faked pregnancy (with a cushion up her dress, no less) so she could feign a faint and steal from those who helped her.

But the real joy is in the cross-referencing. Since it's an A-Z, there are plenty of entries to point you elsewhere, including such gems as: "English, stupidity of the (see Wintle, Lt AD)", "Rolls Royces irritating to the police, pink (see Jones, Janie)" and the deathless "codpiece, using a tortoise as a (see Moon, Keith)".

And the best thing is, it serves absolutely no practical use whatsoever. There's no reason at all to know the things that this book tells you except for the sheer entertainment value.

Give it a whirl. If nothing else, it'll tide you over until the next Harry Potter...