True Brits: A Tour of Britain In All Its Bog-Snorkeling, Shin-Kicking and Cheese-Rolling Glory

by J.R. Daeschner

An American living in the United Kingdom journeys through England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland in pursuit of the bizarre antics, festivals, competitions, traditions, and other offbeat activities of Great Britain, ranging from cheese rolling and a shin kicking contest to pope burning in which the Pope is burned in effigy. Original.

Genres: Nonfiction, Travel, Comedy

338 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[Arlian · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was a slog at the best of times. It dragged, and I kept tuning out and having to re-read passages. And those parts were the *highlights*.

This wretched boomer spends a chapter disgustingly drooling over a sexy-girl photo spread while also mocking a fat girl. Later, at the end of the book, he explains that his grandfather was in the KKK. But like! His grandfather wasn't racist!! Oh no! He just joined the KKK because everyone else was doing it! People outside the south don't understand that the "boots on the ground members of the KKK" weren't really racist?

Uh, the actual fuck?? Did this fucking idiot see "Birth of a Nation" and think it was a documentary?

The KKK, and all its members, have always been racist. And so was your piece of shit grandfather, JR Daeschner. And so are you. You did in fact write an entire "black face is okay because i dated a black girl" passage. You should be ashamed.

I cannot use strong enough language to show how much I hated this book and this author.

This book is literally going in the fucking trash to prevent others from being forced to read this drivel.

[G. Lawrence · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good fun, quite amusing. An account of some of the stranger traditions of the UK, some events I found more engaging than others, and one, quite frankly a bit appalling

[Jo Joy Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dates are in my calendar 🗓. Cheese-rolling done! What's next, that isn't CANCELLED because of Covid OR abolished because of regulation OR banned as too controversial. I like a bit of history, story and character to an event. PLEASE CAN WE STOP SANITISING EVERYTHING... A little dirt, grit and wit makes for entertainment. Or, we can just start handing out the overalls and become ROBOTS 🤖

[Andrya · Rating 3 out of 5]

On my shelf for nearly 2 decades there are moments when Daeschner’s choice of phrase is eye-wateringly sexist. But he paints a grand picture of some of the greatest quirks in our celebrations and endeavours to retain tradition.
I enjoyed his immersion into the activities he writes about.

Wincing aside, a belting read. Next stop internet to see how many events are still going in 2024…

[Katrin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining, but I could have done with less detail and more variety. One has to take into account the amount of time it must have taken to research and actually take part and go to places multiple times.

[Jessica · Rating 1 out of 5]

This would make a great TV show (which I think it actually was/is??) but reading about the events just didn't keep my attention.

[Brian Richards · Rating 4 out of 5]

Those crazy Brits!

[Katrin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pretty entertaining book and it reminded me why I love the Brits for their craziness ^^ Daeschner explains customs and traditions in depth, so he must have cut down the selection to the 10 favourites he chose (truly understandable, since he travelled to all the mentioned places, took part in everything and spoke to the locals etc. you can hardly do this with 30 customs a year or so ^^) His style is surprising, though. He explains the history, showing that he researched well, but then also gives word-for-word accounts from the locals, narrowing the view again. This was an easy read, although sometimes a bit dragging along. One tradition is explained and discussed in about 30-40 pages, and that is a lot. I personally would have loved a map with all the places he's been to as well as a calender with the events. Still I would recommend this to everyone interested in traditions and the Brits, who hold on to the traditions, if only (as it seems) for a reason to get absolutely wasted ^^

[Rebecca · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was a total sprint, not a marathon. Every chapter just ran ran ran and I couldn't relax until I got to the end, which I hate. Half the chapters would start at one end and end up totally somewhere else and then start again.

This book was about strange customs that are held in small towns around the UK. A history lesson was in each section as well as a recap of one year and then the same the following year when the author returned. Kind of interesting and even though I love England and all the culture, maybe there was too much or it was too pushed on the writing, even though the author was American. That may have been a problem. Or that I just didn't care about the stuff he wrote about, which I am finding more common and frustrating in travel writing. Maybe I just need to travel some more. This has been a pretty dead year for me.

Grade: N/A

[Cheryl · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you saw the TV programme about the two British guys (Rory & someone ! ) going around the British Isles taking part in silly traditional sports, you'll get a touch of déjà vu reading this book. And the parts where the author actually gets involved and takes part are fascinating and enjoyable. But unfortunately, especially towards the end, there are too many times when he seems to stand back, set himself apart and look down with a really patronising and condescending attitude that ended up really annoying me. It's a shame, I was expecting better !

[Rozanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I saw this on the shelf at the libe and picked it up as a stop-gap. I read a couple of chapters and found them moderately entertaining (the phenomenon of the Burry Man and the Cheese chasing contest), but I didn't seem much else to interest me. The author's a decent writer, but he's def. no Bill Bryson.

[David Morley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed this book though it seemed a little too intent on poking fun at those crazy Brits and their funny ways. It does have a chapter on my home town of Lewes and its bonfire night tradition of burning the Pope. Well, doesn't everyone do that?

[Kirsten · Rating 3 out of 5]

entertaining...

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very entertaining.

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

If there was a 3.5, I'd give it to this one. Amusing and interting stories about "strange" British customs he not only researched, but participated in.