Come Back with the Wind

by Les Dawson

A classic story of the endless battle between the North and the South of England, Come Back With the Wind tells a humorous tale of how the threat of an embargo on whiskey sales to the South leads to civil war and a possible permanent split between the two proud regions. The late Les Dawson – author, beloved television comedian and game show host – has created a timeless account of love, honour and alcohol that sits perfectly in the great chronicles of the struggles of the North–South divide. Battle lines will be drawn, friendships and family ties tested and kegs tapped as the path to war approaches, albeit with a hiccough or two.

Genres: Humor, Fiction

160 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 1990

About the author

Les Dawson (2 February 1931 – 10 June 1993) was a popular English comedian, remembered for his deadpan style, curmudgeonly persona and jokes about his mother-in-law and wife.

Raised in the Collyhurst district of Manchester, Dawson began his entertainment career as a pianist in a Parisian brothel (according to his entertaining but factually unreliable autobiography). As a club pianist ("I finally heard some applause from a bald man and said 'thank you for clapping me' and he said 'I'm not clapping - I'm slapping me head to keep awake'"), he was to find that he got laughs by playing wrong notes and complaining to the audience. He made his television debut on the talent show Opportunity Knocks in 1967 and became a prominent comic on British television for the rest of his life.

Dawson wrote many novels but was always regarded solely as an entertainer in the public imagination, and this saddened him. He told his second wife, Tracey, "Always remind them - I was a writer too".

Having broken his jaw in a boxing match, Dawson was able to pull grotesque faces by pulling his jaw over his upper lip. This incident is described in the first volume of Dawson's autobiography A Clown Too Many.

Reviews

[Bettie · Rating 3 out of 5]

4 Extra Debut. The much-loved comedian reads from his own bodice ripping novel.

Listen here

Musical backdrop

Not sure if Dawson's smut stands the test of time and also wonder if it can cross borders.

The story was ah-but a hedge to couch some one-liners in, soft prods and bad piano playing too, which suited me fine but wouldn't generally recommend it.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

A stirring tale of daring do and sacrifice of our gallant countrymen fighting for their way of life. Thrill to their efforts and cunning as this mighty tale unfolds with battles won and lost. A fine story, but Les fails to mention The Vast Parched Pea Mines and Vimto Wells of our beloved Lancashire.

[Rob Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Whiskey Rebellion: Les Dawson’s Pitch-Perfect Satire of the English Psyche

Les Dawson’s novel is a triumph of literary ventriloquism, successfully translating the unique, performance-based comedic persona of a British cultural institution onto the page. Dawson was a "renaissance man" of entertainment, known for his world-weary, lugubrious stage presence and a face he claimed looked like "a dropped spongecake". The book brilliantly captures this essence, and for anyone familiar with his work, every sentence oozes his distinctive, gravelly delivery. The plot is a high-concept parody where a civil war erupts between the North and South of England over a threatened embargo on whiskey sales, a "timeless account of love, honour and alcohol". This farcical premise masterfully satirizes the deeply entrenched North-South divide, inviting all of Britain to laugh at its own cherished stereotypes. As a work of comedic fiction, it is nearly perfect, a masterclass in tone by a "true word smith". The 4-star rating is a concession to its one limitation: the book’s full impact is intrinsically linked to a prior knowledge of Les Dawson. For younger or international audiences unfamiliar with his specific brand of genius, some of the nuance may be lost, holding it back from universal acclaim.

[Mark Rawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Comedy writing at it's best

A much missed comic genius. Observational comedy by a true word smith in a novel!

Happy to observe and mock deep-seated opions of both T'North and The South.

Read and laugh@