YES WE HAVE NO: ADVENTURES IN OTHER ENGLAND

by Nik Cohn

Yes We Have Adventures in the Other England is a dazzling, brilliant book, brimming with brutal truths--so much so it's amazing it ever saw the ink of American printing presses. In an industry that practically mandates that travel books paint foreign countries in romantically glowing colors and their residents be portrayed at worst as mischievous angels, Cohn emerges with the fresh slap of honesty, capturing on paper a group of sometimes grisly, sometimes mad, and often timeworn characters who push on with dignity and usually at least a dash of hope. After growing up in Northern Ireland and rollicking a bit in the British music scene, Cohn settles into an English village so perfect and sleepy that for many years it seems untouched by time. When modernity strikes--in the form of a surly new neighbor who composes ad jingles--Cohn cuts his ties to idyllic living. In a miniature car driven by a feisty, if nearly dwarf-sized, female Odinist--the cult revival of the Norse god is but many of the discoveries he makes--Cohn sets out to the far corners of England, from depressed coal towns to New Age campgrounds, seeking modern English truth. He finds, among others, a karaoke king, a psychic social worker, a gay transvestite-turned-straight family man, a lunatic wandering on foot town to town searching for the boyfriend who dumped her, a businessman-turned-politician who is running as the anti-Christ in the upcoming election, and a lonely widower whose only remaining valuable is shredded by a punk. In these deftly drawn sketches there is often one day that changes a life--for good or for evil--with the remaining days and years following like cars pulled by a train, fueled by blind hope or dashed dreams. Together, these portraits of those who've been brushed aside or have fallen into the cracks reflect an untold England, not one of cricket and foxhunts, but a society molded by or thrashing against the onward marching of change. --Melissa Rossi

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, British Literature

368 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Cohn is considered by some critics to be a father of rock criticism, thanks to his time on The Observer's early rock column entitled The Brief and his first major book Awopbopaloobop Alopbamboom, first published in 1969. Cohn has since published articles, novels and music books regularly.

Reviews

[Tosh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nik Cohn is one of those shadowy figures of British literature/rock n' roll. King Mod one time (and when is a mod ever stop being a Mod?) - he is basically a journalist who wrote novels, history of rock n' roll, as well as travel. "Yes We Have No" is a travel book on the U.K. I have to imagine that this book is the essential read on contemporary England - or at least in 1999. He interviews every type of citizen that was possible at the time - and the interesting thing is you get very little information on him, yet his character is very much in the text. He's a superb writer. Well worth the hunt to find all his titles.

[Phil Overeem · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cohn is always hard-hitting, and though this is a 1999 copyright, I can't imagine life any easier now on the U. K. denizens he follows here.

[Janey · Rating 4 out of 5]

First read this in 2000, enjoyed it more the 2nd time round. Would be fascinating if he could do another road trip now, 'Yes We Have No' Brexit/post Covid version for 2025

[Nick Sweeney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nik Cohn travels around Britain in its post Cool-Britannia guise and seeks out its 'ordinary' people, which includes its one-time and wannabe criminal class, a people permanently in search of a buzz and also permanently disgruntled. Lots of rants and homespun philosophy from them, then, often taken at face value by the author (and sometimes, it must be said, making sense). Nik Cohn makes no attempts at being objective, which is fine by me - he's not pretending it's journalism - and adopts a narrative full of hyperbole to relate his journeys.

An enjoyable book if picked up from time-to-time, which is the way I've been reading it. And another charity shop buy - I don't think I'd have bought it new, somehow - for which I'm grateful. Once again the chaos of the random browse has got me a book I'd have otherwise never heard of.

Nik Cohn's name has always been familiar to me as, with artist Guy Peelhart, he brought out a book in the 1970s called Rock Dreams, full of paintings of rock stars showing their various fortunes; his style in that was much the same, though much more economical. He is an interesting figure in his own right, and I think a biography of him would make a great read... though wouldn't be as much fun, I sense, as an autobiography.

[Darcie K · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think Shaw said that America and England are two countries separated by a common language. In this case (I hate to say it), he's right. Nik Cohn's a great writer, but there's just too much about these tales that I didn't understand.

[Sandy · Rating 2 out of 5]

kind of liked this at first but in the end it was more chore than fun. he's probably a good writer but i just didn't care about any of the characters he meets and totally lost interest in where he was going towards the end. ended up not reading the last 50 pages. life's too short.

[Kerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

England is in decline and has been for some time.

[Issy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh man, why do I feel like I'm totally betraying this author. The thing is I like this author a lot, there is just something missing in the fluidity of this book.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reminds me of living in England.

[Mark · Rating 1 out of 5]

Disappointing travelogue of a tour around "alternative" England, including travellers' camps, National Front members, witches and an Indian boxer. Promised much more than it delivered.