Howard Jacobson explores four cultural iconoclasts: satirist Barry Humphries, art critic Bob Hughes, feminist/academic Germaine Greer & writer/broadcaster Clive James, who left Australia to change the world.
The 'Gang of Four' are at their peak: Hughes becomes Time Magazine's art critic; Germaine writes The Female Eunuch; Clive becomes "a junior member of the London literati"; and Barry makes a Barry MacKenzie movie.