Champagne Steeplejack

Book excerpt: From the impoverished back streets of Victorian Oldham, Joseph Wragg looks up at a towering chimney and begins to dream...Fearless, talented and charming, Joseph rapidly scales the heights to become not only the country's most famous steeplejack but also a darling of the London social scene. Feted by the London aristocracy, courted by celebrities such as Oscar Wilde, his ambition knows no bounds. But a fateful meeting with actress Lillie Langtry tempts him away from his family and his roots - and ultimately leads to his downfall.Loosely based on a true story, The Champagne Steeplejack is a breathtaking story of one man's rise to astonishing success in the industrial north-west and his painful descent to reality...