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As You Do: Adventures with Evel, Oliver, and the Vice President of Botswana . . .
Moving quickly on from the devastating crash that nearly killed him, Richard ranges widely over his life and times—a visit to Glastonbury with James May reminds of him of his early years of playing in a band and how and why he never quite made it as a rock star; the stunts and other perils that come his way like the Top Gear North Pole race (why is it Richard who is out in...more
Paperback, 314 pages
Published
June 1st 2009
by Phoenix
(first published September 18th 2008)
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Not exactly a follow-up to his crash memoir (On the Edge), As You Do is a behind-the-scenes look at a TV presenter's life. Hammond writes about three Top Gear adventures: the Polar expedition (a race to the magnetic North Pole with Hammond on dog sled against Clarkson and May, who drove there in a Toyota Hilux); the Botswana special (the first episode I ever watched, it remains my favorite--in no small part because of Hammond's car, which he nicknamed Oliver, much to the amusement of his co-pres...more
I like Top gear and I like Richard. He is the glue between Jeremy and James. He provides a sane and down to earth voice compared with Jeremy shouting power! and taking a hammer to everything or James constantly looking into hidden meanings and reasons. Richard even does something I would have done and ran home for his kid when faced with floods. He even comments that have we become so dependent on the things around us that we can't think for ourselves because of the floods. A guy is only 8 miles...more
When I first started to read this I thought, oh no. Richard Hammond writes like he talks, non stop and with thirteen thousand commas in each sentence. He either improved or I stopped noticing it when I had read 30 or so pages.
This book covers some of the situations, stunts and adventures during a year- going to the North Pole, driving a Hilux across the English Channel, coping with the English floods of 2007, driving across Africa in Oliver and meeting his boyhood hero.
I don't thin...more
This book covers some of the situations, stunts and adventures during a year- going to the North Pole, driving a Hilux across the English Channel, coping with the English floods of 2007, driving across Africa in Oliver and meeting his boyhood hero.
I don't thin...more
Angela Hills
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Fans of Top Gear, and anyone who likes a funny travel story.
Now, I love Top Gear, so I guess I was destined to enjoy this. I've never had so many laugh out loud moments from a book. Every page had me twittering, then every three or four pages I would embarrass myself with a loud guffaw brought on by Hammond's sarcastic, dry British humor, and the absurd situations he finds himself in: stranded in the middle of an African river standing next to his faithful "Oliver", having polar bear dung flung at him while trying to relieve himself in the Arct...more
While I am biased toward James May because of my inexplicable aforementioned crush on him, I have to say that Hamster is really the much more amusing writer of the three Top Gear fellows. While I smiled and chuckled while reading what I've read by May and Clarkson, Hammond had me laughing so hard that I cried! He's also very good at getting you into the moment - I felt like I was about to have a polar bear eat through my tent and pull out my intestines while reading about his nights on the way t...more
This book is a mixed bag. Richard turns out to be a decent writer; some of the sections are well-written and interesting. He's very likeable, though, and it's fun reading about his experiences. (I wish he didn't persist in thinking of Americans as rednecks, but what can you do?) It's a short book, and it doesn't have any particular theme. But if you like Richard Hammond, and wonder what it's like filming "Top Gear" races or meeting Evel Kneivel, you'll like this book.
I read this right after reading a Jeremy Clarkson book, and it felt a little odd at first as their styles of writing are different. But once I got into it after ten pages or so, it was so much fun!
You learn little things about how they film Top Gear (specifically the Polar special and the amphibious cars) as well as insight into how frustrating and boring it can all be.
A very interesting book, and I definitely recommend it if you're a fan of Mr Hammond :)
You learn little things about how they film Top Gear (specifically the Polar special and the amphibious cars) as well as insight into how frustrating and boring it can all be.
A very interesting book, and I definitely recommend it if you're a fan of Mr Hammond :)
To try and compare this book to his first isn't right..Both books are completely different.
I think fans of Rhichard Hammond and Top Gear will get a kick out of reading this book. There are also some photographs through the book for you to check out.
I found this book a little slow going but again I'd just finished reading his first book so I was trying to adjust. This is more about his life as a TV presenter on TopGear and so. Worth a read if you're a fan..If you don't kn...more
I think fans of Rhichard Hammond and Top Gear will get a kick out of reading this book. There are also some photographs through the book for you to check out.
I found this book a little slow going but again I'd just finished reading his first book so I was trying to adjust. This is more about his life as a TV presenter on TopGear and so. Worth a read if you're a fan..If you don't kn...more
While not as polished and cohesive as his previous book, On The Edge, Richard Hammond has nonetheless written a pleasant and enjoyable account of some of his adventures over the last year. I was a little disappointed that despite the subtitle, the section on Botswana is only nineteen pages long, whereas the Polar Challenge section (which isn't mentioned in the title) is significantly larger. I know that this is likely the result of marketing spin, as subheadings are often decided on by the pub...more
Of the Top Gear related books that I have read this is one of the best. Hammond actuall has something worth writing about. The training for the sledge race to the North pole, meeting Evel Knieval, the love affair with Oliver and other tales all make for excellent reading. If you are not a fan of the man or the show I'd recommend borrowing a copy as it is an excellent biography of a very eventful year.
I loved this book! I love Hammond and i love reading about Oliver! I think Hammonds incredibly funny and i love that when i read his books i can picture him just like he is on Top Gear and can hear him speaking the words in my head as he writes just like he talks. Fantastic book im going to read of his books now, im hooked!
Dolly
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
BBC Top Gear fans. Fiona.
Shelves:
2011
This book by Richard Hammond, "The Hamster", of the BBC program Top Gear was as entertaining as the show. His humor and wit come through in this book of his. If you like the show and Hammond, you should enjoy his book.
A nice easy and enjoyable read with some great moments that made me laugh out loud to myself as I was reading. Perhaps not quite as good as "On The Edge", but then again, it is a different style of book. Mandatory reading for fans of Top Gear.
I do like Richard's humorous style within the book and I found it very interesting to see what happens behind the cameras. Richard portrays his interesting life in an engaging way which helps us to understand the man behind the presenter we see on TV.
My least favorite of Richard Hammond's books - though I still really liked it. It was nice to get the behind the scenes look at some of the show's most famous episodes, but some of it got a bit long-winded.
As a fan of TOP GEAR, I found the bits about the shows most interesting -- especially any of the stories relating to Botswana and Oliver. Trust me, you have to have seen it to appreciate it.
Hahaha, oh my god, I really, truly, unabashedly loved this. Wee Richard's a great storyteller, and he can turn a surprisingly lovely phrase, and I think this might turn into one of my go-to comfort listens.
Slightly disappointing. Funny, as Richard Hammond always is, yet disjointed. He made no effort to connect one chapter to the next; he just quit writing about one thing and jumped straight into the next. Also, not as introspective as I'd hoped. It read like one of my sixth-grader's papers: "First we did this, then this happened, and then we did this." There was no conclusion. He just stopped writing and leaped into the acknowledgments.
The TV version was worth watching but I certainly enjoyed reading this book more. It has plenty of laughs.
I'm not a motor enthusiastic, but Top Gear is about the best tv show, like, ever.
So to that background, I was a wee bit sceptic to grab this audio book. Would this ruin everything by being boring.
It did not. Great back ground stuff about some of the challenges in Top Gear (like the North Pole race) + Hammond's thoughts about the challenges. Written in very witty and funny way, read with passion. Good entertainment!
So to that background, I was a wee bit sceptic to grab this audio book. Would this ruin everything by being boring.
It did not. Great back ground stuff about some of the challenges in Top Gear (like the North Pole race) + Hammond's thoughts about the challenges. Written in very witty and funny way, read with passion. Good entertainment!
Worth a read - pretty funny in parts!
brilliantly funny
Nice little book. Nothing deep and philosophical but good fun. I like Top Gear anyway. Best bit for me was him running to get home during Severn floods.
Backstage view of Top Gear's adventures and others. Great fun!
An enjoyable read overall. The telling of the "brave arctic explorer" is by far the highlight of the book, and I wish t here had been another story of that caliber nearer to the end of the book.
Much funnier and well written than I expected. Very enjoyable.
A charming autobiography. I've always liked Richard Hammond, and it was fun to get his perspective on some of his adventures.
I am a big fan of Top Gear and love Richard Hammond. Knowing this a friends gave me this Christmas and I wasn't really sure I'd like it but it turned out to be quite an interesting read. He does prattle on a bit a some time, but he writes it like he's narrating the events as they occur which actually made it easier to visualise the events. Easy and enjoyable read.
Pretty good read not sure if it would appeal to you if you didn't like Top Gear.
Loved it. Interesting to read how Richard felt during the many escapades in this, how he felt awed meeting his childhood hero and his thoughts on Clarkson and May in the challenges, how he misses his family and his devotion to them even when he is on the other side of the world. I laughed and cryed and loved every word of it.
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Richard Hammond is a British TV presenter, most noted for co-hosting car programme Top Gear alongside Jeremy Clarkson and James May, as well as presenting Brainiac: Science Abuse on Sky1, Should I Worry About...? on BBC One and Total Wipeout, also on BBC One and Richard Hammonds Blast Lab on CBBC. He has also presented several one-off specials such as ITV's The Gunpowder Plot: Exploding The Legend...more
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