Where Did It All Go Right?

Oct 25, 2024 8:22 PM

Author:Andrew Collins

Andrew Collins was born 37 years ago in Northampton. His parents never split up, in fact they rarely exchanged a cross word. No-one abused him. Nobody died. He got on well with his brother and sister and none of his friends drowned in a canal. He has never stayed overnight in a hospital and has no emotional scars from his upbringing, except a slight lingering resentment that Anita Barker once mocked the stabilisers on his bike. Where Did It All Go Right? is a jealous memoir written by someone who occasionally wishes life had dealt him a few more juicy marketable blows. The author delves back into his first 18 years in search of something - anything - that might have left him deeply and irreparably damaged. With tales of bikes, telly, sweets, good health, domestic harmony and happy holidays, Andrew aims to bring a little hope to all those out there living with the emotional after-effects of a really nice childhood. Andrew Collins kept a diary from the age of five, so he really can remember what he had for tea everyday and what he did at school, excerpts from his diary run throughout the book and it is this detail which makes his story so compelling.

Reviews

This is a book to indulge in, the literary equivalent of Horlicks before bed, guaranteed to leave you feeling all warm inside

—— The Observer

A lovely tongue-in-cheek memoir...a wonderful antidote to all those tales of childhood woe pouring from the presses; read and enjoy

—— Publishing News

A welcome visitor into any home that houses a Nick Hornby or a Tony Parsons.

—— Glasgow Herald

An unashamed nostalgia fest . . . comic gold.

—— Time Out

Warm moments . . . thanks to the author's grasp of the anecdote.

—— Word

An explosive read... powerful,compelling and questioning- a true reflection of the journalist himself

—— Birmingham Post

Compelling... provocative, argumentative and essential reading for those who wish to challenge their assumptions

—— Waterstone's Books Quarterly

World-class journalism

—— Johann Hari , Independent

What makes John Pilger a truly great journalist is his conscience and bravery

—— Martha Gellhorn

Pilger's work has truly been a beacon of light in dark times

—— Noam Chomsky

John Pilger's determination to swim against the tide of 'mainstream' media reportage prompts him to dig deep. Freedom Next Time is no exception

—— Metro

Impresses with its scholarship and literary craft

—— Observer

Truly, he has written London’s biography. I began rereading it as soon as I finished, and I urge you to read it as soon as possible, so that you can begin rereading it as well

—— Will Self , New Statesman

A fat and filling feast: pretty much everything of interest about the capital is crammed into the eight-hundred pages. One cannot but marvel at Ackroyd’s erudition, his energy in marshalling minutiae, his ear for quotation, his flair for dazzling juxtapositions, his vibrant imagination and sheer exuberance

—— The Times

An erudite labour of love, a fan-letter to a fabulous city, and a book one suspects Ackroyd was destined to write. It illuminates the English character, and is darkly humorous in its detail, tumbling through centuries crowded with legendary events and eccentric observations, as exuberant, energetic and alarming as the city itself

—— Independent on Sunday

A masterpiece

—— Evening Standard

Spellbinding

—— Express on Sunday

A sharp, beautifully written but above all truthful account of London…This is the kind of writing that gives intellectuals a good name

—— Sunday Tribune

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