Andy Miller is a sports atheist. The beautiful game, the roar of the crowd, winning, losing, taking part - these mean nothing to him. But at 30 he is worried. He thinks he's turning into a bit of a crank. So he decides that he must try to love sport - and just maybe it will love him back. He shivers for a season in the stands at QPR, braves the queues at Wimbledon, stays (reasonably) sober at the boat race and gets his money's worth at a WWF event. But to really show his commitment, he takes up the one sport now dear to his heart - crazy golf. Dreaming of putting glory, he heads for Europe and the international circuit. No one can accuse him of being a crank now.
| ||||||||||||||||||
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. Special Offer until June 30, 2013: Receive an additional £5 promotional Gift Certificate, when you trade-in at least £10 worth of books. Learn more. |
Book Description
Product details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, and more.
Product Description
Amazon Review
Tilting at Windmills is the comic odyssey of a meek geek who tries to become one with the sporting life. Journalist Andy Miller is a lifelong sport-phobic who finds himself in a Britain obsessed with the stuff--from the school playing field to the various "hallowed turfs", the seemingly pointless doings have everyone around him mesmerised--and Miller decides to find out why.
A stuttering but almost successful attempt to become a QPR fan, gives way to bold stabs at embracing the totems of British sport--The Open, The Boat Race, Wimbledon--with Miller bent on breaking the "code" that allows others to find passion, drama and fun, where he finds only bad catering, yobs and stupefying boredom.
The investigation is punctuated by the ongoing story of his own endeavours in top-flight international sporting competition, as Miller finds himself drawn to the painted windmills and baffling geometry of crazy golf, pursuing his new passion around the seaside towns of Britain and onwards to European Championships, in Latvia (where he is billed by no less an organ than the Baltic Times as "the Eddie the Eagle of miniature golf").
Miller is the witty, acutely self-conscious traveller at the heart of his own story, but nevertheless pursues serious lines of enquiry into the self-deception and surrender to tribalism that characterise the sports fan, and what underpins his own long-standing resistance to "joining in". No major revelations here, but this is a light, entertaining read that could have even the most unsporty types thinking about grabbing a putter. --Alex Hankin --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
"A heck of a lot of fun ... made me laugh out loud ... Miller may be "anti-skilled" at sport but he sure can write." -- Andrew Martin, Sunday Express
"Brilliantly funny. Not to be missed" -- Sportspages
"It's a hilarious premise, superbly executed by an accomplished comic writer." -- Matt Seaton, Esquire
"One of the signature pieces of modern sports writing, shot through with an eye for comic detail worthy of the young Evelyn Waugh" -- Michael Bracewell, the Observer
"The bravest man in Britain" -- Martha Kearney, Woman's Hour, Radio 4 --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
"Brilliantly funny. Not to be missed" -- Sportspages
"It's a hilarious premise, superbly executed by an accomplished comic writer." -- Matt Seaton, Esquire
"One of the signature pieces of modern sports writing, shot through with an eye for comic detail worthy of the young Evelyn Waugh" -- Michael Bracewell, the Observer
"The bravest man in Britain" -- Martha Kearney, Woman's Hour, Radio 4 --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
Andy Miller's book is very funny but it's also suprisingly thoughtful - he appears to change his mind about sport as the book progresses, which is a lot more honest than many writers. His account of his sporting year manages to take in games teachers, QPR, the Boat Race, Jimmy Tarbuck (very funny this bit - Louis Theroux-ish), and an awful lot of crazy golf. And the chapter at the minigolf finals in Latvia is unbelievable!
It's gripping AND humourous AND smart.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
A great read, extremely funny, and the perfect antidote to World Cup fever. Great for those who aren't into sport but sports lovers will also enjoy this book and find it thought-provoking. In fact, I'd recommend it to everyone!
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
I was always last to be picked in games too, so this book made me laugh a lot. It was really good to read about horrible sport from the point of view of someone who can't stand it - especially a man (though God knows what other men will make of it!) Plus I couldn't believe that crazy golf could be so thrilling - sad but true. Really though, read this book if you want to know what it's like not to fit in in a ball-shaped world. Funny and clever.
3 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
I found this a hugely funny book - it took me back to my days at school and subsequently failure at sports in my mature years. The author's sporting success is all the background information and stats of other sports apart from his chosen one of miniature golf(rated second in GB - wow! While reading the book I was Andy Miller and came out in hot and cold sweats too. Wonderful writing - will have to go back over it though and look up some words in the dictionary - great book!
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By Kid Ad
Format:Paperback
Mr. Miller shares a lot in common with Dave Gorman - his novel is based on a totally ridiculous premise that just begs you to follow. Andy Miller has always been rubbish at sport. He never even liked sport very much, but is growing to feel he is missing out on a common bond with other men so must will himself to like sport. So the journalist trots around the UK going to football games, Wimbledon and WWF events with mildly amusing results. Then, he hits on something, he needs to play sport. Here start the trip that ultimately leads to the Crazy Golf World Championships.
The problem is the book never quite finds a point. It opens with a pathetic moan about "lad culture" and struggles to overcome the fact that the author is ultimately writing about a subject he doesn't really like. The overdrawn saga undoubtedly has its high points, but as the author flits between hating "lads", trying to like sport and a fight-against-the-odds tale in the world of Crazy Golf, you do have to stop and wonder if there is a point to it all.
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By G. Hill
Format:Paperback
This is a brilliant, funny book dealing with Andy Miller's struggle to overcome a lack of ability, and also to understand why sport can be addictive. As the book progresses you can see how both of these factors change for him. Throughout I found myself almost cheering him on in his quest for minigolf glory!
Along the way there are some great stories but also some well made serious points. Those that stay in my mind are the sections in the book which cover football. These are the most sensible viewpoints I have seen written (in newspapers and books) about 'the beautiful game'.
2 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By "jemwatson"
Format:Paperback
As one who last enjoyed a competitive activity when it involved running in a straight line balancing an egg on a spoon, I could certainly empathise with the author's past as a weedy boy picked last for every team - this probably engendered some excessive expectations - and bought this book 'on spec' following a link on the 'TV Go Home' e-newsletter. As it was the World Cup edition, positively overflowing with vitriol for the prevailing Nuremburg Rally-esque 'We All Love Football' climate, I was hoping to find a treasure trove of blistering hatred for all things sporting, or at least a pitiless deconstruction of same.
Quite frankly, if you're looking for that, look elsewhere (Mark Simpson's 'Male Impersonators' turns football over beautifully). There are occasional flashes of entertaining insight, but they are drowned in the endless, and frankly tiresome, recounting of the author's oh-so-wacky pursuit of miniature golf which is in truth the focus of this book. This is a book suffering from a bad case of Louis Theroux syndrome; if you still find him entertaining, you'll probably like it. If a little light self-deprecation whilst patronising a bunch of socially marginalised but otherwise harmless misfits strikes you as tired, and a lazy way to fish for cheap laughs, save your money.
The world is still waiting for the Anti-Hornby, who will hammer the last nails into the coffin of Laddism and laugh nastily while doing so: 'Tilting at Windmills' takes a weak stab at being the apostate's 'Fever Pitch' but ultimately wants too much to be loved and gives up after the first hurdle.
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
- Books > Biography > Sport > Golf
- Books > Humour > Love, Sex & Marriage
- Books > Humour > Sports
- Books > Sports, Hobbies & Games > Golf > History & Biography
- Books > Sports, Hobbies & Games > Golf > Practical Guides
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.
