Andy Hamilton is one of those rare authors who will live a subject rather than just write about it. At the time of writing, (2014) this has meant that Andy has brewed award winning beer commercially, lived off nothing but wild food, lived a near self sufficient life, brewed hundreds of bottles of country wine, taught himself beer tasting having imbibed thousands of beers and lived with no telecommunications or power. He is nothing if he isn't dedicated. Like most authors Andy has lead a chequered and interesting life. He grew up in Northampton the town famed for its wayward clown. He left school early to pursue a career in appallingly bad jobs. Jumping from pushing trolleys, to putting lasagne sheets on ready meals (all day), to stapling (all day) eventually becoming a mash potato man in a food factory and then stepping up again to the dizzying heights of "operative in charge of cardboard box making" for a clothing warehouse. Andy finally left his salubrious career in Northampton to return to education. He studied a social science access course in Nottingham, narrowly missed getting shot and then moved to Bath where he received a psychology degree. Whilst studying for his degree and working part time in a psychiatric hospital, Andy co-created a website on self sufficient living with his brother Dave: www.selfsufficientish.com. It quickly gained a huge following and it success led Andy and Dave on to write the much-coveted and critically acclaimed book, The Self Sufficientish Bible. Andy continued to brew and forage and later released Booze for Free, a book that has been one of the best selling homebrew books in the UK since its release. Then all of Andy's dreams came true as he managed to convince his publisher that he wanted to drink beer for year. The result, Brewing Britain, delves into almost every aspect of UK beer. Andy appears on TV and Radio in the UK and abroad and is very fond of his life and family.