‘I wish I could think of just one thing I could tell you about Hull, oh yes…it’s very nice and flat for cycling.’ Philip Larkin
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. Learn more. |
Book Description
Product details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Authors
Discover books, learn about writers, and more.
Product Description
Review
...threatening to be the alternative hit of the Christmas book rush. -- Word Magazine, September 2003
Book Description
Crap Towns is a hilarious guide to the 50 worst towns in Britain. From inner city poverty to self-satisfied middle England, from the dull and the lifeless to the ugly and the depressing, no concrete monstrosity or phoney heritage centre will be left untouched. For the first time Crap Towns will prove that Britain isn’t just the place of warm beer, cosy bed and breakfasts and amiable old gits that some travel books would have us believe. With burnt out cars, shell suits, cheap shoe shops and housing estates patrolled by rabid dogs and feral kids, Britain can be every bit as challenging a destination as the places gap year students and ‘serious’ travellers’ usually go for their poverty and misery kick. Crap Towns started life on the website of The Idler magazine when readers were asked to write short pieces on awful places they knew and despised. The idea captured imaginations throughout the Internet community, receiving countless word-of-mouth recommendations from websites, chat rooms and weblogs. It is now a regular feature of The Idler and consists of statistics, anecdotes, history and other bits of info sent in by readers. Crap Towns will select the top 50 Crap Towns in Britain and reveal them in all of their repulsive and deluded glory. From London via Portsmouth (where there has been a ‘kebab war’) Morecambe (The seaside town they forgot to close down) Cumbernauld, Newport and Lincoln – the underbelly of Britain is about to be scratched.
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
By R. Taylor
Format:Hardcover
This book was hilarious the first time around. However, it seems it has offended some people who are obviously proud of the towns in which they reside.
To be honest this is no work of a genious, it is based on opinion and it takes about 5 minutes to flick through. But you have to admit that the people that wrote this book do have a point about the grotty places they wrote about. Some of them you wouldn't send your worst enemy to, I know because I've been to most of them!
The only thing that offended me about it was that it didn't include my home town which I would've have thought would score quite highly!
If you are easily offended and patriotic about your home town perhaps it isn't the book for you.
21 of 25 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Hardcover
In the rush to release Christmas cash-in books (known in the trade as non-books), this compendium of contemporary crud is actually assembled with integrity and professionalism. Tidily designed (except for some washed-out photography), the writing here makes Paul Theroux look like a pussycat - searing vitriol from the bunch of over-educated ne'er-do-wells who make up the audience from a magazine like The Idler.
It would be wrong to think these denunciations of Britain spring from the pen of some metropolitan bohemian fop: the contributions are from the current or ex-citizenry of the various tawdry towns.
Although it only takes a couple of hours to read, it is extremely funny. The survey is by no means definitive, yet it still serves as a biopsy of contemporary discontent.
It would be wrong to think these denunciations of Britain spring from the pen of some metropolitan bohemian fop: the contributions are from the current or ex-citizenry of the various tawdry towns.
Although it only takes a couple of hours to read, it is extremely funny. The survey is by no means definitive, yet it still serves as a biopsy of contemporary discontent.
25 of 31 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
There are an awful lot of things to say about this wonderfully funny book.
First of all though, having had it a week, and after some of the dust has settled I think it's worth referring to the reviews already here on amazon. I'm willing to bet money that all the one-star entries are written by the disgruntled local councillors that the book does such a good job at hammering. They seem to be as ill-informed about the book as they are about how to run a town. They clearly haven't read it. Few, if any of the contributors seem to be students. The authors clearly received thousands of emails. They have visited the towns in question (like, er, how else did they manage to take all those photos?)
On to more positive things, however. It's hilarious. Wonderfully sharp prose, briliant observation, genius photography. I come from Morecambe and the entry for my poor town was just spot on.
And it really set me thinking. This book really does make a serious point about the way we live our lives. It's satire at it's finest and most cutting - which is why I'm sure so many people find it difficult to cope with. If ever a book summed up the State Of The Nation, this is it.
It's a call to action to get rid of hopeless local authorities and try to do something about the ugliness and snobbery that surrounds us. I'm at Univesity at the moment, but when I'm done I'm going to go back to Morecambe and try to do something for the poor place. I feel that strongly now.
And, of course, back to my original point, it's funny too. I loved it.
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
›
Go to Amazon.com to see all 3 reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
crap towns review
This book was a great read with funny desciptions of the towns and unlikely horrible towns. The quality of the book was i good condition and the postage was quick with the free... Read more
Published 1 month ago by liam morgan
1.0 out of 5 stars
A truly 'crap' book
BATH: "Essentially a retirement town with an unpleasant amount of students. The centre of this beautiful city is basically a concrete trench lined with McDonald's restaurants and... Read more
Published 17 months ago by Arnie
5.0 out of 5 stars
What an adventure
Myself and my friend Tarquin were looking for a wild weekend away somewhere and to be frank we have both travelled the world via our daddy's cheque books and seen untold treasures... Read more
Published on 22 Dec 2010 by Elcapitan
5.0 out of 5 stars
nice 1
reading the reviews by "jordi ab" and "a reader" has made me want to buy this book! if miserable snobs who obviouly dont have a sense of humour dont like it then i definately will... Read more
Published on 30 July 2006 by A. bennett
4.0 out of 5 stars
The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth
I got this book as a Christmas present last year and although I read it in about half an hour it's a book that I find myself going back to time and time again. Read more
Published on 9 Nov 2004 by A. L. Maczkowski
1.0 out of 5 stars
A big load of crap
This book would be a disgraceful shame for any publisher -- with the exception of Boxtree apparently. Read more
Published on 5 Nov 2004 by Jordi Aparicio
1.0 out of 5 stars
Laughing at ordinary people
A cynical piece of pointless nonsense that serves only the basest instincts. Both insulting and prejudice, this 'book' relies almost solely upon anecdotal evidence that supplies... Read more
Published on 26 Oct 2004
2.0 out of 5 stars
Borrow it. Don't buy it.
Read it once and it's funny. Read it twice and it's tolerable. The third time it's vaguely boring, which is why it's best to let a friend buy it and borrow it from them rather than... Read more
Published on 15 Aug 2004 by "phyrbyrd"
4.0 out of 5 stars
only 47 to go
Wow! Couldn't believe it when I read this! I've lived in three of these towns already. I now have ambition in my life which I never had before... this book changed my life. Read more
Published on 10 May 2004 by D. D. Wilson
2.0 out of 5 stars
Crap Books: 50 Other Things You Could Spend Your Money On
Hmmm, the problem with some jokes is that once you've heard them once, they're not funny anymore. This little book is, sadly, a pretty good example, but with the slight difference... Read more
Published on 12 Jan 2004 by Touring Mars
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
|
|
Look for similar items by category
- Books > Humour > Sports
- Books > Society, Politics & Philosophy > Social Sciences > Sociology > Family & Social Groups > Urban Communities
- Books > Sports, Hobbies & Games > Hobbies & Games > Gambling > Craps
- Books > Travel & Holiday > Countries & Regions > United Kingdom > Guide Books
- Books > Travel & Holiday > Guidebook Series
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
