- Paperback: 336 pages
- Publisher: Flamingo; New edition edition (5 Feb 2001)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0006551688
- ISBN-13: 978-0006551683
- Product Dimensions: 19.4 x 12.8 x 2.2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 847,748 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...".
Bradford angrily criticises the Irish theme pubs trend as "a fake validation of the ridiculously chirpy good-time Oirish vibe", while at the same time including a garish full-colour picture of a leprechaun and a string of frivolous anecdotes and cheap gags about "tramps", potatoes, hurling, potatoes, priests, potatoes, bombs, tinkers and potatoes. Since Bradford's fame is as a cartoonist for football fanzine When Saturday Comes, the flippant text is peppered with back-of-beermat doodles, silly crosswords and the like. Those who want humorous travels in Irishry with more plot might prefer Tony Hawks' Round Ireland with a Fridge or Ardal O'Hannlon's amusing novel The Talk of the Town, since Bradford's diary is closer to an Irish joke book to be found in a tacky souvenir shop...Right, whose round is it? --Sarah Champion --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Superbly funny, entertaining and helpful intro to Eire,
This review is from: Is Shane MacGowan Still Alive? (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. 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:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hilarious,
By g9704027@qub.ac.uk (Derry) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Is Shane MacGowan Still Alive? (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:
3.0 out of 5 stars
The best aid to understanding the Irish nation snce DeValera,
By A Customer
This review is from: Is Shane MacGowan Still Alive? (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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