The Enigma of Kidson: The Portrait of an Eton Schoolmaster

The Enigma of Kidson is a scintillating and often hilarious biography of an inspirational and controversial history master, Michael Kidson, who taught a generation of pupils at Eton for forty years. Forget Eton, think Mr Chips, The History Boys and Dead Poets Society. Kidson was a maverick; funny, eccentric, breathtakingly rude, quick-tempered, insulting, kind, compassionate and loyal, with a secret past about which he never spoke. Among his pupils were David Cameron, Matthew Pinsent, Justin Welby, Dominic West, ‘Lupin’, Johnnie Boden, Nat Rothschild and many others, who all tell stories and anecdotes about how he changed their lives. This biography unravels his complex character and discovers that it has been formed by an early life that is stranger than fiction.
 
“Michael Kidson was a wonderful eccentric and an inspiring teacher. Reading this book brought back many happy memories.” —David Cameron
 
“Nothing short of a triumph. I laughed out loud dozens of times….it is really, really wonderful” —Sir Matthew Pinsent