Author Description

In 1628, as the guest of a lavish banquet thrown by the Duke of Buckingham, a large raised pie was set before the newly married Queen Henrietta Maria. Before she could cut into it however, the crust began to rise of its own accord and out of the pie emerged a tiny man - perfectly proportioned, but only 18 inches tall. "Lord Minimus" is the story of that man - Jeffrey Hudson. It is a story of splendour and riches; of piracy and slavery; of war, treachery, intrigue and death. Above all, it is the true story of a man who lost every comfort he had, but retained his dignity, humanity and hope. As a boy at court, he was celebrated by some of the finest artists of his day; he fell out of windows; jumped out of pies; hid in the pockets of giants; and was even blown into a bush by a particularly strong gust of wind. As he grew older, his adventures grew even more bizarre. He was captured by pirates (twice), killed an opponent in a duel, served as a slave in North Africa, and was falsely imprisoned.