There's an old Chinese curse - 'May you live in interesting times.' Indeed. But how much better to be interested in the times in which you live? This is a strange biography - a mixture of what did happen, or may have happened, or could have happened or what the author is convinced did happen, with little evidence. Whatever the truth of it, it was an unusual life at least. A life chaotic to no particular purpose. An omelette of a thing.