John Osborne has long been a fan of radio - from late night sessions of John Peel to Test Match Special at dawn, he has always enjoyed tuning in to the riches of our best broadcasts. When his dull temporary job became drearier than ever, John decided to remain attached to his headphones all day to listen to some of Britain's more unknown stations as well as revisiting the mainstream to fully experience the breadth of our radio output. The result is a funny, disarming ride through aspects of Britain that are uplifting, informative and sometimes plain bizarre. Throughout his month of intensive radio listening, John flits through talk radio, sports shows, dips into the mainstream and the minority, exalts in specialist music shows, comedy and local radio before expanding his mind with an experimental arts channel. It seems there is something for everyone at the turn of a dial, whether that is the ranting of the permanently enraged, the gentle tinkle of a string quartet, West Indian stomp or the sound of frozen peas being thrown around Elephant and Castle underground station.John also gets under the skin of the radio business by interviewing presenters such as Mark Radcliffe and Nicholas Parsons as well as industry insiders. John's daily life is directly affected by his radio habit as he finds himself organising a poker night during exposure to The Jazz, and Zane Lowe's energy on Radio One goads him into cooking his stir fry at the same speed as Morecambe and Wise prepared their breakfast. Finally, John decides to turn his life around and radio becomes his saviour.
Radio Head: Up and Down the Dial of British Radio
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About the Author
John Osborne graduated from the University of East Anglia in 2004. He has taught English in Austria and Germany, and has had poetry published in the Guardian and the Spectator. Radio Head is his first book.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Hugely enjoyable, especially if you listen to a fair bit of radio.
The author chooses a different radio station each day and writes down his thoughts about the presenters, the discussions and the music played.
He does much of this from while supposedly going about his mind-numbing daily job (data-inputting), and also describes his crush on Poppy, a woman working on the other side of the office.
There are also some interviews with people involved in radio (Mark Radcliffe, Nicholas Parsons, etc.), which provide welcome interludes and some useful context.
It's gentle, funny and oddly compelling stuff. Pretty good idea for a book, too. Has anyone else done this before?
The author chooses a different radio station each day and writes down his thoughts about the presenters, the discussions and the music played.
He does much of this from while supposedly going about his mind-numbing daily job (data-inputting), and also describes his crush on Poppy, a woman working on the other side of the office.
There are also some interviews with people involved in radio (Mark Radcliffe, Nicholas Parsons, etc.), which provide welcome interludes and some useful context.
It's gentle, funny and oddly compelling stuff. Pretty good idea for a book, too. Has anyone else done this before?
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By Andrew
Format:Paperback
I found Radio Head entertaining, funny and original. I am pretty sure the author didn't intend to produce a serious profile of radio (which can probably be found elsewhere) and indeed his journey combines fact with humour and works very well. Contrary to an other review(s) I feel that the commentary on the hum drum of everyday life and work and affections for his colleague "Poppy" adds a lot more to the book and the interviews are factual and relevant. The choice of stations feels appropriate as it covers a broad range from national institutions such as Radio 4 to the cringesome commercial stations with there idiosyncratic OTT DJ's. In addition to profiling radio programmes the author also provides interesting diversions such the history Radio 4's "Just a Minute". I like John Osbornes style of writing an enjoyed this book very much, I'm now looking forward to reading The Newsagent's Window. Long live radio!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This was a diverting, entertaining and quick read, based on the author`s simple idea of listening to a different UK radio channel each day and recording his thoughts about the experience.
Osborne is a genial, humorous commentator, intertwining the narrative of his listening project with the daily aspects of his life - his rather mundane job, his co-workers and his personal aspirations - as he gets involved with local radio and the research interviews that would eventually become part of the book. Much of the time he lets transcribed excerpts from the programmes he listens to do the talking, followed by his reactions to them - far more interesting than it sounds and quite an effective idea.
"Radio Head" is unlikely to change your world to any extent, but Osborne's enthusiasm and genuine love of radio make this a far more rewarding read than it might appear on first consideration.
A gently absorbing book, worth picking up.
Osborne is a genial, humorous commentator, intertwining the narrative of his listening project with the daily aspects of his life - his rather mundane job, his co-workers and his personal aspirations - as he gets involved with local radio and the research interviews that would eventually become part of the book. Much of the time he lets transcribed excerpts from the programmes he listens to do the talking, followed by his reactions to them - far more interesting than it sounds and quite an effective idea.
"Radio Head" is unlikely to change your world to any extent, but Osborne's enthusiasm and genuine love of radio make this a far more rewarding read than it might appear on first consideration.
A gently absorbing book, worth picking up.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
Radio Ga Ga
My daughter Izzie bought me this book after seeing the author at Green Man. Was a fairly entertaining read although the writer is a lot more forgiving and accepting of some of the... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Daniel Goode
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great read by a great writer
Fun, well written read. Also saw his John Peels Shed show; check it out; another great piece of work from John Osbourne
Published 6 months ago by Calculonsback
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great read!
This is such a good book and a great insight into the world of radio for those who aren't familiar with it. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Mel
4.0 out of 5 stars
Surprisingly readable and informative
At first glance, you wouldn't think this would be a particularly interesting read, given it covers different radio stations (along with the ongoing joys of life as a data entry... Read more
Published on 29 Mar 2011 by Juggler1000
5.0 out of 5 stars
See You on the Radio
Office temp John Osborne lives about a hundred miles from London, so he has a wealth of radio stations to choose from on his digital radio. Read more
Published on 26 Aug 2010 by takingadayoff
2.0 out of 5 stars
Dull
This was dull and not very well written, so I'm surprised its been given such high marks by other reviewers.
Published on 28 Feb 2010 by Jack Hobartson
3.0 out of 5 stars
A wasted opportunity
Being a lover of radio I thought that this book, about John Osborne's trawl through the airwaves listening to a different station each day, would be right down my street. Read more
Published on 6 Sep 2009 by Bantam Dave
3.0 out of 5 stars
Neither Fish nor Fowl
This book is undoubtably an easy read and gently entertaining as the main character "John" - not sure if author or an invented character - takes his mind off a boring job by... Read more
Published on 5 Sep 2009 by Colin Mayo
5.0 out of 5 stars
dont touch that dial... leave it to Osbourne
I read this in less than a week and loved dipping into it a chapter at a time.
It's a simple concept - to listen to a different radio station everyday and describe what... Read more
It's a simple concept - to listen to a different radio station everyday and describe what... Read more
Published on 7 July 2009 by T. Longhurst
5.0 out of 5 stars
What a brilliant book.
This is a brilliant book about the joys of radio. I felt an immediate affinity with this book as I too grew up listening to Radio 4 (Just A Minute, I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue etc)... Read more
Published on 12 Jun 2009 by J. R. Appleton
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