Howard Jacobson explores four cultural iconoclasts: satirist Barry Humphries, art critic Bob Hughes, feminist/academic Germaine Greer and 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 is a junior member of the London literati; Barry makes a Barry MacKenzie movie.