- Paperback: 320 pages
- Publisher: Flamingo; 1st thus edition (20 Mar 2000)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0002258560
- ISBN-13: 978-0002258562
- Product Dimensions: 21.6 x 13 x 3 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 3,632,262 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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More About the Author
Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Lincolnshire-born Leeds United fan Tim Bradford claims no Irish blood, but is well qualified to write about Irishry having spent years propping up West London bars wearing a leather jacket and clutching a pint of Guinness. Vaguely based on misguided jaunts to Ireland in 1998 to try and sell his Vauxhall Corsa, Is Shane MacGowan Still Alive? casts him as a Kerouac figure (albeit one who spends more time in the pub than on the road). The book has the potential to be an edgy-but-funny travelogue, but as the preface forewarns, maybe instead you should "think of it as a rambling pub conversation...".
Review
'This is an absolute must for anyone who's ever indulged even a moment of romantic yearning for all things Hibernian. Like some latter day Kerouac, Tim Bradford drives around the Emerald Isle in search of captivating wild women, poetry, folk songs and of course, the odd pint or two. He meets Europe's spottiest hitcher and drives along Ireland's worst road; he gives a bluffer's guide to being Irish for those who aren't and provides an essential map of the land showing the distribution of conversational topics including house prices, moving statues and condom availability. Hilarious.' Scotsman
'An irreverent homage to Ireland…sly and funny.' Irish Post
'An engagingly whimsical tour, in which Bradford seeks to discover what it means to be Irish (and indeed Oirish), where the best Guinness is found, whether Irish music is any good, and sundry related topics. This is always amusing and frequently laugh-out-loud funny: Bradford can see the serious in the inconsequential and vice versa. He comes across as the kind of guy you'd love to have a drink or three with… A book that achieves the difficult feat of being light in tone, funny and human. I await his next with pleasure.' Glasgow Herald
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I'm a big fan of both Tim Bradford and Ireland, so when me and my wife went on our honeymoon there this book (sectioned, obviously, just next by "Bryson" for some free publicity, as Tim himself points out) was an absolute must.
Bradford has a fantastic way with words which makes the few sections in the book when he drones on a bit entertaining, even if longish.
Bradford has a fantastic way with words which makes the few sections in the book when he drones on a bit entertaining, even if longish.
As travel books go, Tim's is unorthodox, packed with information while always a funny, bizarre and entertaining read.
Under the cover of going to Ireland to sell his girly car for a quick buck, Bradford takes us on a marvellous journey around this fantastic island. The highlight for me was the part on Doolin and "the greatest pub walk in the world". Well, we went to Doolin, took the pub walk as prescribed in the book, and although Ted McCormac was nowhere to be seen, went home both drunk and happy!
The book is full of interesting references to things and sites of interest in Ireland which otherwise might pass the visitor by and as such works very well indeed as an unorthodox travel book. We certainly weren't preparing for a two-day round-trip in the Drogheda area, but having been enlightened by the historical wisdom of Tim we got a fantastic experience out of the Boyne valley with surrounding historic magnificencies, and that's merely one example.
I've read, re-read and cross-referenced to this book so many times I soon will know it by heart. Bradford writes excellently and in a manner which makes "Is Shane..." a difficult book to put down at all. That, coupled with absurdly funny drawings, a firmly tongue-in-cheek view of the world and the most stupid car-selling scheme ever plotted makes this book great for entertainment value, very helpful as an introduction to what Ireland and irishry is all about and, as was the case for me and my wife, essential if you're planning a tour of Ireland!
Add that to Bradford's magnificent self irony, sarcasm and talent for witty one-liners, and this book is one to buy. Nice work, Tim - buy this book today!
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
As an irishman, i found this very funny, amd insulting only to those who take themselves too seriously or to "ex-pats" who wish they were irish. Bradfords style of prose is fast, fluent and likeable, and i would recommend this highly to anyone, irish or not.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I picked up the book at Heathrow Airport and as I read it I chuckled to myself for the 2 and half hours of my flight to Stockholm.
The book has some particularly unique mapping
I particularly enjoyed these sections
* How to be Irish * The map of conversation in places in Ireland * The map of where the rain fall in Ireland
Kevin
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
a rip off!
being irish i was immediately drawn to this book..particularly by the Shane MacGowan reference. however this has been the most dissapointing effort at a book ive seen in a long... Read more
Published on 1 April 2002
Good whether you've been to Ireland or not
Having only had limited travels in Ireland (a drunken week in Dublin and Galway), this book is particularly good for reminding you what is good about the Emerald Isle. Read more
Published on 29 Mar 2001
Wish I had bought it sooner....
I was leaving Dublin a while back, waiting for the plane, browsing through the newsagents when I spotted this book. Read more
Published on 28 Mar 2001 by james.m@thoughtbubble.net
Highly original, gently laconic Irish travelogue
Tim Bradford laconically claims to be a latter-day Jack Kerouac, but he knows full well that he's anything but. Read more
Published on 12 April 2000
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