**** 'McCallum Crawford's debut novel is a Rabelaisian page-turner populated by the freakish, the devious, the deluded and the downright dirty. Ah, yes, you say, I remember Edinburgh in the 1980s, I remember the rock and band scene.
If so you may be in here. Where larger than life characters prey upon weakness; exploit, screw and maim each other with gleeful abandon. Taking us from North Bridge, to France, (where agriculture students mate with cows), to an idyll, and some strange kind of personal peace, by the sparkling blue waters of the Med, the author keeps us guessing, suspending motivation for reportage, laying hooks and plot twists that make for a thrilling roller- coaster ride as our Hero works through his issues with the help of a rock band and some explosives.'
**** 'DRIVE! Sit back and enjoy this enthusiastic view of 1980's Edinburgh. It has moments of breathtaking brilliance as the car careers in perfect control round the tight constant radius curve of the road. One such moment which marks Andrew McCallum Crawford's mastery of depiction and atmosphere is the Ch 17 medical examination for the RAF. These pages confirm this reader's impression that this highly enjoyable novel could easily be twice as long and linger more on the surreal quality that is everyday life - for that is where Andrew McCallum Crawford's depiction is taking him - and this medical examination is one of the best examples of where the bizarre in Edinburgh life can go.
The language of the novel poses the writer and the reader with that old familiar problem: when the reality of dialect, dialogue and image become art vs when they become too easy for the reader through identification with the reality they depict. Andrew McCallum Crawford has deliberately taken the reality route for reasons of authenticity. He pursues this same attention to the truth of life in the storyline and so those lovers of the novel as a representation of life will enjoy the DRIVE! most.
What will this compelling author's next novels hold for the writer and the reader? This reader looks forward to finding the same comfortable ease, more again of the bizarre, and even more pages taken to lead the reader into the detail of the distorting lens which life so often passes through. A writer to look forward to? Certainly. But keep an eye on that rear view mirror where life can appear much closer than it is!'
***** 'Very entertaining rite of passage novel. Will Terry end up just like Dad, I wonder. And are the academics at Edinburgh Yooni quite as gruesome in real life? Surely not.'
***** 'Andrew McCallum Crawford transports you back to 1986 Edinburgh when students wore clothes from Armstrongs rather than Armani they smelled of DAZ im sure it was washing clothes in the sink )
it reminds us thats its not what you are but who you know !
If you know Edinburgh you will love this book if you dont you will want to visit
His performance at the Edinburgh Festival was phenomonal
This books is a marvel and i cant wait for his next one ........'
***** 'Andrew McCallum Crawford's book is a nostalgic read for those of us of a certain age - the 80s wonderfully evoked, with story and dialogue somewhere between David Lodge and Irvine Welsh but a style and wit all of his own. Brash, flash and thoroughly entertaining. Recommended!'
***** 'As other reviewers have eloquently stated, this is a cracker of a read. You arrive at the fairground of 1980's Edinburgh, not many attractions and it's by no means 'Perfect', and Andrew M Crawford acts as your guide on every demented ride that it has to offer: the surreal campus of the 'University of Scotland', with its quota of sexual deviants, unscrupulous professors and innocence waiting in the wings to be corrupted; the bizarre 'God-father' (and real father of the main character Terry), part preacher and part Vito Corleone, and the destructive relationship between him and his son; a local band of unemployed musicians with aspirations, talent and a chance for the big time; but it is essentially the story of one student, his tormentors and his attempts to thwart them.
It offers the reader a veritable cornucopia of action, humour and some great observational passages. This isn't just black humour, it is black hole humour; but you will laugh as oblivion beckons!'
**** 'In his first novel Drive! scots born Andrew McCallum Crawford transports the reader to the city of Edinburgh a quarter of a century ago. It's an earthy world of rival pub bands, of local heroes and local villains, of university students and eccentric professors, of music, corruption and intrigue. At the outset Crawford gradually introduces the large cast of seemingly unrelated colourful characters and then skilfully spins the tale which weaves their lives together. As a Scot myself, who has lived outside of the home country since living in Edinburgh at the time this story is set, it was a wonderfully evocative trip back in time. Crawford captures the mood and vernacular of the era and place brilliantly. It's a superb first novel, well worth a read.'
***** 'Terry is a man in a state of flux with no parental guidance to set him on the right path, and why is that???? Sammy is a dreamer whose success rests in the hands of others, will he get what he wants? Strong imagery, well developed characters and a storyline which twists and weaves makes this tale of 1980's Edinburgh a must read. Andrew McCallum Crawford proves in his first novel that he is a talented writer - what will he come up with next??? Can't wait!!!!'
***** 'The author does a terrific job of bringing together all the right ingredients for an absolutely brilliant read. The feelings, the thrills, the highs and the lows experienced by the character of Terry aptly depict the turbulance and confusion of the time. The writer, Andrew McCallum Crawford, has succeeded in creating a marvellous piece of written fiction. Once I picked it up, I couldn't put it down. I sincerely hope that we get to read more from this highly talanted man in future.'
***** 'As a student in Edinburgh during the period on which Drive! is based, I found the book brought back many memories and images. The book does a great job of capturing the period as a city, previously perceived by many as dark and dreary, seemed to wake up. As always, these transformations come at a price! The characters are well developed and recognisable from that time and the storyline rolls along at a great pace. It is difficult to believe it is the mans first novel. I am already looking forward to the second!'
***** 'Andrew M Crawford does a fine fine job of skewering all things 80's Edinburgh. His hero,Terry, is a young lad at the Uni with some parental difficulties.Crawford shows a fine knowledge of the student and music scene of the area and with one or two deft mentions of bands and radio shows firmly brings you back to memories of the time. the humour is always black and as the book progresses gets even blacker, or perhaps I should say browner... but that might be spoiling things. Buy the book and learn one or two things you really shouldn't know.'
