Or Is That Just Me?

by Richard Hammond

More of the wry, honest, and often hilarious chronicles of Richard Hammond—TV presenter, adventurer, and general drawer of the Short Straw. Continuing where  As You Do  left off, Did I Say That? focuses on just a few of the many hair-raising stunts, expeditions, and encounters experienced by Richard Hammond over the last eventful year.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Autobiography, Humor, Comedy, Memoir, Cars

272 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

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 and the annual Crufts awards.

In 2006, Hammond suffered a life-threatening crash at speeds of over 280mph in a jet engine powered dragster racing car. He recovered months later and continued his presenting work.

Reviews

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book a few months back and just now realized I hadn't posted a review. And I'd meant to. But I'm much too lazy to remember what I wanted to say now, so I went back and found something I'd said on my blog about it and I'll just copy and paste that here, shall I?

"So I’m reading this book currently, okay?

And I went after work a little bit ago and ordered dinner, and it was going to take like 15 minutes or whatever so I went and sat in a booth and read my book.

After a while I heard the guy call to me that he had bad news. I thought my dinner had died a horrible firey death or something, but here he was just sorry to interrupt my reading this book because my order was ready.

Apparently my reactions to the book were as such that he was tempted to get out his phone and take a photo of me. Because I was just laughing and smiling the whole time."

So, in short, this book is so amusing that I embarrassed myself in public. Good job, Hammond.

[Steve Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Richard Hammond is approaching his fortieth birthday and this is the book that retells the events of that year. The book is actually quite witty - even occasionally laugh out loud funny – and told in a very conversational style. You can almost picture Hammond sitting in the saloon bar with his mates telling this collection of anecdotes over a pint and a pasty. That said, this book is very disjointed and does not flow with the narrative style that made On the Edge such an enjoyable read. I would go as far as to suggest that if you do want to read this – and it is worth a look really – treat it as a collection of short stories about one man’s refusal to accept that he is going to turn forty rather than an autobiography. (Incidentally, I am currently approaching my own fortieth birthday, so much of what Hammond has written here struck a chord with me and I may have allowed that to influence my rating of this book.)

[J · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hammond is much more depressed in this book, coming off his recent crash and focusing on his worries about turning 40. Some interesting experiences with top gear are explored but in a more negative way than in his more recent books which makes it less enjoyable overall. Also he comes across as weirdly sexist which seemed out of character.

[Ana Bugalho · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is witty and quite funny, written in a casual, conversational tone. While it feels disjointed at times, it's best enjoyed as a series of short stories about one man's humorous denial of turning forty, rather than a traditional autobiography. The blend of almost childlike humor and midlife crisis makes for a quirky and entertaining read.

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

I went into this book having recently read 'On the Edge' and 'As You Do', both of which I absolutely loved. 'On the Edge' for its truly inspirational story and for allowing the reader to get to know about the ups and downs Hamster went through on his journey to recovery (especially as it wasn't widely reported on in Australia) - not only from his perspective but also from Mindy's - and 'As You Do' for the additional behind the scenes details and anecdotes of some of my favourite Top Gear challenges.

While I did enjoy this book, I probably should've prepared myself for the content and main theme of the work a bit more. The book is quite funny and reveals the often embarrassing situations Hamster found himself in as he approached 40. I really wish however that a couple of the more cringe-worthy moments (the kidney stones chapter in particular) were placed at the end of the book. Being a guy I found it particularly difficult to get through that chapter which made getting through the book at least initially rather painful. Worse still, any time I subsequently looked at the book on my shelf or even when reading subsequent chapters I was constantly reminded of the kidney stones tale which I think sullied the book a bit for me... Having said that though I still think this is a worthwhile read but I would either start with 'On the Edge' or 'As You Do' to read Hamster at his best – or at least leave the kidney stones chapter until the end haha.

[Neko · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm sad to say this book was poorly writen (unlike his other books). He's waaay to chatty and not in the style that's easy to read. He repeats so much of the same stuff through out the chapters that I started to find myself losing interest very quickly.

If this book was a collection of newspaper/magazine articals then maybe I could forgive the amount of repeating but sadly this isn't the case. One thing I did A LOT was re-read pages and to me that's a sign the book isn't well writen. I don't exepect to read books from cover to end within a day but reading felt more like a chore.

I was irked when I had to keep reading 'the south african man with a beard' or 'so and so is played by so and so' through those different chapters whenever that person was mentioned. Sure, first mention a description of the person but you don't need to keep repeating it. To me it felt like an automatic spell checker had gone through and stuffed things up.

[Grey853 · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're a TOP GEAR fan, then you know Richard Hammond as one of the presenters of the British hit show about cars and related challenges. This book doesn't really include just TOP GEAR stories, but also covers other aspects of his career and some of his health issues. In fact, I've never read a book that deals with things as serious as a kidney stone and appendicitis in such a hysterically funny manner. I laughed so hard I was literally crying, which is quite the feat. I rarely do that. But the same humor you see on the show, you see in the book. He's got a very strong voice.

There are other parts which are more mundane where he details the background of different projects he's done, including production challenges. Those didn't amuse me quite as much, but were still readable.

I was rather surprised at how unafraid he was to talk about his fear of turning 40 and how his body seems to be failing him. He is, after all, only a young man inside his gear head.

[Bilal Murtaza · Rating 3 out of 5]

Regular viewers of Top Gear will find most chapters this book familiar but disappointing. The anecdotes are very disjointed and Richard's writing style of stuffing an entire story into a single sentence tends to wear on you after a while. May does the same thing in his books, albeit a bit more fluently. Also, people not familiar with TG will have a slightly harder time understanding some incidents.

But the biggest let-down was the short length of the book and the lack of insight into incidents other than the ones involved in Richard's run-up to becoming 40.

It's a decent book and I will buy most of Hamster's books since I'm a die-hard TG fan but I can't shake off the feeling that this is a book I should've bought once it hit the discount pile or should've rented it (if available) first.

[Alexandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hammond's humour is very dry which I appreciated. I listened to the audiobook version of this (read by Hammond) and whizzed through as a result. Had I read the physical book, I feel that it would have taken me a lot longer to get through because Hammond, although very funny, does ramble about quite a lot and it was sometimes a little difficult to follow his train of thought. I would also say that unless one has seen a lot of Top Gear, and knows a fair amount about Hammond, the average reader might find this book a little anecdotal and less enjoyable. Nevertheless, I did laugh aloud a lot whilst listening to Hammond read his essays(? columns? anecdotes?) and would consider listening to it again in a few years time if I feel a need a dose of Hamster Humour!

[kenzimone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Far better than last year's As You Do Adventures With Evel, Oliver, and The Vice-President Of Botswana. An interesting read, borderline captivating (mostly because Richard Hammond is accident prone and very, very prone to making a fool of himself).

Also, you know how all men, irregardless of real age, are pretty much ten years old? This book is written by a ten year old, approaching forty. It makes for a somewhat hilarious combination.

[Kylie Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sorry for the poor result - i'd love to give it more but struggled.

I loved the previous Richard Hammond books, but this one was just tedious.

The first half of the book is nothing but whining about medical complaints, appendix, kidney stone, then later landing on a bunch of keys and then we cannot forget the upcoming 40th.

The 40th was constantly harped on about through the whole book and was just damn annoying by the end.

The later half of the book did pick up and some of the incidents were quite funny, but my god Hammond sort it out as i will not be buying another - i would plainly lose the will to llive by page 50

[Helene Harrison · Rating 3 out of 5]

ISBN? - 9780297855217

General Subject/s? - Biography / Top Gear / Cars

Title? - No doubt, Hamster feels that he experiences what no one else does.

General Analysis? - I think this one was funnier than the previous of Hamster's autobiographies As You Like It although my favourite is still On the Edge. Hamster does seem to have a knack for writing, and it really comes across here. I love he manages to bring through some of the humour that is present on TV to the book.

Recommend? – Not as good as On the Edge, but funny nonetheless.

[Upasana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first Richard Hammond book I picked up and I was not disappointed with his writing style. Hammond talks about a lot of things that happen in his life and that he is approaching his 40th year. Among other things he also mentions Top Gear and things that actually happened that many won't believe to be true and also how he once had a hideous tablecloth design shirt! A light and fun read..more like, what goes on "inside Hamster's mind".

[Kifflie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is mostly a series of real-life humorous anecdotes about Hammond's journey to that "dreaded" age of forty. There's some interesting background stories from Top Gear as well as the other BBC programs that Richard presented. The kidney stone story is cringe-worthy (but still funny in places). Basically, this is a guy who isn't going to let "middle age" slow him down (and judging by what I see on Top Gear, he's got a lot of adventuring left in him).

[Sam Still Reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short and fast read, but interesting collection of tales as Richard Hammond is dragged kicking and screaming towards 40. Not as much Top Gear info as I would have liked (but I like my Top Gear in huge doses) but some funny stories. The UK edition I bought had stickers to 'poke fun at the short bloke from Top Gear'- Richard, you're not that bad! Really.

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you ever wanted to hear Richard Hammond talk extensively about his knob, this is the audiobook for you! Mostly, this is a chronicle of trying to gracefully (or not so much) deal with approaching 40. Nothing here came close to my favorite stories in AS YOU DO, but it was enjoyable just for the silly pleasure of Hammond's voice in my ear.

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not quite as good as As You Do or On The Edge, but still pretty entertaining. The stories mostly revolve around Hammond's upcoming 40th and the fears and realizations that go along with such a birthday. They feel somewhat lacking in the personal and the wit that characterize his other books. But, still, worth the couple hours it takes to read!

[Trevor · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was OK, not as good as I was expecting and maybe a little self indulgent to be honest.

I'm not alone when I say I thought it was a little poorly written and took a while to get going. Some of the stories were a little "bland" or "non-events".

Shame, as Hammond is obviously a likeable character and this book doesn't really do him justice.

[Valerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not great literature, but an engaging read with some behind the scenes info that I need to know as a fan of Top Gear, the Hammster, Engineering Connections, etc. Great photos and a page of stickers are included (with suggestions on messing up Richard's pretty face...um no.)

[Katharine (Ventureadlaxre) · Rating 4 out of 5]

For how happy he acts on TV, he doesn't come across like it in this book. Poor Hammond goes through a lot, doesn't he?

I love how truthful he is in this all, and how he can turn the most ordinary of tales into something interesting.

Not as good as 'On The Edge', but still worth a read.

[Debbie Dickinson]

This book took a long while to get going, but eventually the stories began to flow with Hammond's usual wit and patter, however the book overall did feel like a disjointed conversation as his stories took various tangents.

[Inge Hulsker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great read, just like his other books. Although On The Edge is the best one by far.
He basically describes events, some from Top Gear, some from other tv-gigs and some from his personal life. He has a nice writing style mostly, just a bit long-winded for my liking.

[John Mcpheat · Rating 2 out of 5]

There were two stories that grabbed my attention: the removal of Richard's kidney stone and the complications that followed and the story of crossing Alabama with 'Man Love Rules OK' painted on the side of his car. Unfortunately, the rest of the book just didn't hold my attention.

[Annalise · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book filled to the brim with the angst-ridden thoughts of someone about to turn 40. Enjoyable, but at times the rambling tangents were a bit much.

[Audrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would recommend this book even if you do not regularly watch any of Richard Hammond's shows. He has lived a very interesting life and his telling of it is both hilarious and educational.

[Faith · Rating 5 out of 5]

If god exists, he truly gives his toughest battles to his strongest soldiers; in this book, Richard Hammond talks us through his mid-life crisis. Except, he's the last person you'd expect to ever have one, as the whole time he was on Top Gear you could have sworn he was a mere twenty years old, and not the early thirties to mid forties that he actually was. You watch the Burma special and see him in his prime, showing off his perfectly sculpted pectorals and biceps in that dirty tank top, and you think he's, what, 30 at a push? Nah, he's 45 there.
Much like his other books, Or Is That Just Me? had me laughing out loud consistently, and roped me in to further adoration of a man I've never met.

[Anders Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

In what should come as no surprise, Richard Hammond, as can be discerned from his contributions to Top Gear and other programmes, is a deeply thoughtful, good-humoured author. In Or Is That Just Me? he recounts the somewhat banal, individual experiences from his own life, seeing always the funny side even if it is in retrospect (as the light to any shade must be seen), and yet, in the reading of these memories, one is reminded of the importance of similar occasions in one's own life. Or is that just me?

[Kyrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

More stories like "As You Do" mostly about Hammond approaching 40, and the various injuries he's had.

[Jeanie Marscham]

It’s alright 🤷‍♀️

[Anel · Rating 1 out of 5]

Didn't finish it. I'm sure I would've enjoyed it a lot more were I a devoted fan of Top Gear... or knew anything about cars.