It's All Good

by Andrew Daddo

In 1991 Andrew Daddo was sacked as an MTV presenter. Rather than slink back to Australia immediately, Andrew and a bloke he'd met at a party named Ray O'Neal, set off on a month-long motorcycle journey across America. That summer spent riding cross country with Ray forged a friendship that Andrew thought would last a lifetime. But in February 2004, Ray died in an accident. He left behind a wife and a young daughter, Rose.

It's All Good is an extended letter to Rose, telling her about the father she lost, and the importance of loving those we have. Heartfelt and moving, it's a story with resonance for us all.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography

Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Born Andrew Dugald Daddo with twin James Beilby. School included "broken arms and fingers, scrapes and scratches, girlfriends, hot chips and a football team that refused to win a premiership." Careers included radio, TV - DVDs for GlobeTrekker. "He has written books for all ages – picture books, chapter books, short story collections, young adult novels and adult non-fiction." He "lives on Sydney’s Northern Beaches with" .. seven others "if you include our chicken Spite and thirteen if you include those pesky Indian Miner Birds who sneak in the crack in the window to eat what Spud the Dog, Felix, Bibi or Jasper (our kids) or Jacquie (my wife) leave lying around." https://www.facebook.com/andrew.daddo.16

Reviews

[Sue Gerhardt Griffiths · Rating 4 out of 5]

So this book was published in 2006 and I’ve only now managed to pluck it from my bookshelf not that I’ve had it on my shelf since its release but it’s been there quite a few years, pleased as Punch that at long last I’ve read it. Andrew Daddo is a hoot.

‘A combination of travelogue and memoir, It’s All Good starts out as a letter to Rose. Andrew wants to share the stories he knows she’ll never get from the pictures. But it becomes a story about Andrew and himself as well - and the funny, sad, mad experiences of families and friendship.’

Andrew Daddo is an Australian actor, a television presenter and an author of several books and after reading his hilarious commentary of his motorbike road trip across America I’ll be looking for more of his books.

*Book #1 of the 2019 Aussie male author challenge

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

I always liked Andrew Daddo, the coolest of the Daddo brothers.
I listened to the audio, and Andrew made it - I think I liked it more with him reading it, than I would have Reading it by myself. He is funny, and fun, and observant, he takes the piss, out of himself, out of his MTV career and out of America and Americans. Good for him, a fun light read.
PS one highlight is At about 4 hours 50minutes in, where Daddo effectively conveys the exhaustion and frustration most Australians experience when they are forced to deal with an American waiter/waitress. (And all just because their boss cannot pay them a fair wage and they are forced to perform for tips)

[Louis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this book on CD. It is read by the author, and I enjoyed listening to the Australian accent for a change. Plus there is a certain authenticity that is added to books on CD when they are read by their author. I wanted to Interlibrary Loan the book to look at any photos, but it is only owned by libraries in Australia and New Zealand, so that option was out.

The book itself is a buddy road-trip story. The author's new acquaintance and he strike out after the one-time MTV DJ has been fired in the early 90s because Americans don't get him or his accent. Plus he gets on the bad side of some MTV execs. The story is told in the form of a letter to the surviving daughter, Rose, of his road-trip partner, Ray, who has recently died at a prematurely young age from an accident. I appreciated Andrew's perspective on things American and the interesting insights into his own life and into life in Australia. If some part of the book is not interesting to you, soon there is another location to visit or another side story to be told. It was only 5 CDs long, so it is not much of a listening commitment, either.