The British Bloke, Decoded: From Banter to Man-Flu. Everything finally explained.

by Geoff Norcott

'I laughed a lot and now understand blokes a lot more than I ever wanted to' - Katherine Ryan

'Geoff is one of the funniest intelligent thinkers in comedy and this book reflects that perfectly' - Romesh Ranganathan

'Geoff's examination of blokeness is Geoff all over - funny and insightful, making serious points without committing the cardinal sin of taking itself too seriously. Top bloke.' - Adrian Chiles

'Highly informative. Geoff will make a proper bloke out of me yet.' - Hugo Rifkind

'A brilliant and hilarious book which defends blokes without denigrating women' - Konstantin Kisin

If you see a man drinking a pint in an airport pub alone, that's a bloke.
If you see a man driving to the tip on a Saturday morning with a smile on his face, that's a bloke.
And if you see a man heading back from the tip and on the way to the pub, that's a very happy bloke.

The British Bloke appears simple and straightforward. He loves football, cricket, beer, sheds, wearing socks and books about the SAS.

But beneath that simple exterior lies a mysterious and complex being.

In The British Bloke Decoded, writer, comedian and regular bloke, Geoff Norcott peels back the layers of blokedom, revealing the truth behind the sometimes inexplicable behaviour of Britain's husbands, dads and brothers.

Based on 46 years of field research and almost scientific insights, Geoff digs deep into subjects as wide the value of Banter, the surprising roots of Mansplaining, the near impossibility of getting blokes to send birthday cards, and whether there could be a medal system for Hoovering.

And ultimately, he concludes that whilst the toxic men have been grabbing all the publicity - perhaps now's the time to celebrate the simple British bloke in all his eccentric splendour.

Genres: Nonfiction, Humor, Audiobook, Comedy

274 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 14, 2023

Reviews

[Tobi ﾄﾋﾞ · Rating 2 out of 5]

You people can’t do Anything !!!!!!

[Steve Calder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bought this book on Pre-order.

I have seen Geoff live a few times and really enjoyed his first Book 'Where did I go right'.

Currently 1/2 way through The British bloke decoded. and it is a very funny read, as a British bloke myself I keep seeing things that I do and Say in his writing.
if you want a funny light hearted look at the male psyche, then this book is a very good place to start.

[Mr M · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely read from Geoff. Very funny, refreshingly honest but at the same time serving up a generous helping of thought provoking reflections.

[Rachel Gilbey · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has been an age since I last read any non fiction but when this book came to my attention I figured it might just be up my street.

And having read it, I'm starting to think that I'm possibly half a bloke myself, as I identified with all manner of things that were covered!

Split into fairly short chapters each one takes on a either a facet of life, or seeing various sports, people and films from the bloke point of view.

And there were many times that I was laughing out loud at this book. And there were so many behaviours that i recognised, and appreciated Geoff Norcott theories on what blokes do such things.

Please note that blokes are different to lads, geezers and other similar sounding terms for men, as they are all different subsets of the species.

This was immensely enjoyable, easy to dip and out of, and made me keen to see if I can find and stand up sets from the author.

It was fascinating, amusing and is certainly well worth a read if you have ever wanted to try to understand the mind of your own bloke a bit more.

Thank you to Random Things Tours for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

[Ian Cummings · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't sure what to expect with this book, but assumed that it would be some list of anecdotes to make me laugh - I'm guessing I was expecting a comedy set. In hindsight, that was a silly assumption and actually I'm glad it wasn't what I expected.

This is a fun exploration of what it means to be a "bloke" (as the title had already told me) - not a geezer or a chap, but a standard bloke. There's a great honesty about what makes up a bloke, some of it likeable, some of it less so, but this book isn't trying to criticise or praise - just explain.

There's a liberal sprinkling of statistics too, which I loved as all blokes will have a good handful of these to hand and use them liberally.

All in all, I enjoyed this more than I was expecting to and it gave me some comfort that some of the things that make me aren't either my fault or something to to be worried about, they're just there. The good ones should be enjoyed and the less good ones just have to be dealt with.

[Russell Palmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes you feel you are alone in your outlook of life. Or perhaps your somewhat bizarre thoughts, tastes and even preferences of motorway service stations. Then Geoff comes along and proves you’re normal. Not just normal but in fact part of the collective that is the “British Bloke” unapologetic in his choice of noteworthy blokes of interest and topics of gender differences. He’s a top man and there is humour and humility in this wonderful book. Just buy it, you will not put it down. You’ll even laugh out loud !

[Ed Sellier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clever and witty, eloquent and sensitive. On the surface the archetypal British bloke is a plain and simple persona. But behind the pint, football, curry and man-flu cliches are more complex facets: pride, ego, a need for camaraderie, belonging and hope. Norcott relishes exploring the idiosyncrasies and writes as if he’s just having a pleasant pub chat, referring to his own relationships with his parents, wife and children along the way.

A breezy 3.75/5 stocking filler.

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's funny and insightful, but at times also feels banal and predictable. Norcott correctly admits that he has his own particular interpretation of what a "bloke" is, and certainly there are aspects of Norcott's blokery that don't sit too well with me.

But it's still an entertaining read and a good bit of fun, as well as perhaps a good starter for some decent discussions about what it means to be a man in 21st century Britain.

[Nicolas Doye · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious book from Geoff on what it’s like to be an ordinary bloke.

I’m not 100% blokey but I recognise these traits in myself, my friends and relatives.

All men would enjoy this book, and the wives of blokes would too.

[Thia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book would make a great gift for a man in your life. Norcott has something to say but in a light-hearted way. He doesn’t take himself too seriously and is an easy listen if you get the audiobook. Cleverly written and very entertaining. Well done.

[Nick Rice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny and relevant!

[Mr P · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny, perfectly relatable, and ideally suited to reading in the smallest room.

Geoff's an expert in his field

[Mark Underwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Geoff, by being a normal bloke, is actually a unique voice in comedy. Love the book. Easy to read and thought provoking.
Go see him live .

[Darren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable toilet time read.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb take on the working of the British “bloke”.
My favourite chapters are on the British heroes of likeness, I won’t spoil who they are…
Loved it and read it twice already!

[Adam Murfet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really funny. Great book. Beautifully funny and celebrates man in all of his glory. Really had a good few laughs reading this.

[Simon Alphonso · Rating 5 out of 5]

true bloke-isms

I like Geoff Norcott’s humour and enjoyed his book “Turning to the Right” (paraphrasing it as I couldn’t quite remember the title)( sad as it was only mentioned a few chapters before the end!)

This was an interesting book written with blokes front and centre. As a man of a decade older than Geoff, many of his observations hit home, thoughtfully and comically delivered. Like Geoff, I fear for the new brand of men coming through and fail to see much blokeiness in them.

This is a good read for men but also, surprisingly, women too.

Maybe if your partner is a bloke, this may give you a greater understanding of him.

Right, I’m off ;)

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is quite good to dip in and out of every time you fancy a bit of light relief. I wouldn't say it was particularly ground breaking but Geoff Norcott is reliable fun.

[Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this insightful and enjoyable look in to being a bloke. I learnt and laughed lot and had it confirmed that I am indeed a bloke for which I'm forever proud!

[Patrice Gotting - #prdgreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Thoughts: this book is absolutely spot on, I may not be a British bloke but I have brothers coming out of my ears and I was raised my dad.. let me tell you this book had me in fits of laughter multiple times!

At certain points within the book I could picture my brother/dad/boyfriend doing everything he described.

I did find myself switching to the audio book part way through & that really enhanced the experience for me.

I was so immersed in what Geoff was saying & it felt so real, almost like he was sat on the sofa having a cuppa with me.

This book really did hit me right in the feels, I lost my dad in 2022 and the memories this book brought up had me smiling & made me a shed a tear more than once.

It really is one of those books that you’re not sure you’ll enjoy, you doubt if it’s for you, but before you know it you’re 100 pages deep and finding it impossible to put down.

It probably helps that ‘bloke’ is my favourite word (don’t ask, I can’t tell you why, because I don’t know myself 😂)

[David Lillico · Rating 4 out of 5]

Laugh out loud funny, if you are a married men with kids you will see yourself in a lot of this saying oh yes just like that

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A funny, entertaining look at the world of a bloke, by a bloke!

[Daisy Souster · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my style of book but a good couple of chapters.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

not that funny or revealing.