Now Then: A Biography of Yorkshire

by Rick Broadbent

'An enlightening, enjoyable and frequently very funny journey into what makes Yorkshire stand out from the crowd ... a fascinating insight into our wonderful region and the people that make it what it is.'
The Yorkshire Post
Written from the perspective of an exiled Yorkshireman this bestselling, award-winning author returns to his native county to discover and reveal its soul.

We all know the tropes - Geoffrey Boycott incarnate, ferret-leggers and folk singers gambolling about Ilkley Moor without appropriate headgear - but why is Yorkshire God's Own County?

Exiled Yorkshireman Rick Broadbent sets out to find out whether Yorkshireness is something that can be summed up and whether it even matters in a shrinking world. Along the way he meets rock stars, ramblers and rhubarb growers as he searches for answers and a decent cup of tea.
Now Then is a biographical mosaic of a place that has been victimised and stereotyped since the days of William the Conqueror. Incorporating social history, memoir and author interviews, Now Then is not a hagiography. Broadbent visits the scenes of industrial neglect and forgotten tragedy, as well as examining the truth about well-known Yorkshire figures and institutions. Featuring Kes, the Sheffield Outrages and the most controversial poem ever written, as well as a heroic dog, a lost albatross and a stuffed crocodile, Now Then is an affectionate but unsparing look at a county, its inhabitants and their flinty vowels.

This is a funny, wise and searching account of a place that claims to have given the world its first football club and England its last witch-burning. It does include cobbles, trumpets and stiff-necked, wilful obstinacy, but it is also about ordinary Yorkshire and its extraordinary lives.

Genres: History, Travel, Nonfiction, Society, British Literature

449 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 5, 2023

About the author

Rick Broadbent is a sports writer for the Times, for whom he covers MotoGP, among other things. He has previously witten books on football, boxing and athletics as well as, most recently, collaborating with motorcycle legend Ron Haslam on his autobiography Rocket Men, published by Bantam Press in July 2008.

Reviews

[Fred Langridge · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very readable and wide-ranging look at Yorkshire, arranged (very broadly, in places) by categories of people, so there's a "writers" chapter and so on. I learnt stuff and kept wanting to read a bit more than I had time for.

[Gail · Rating 3 out of 5]

By’eck, an interesting jaunt through all things Yorkshire from landscape and history to what it is to be a proud Yorkshire-ite.

[Ipswichblade · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable book about Yorkshire and Yorkshire people

[Andrew Atkinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This lovely book was a joy to read. I devoured it rapidly, so had to go back and read whole chunks of it a second time. It deals with the history and geography - a biography, if you will - of the county of Yorkshire. There are chapters on famous folk, sport, industry, the arts, the rural/urban divide etc. etc. There is good and bad to be revealed, as a true biography should. Moreover, you can learn a lot from this book; for example (no spoilers) about the death of pilot Amy Johnson or the derivation of the expression “on tenterhooks”. The whole thing is delivered with a typically wry and understated sense of humour - one I find typical of the folk thereabouts. ‘Appen so.

[Huw Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rick Broadbent is a professional Yorkshireman, displaced to the soft south. He has written this book intending to demistify the things which make a Yorkshire person what they are. To do this he investigated the history and geography of the county, and look for common themes. Were I from Yorkshire I would give this book five stars without hesitation, but I am not. Is this a reflection of my inherent bias, being cursed not to have been born in God's own county? No, not really, because I don't think he quite acheived what he set out to do. I found the structure of the book and its focusses quite hard to assimilate and would occasionally wonder where he was taking a particular strand of thought. I would have preferred to have more depth of history. It is well written and the characters who are used as archetypes of "Yorkshireness" are fascinating. However, I could find characters with similar characterstics anywhere in the country. Perhaps it's just something in the water.

[Bill Lawrence · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well I'm from Yorkshire, me, so anything about the county is an enticing read. And enjoyable this is. Arranged in sections covering different aspects from history to a wide range of cultural and geographic attributes. There are many expected topics, but also a few surprises. Any such enterprise is open to criticism of why not write about this subject or that, as Broadbent does acknowledge. Over 400 pages and he just scrapes the surface. It could be an overwhelming positive volume, but he covers the darker side of the county from poverty, racial divides and alarming number of serial killers. However, as a Yorkshireman it plays to my chauvinism and well worth the read, learning new things along the way. I did feel that it needed a bit of editing, both tidying up some text and cutting back a bit. Recommended for anyone who loves the county.

[Liorah Amaris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now Then: A Biography of Yorkshire is equal parts insightful, entertaining, and laugh-out-loud funny. Rick Broadbent brilliantly captures the spirit of Yorkshire not in a glossy, idealized way, but in a real, heartfelt, and deeply engaging voice that makes you feel part of the journey. From history to humor, rock stars to rhubarb growers, this book has it all. It’s the kind of read that leaves you both wiser and happier by the last page. A true delight for anyone who loves stories that celebrate place and people.

[Sal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book and I will read it again done day. I found myself chuckling at lots of the book. I am a very proud Yorkshirewoman and so happy to have been born in God's Own Country - I was one of those children whose mother stayed long enough in Yorkshire for me to be born there so I could play cricket for Yorkshire: think Mum may have been a bit disappointed when I turned out to be a third daughter!

[Keith Barthelot · Rating 4 out of 5]

I moved to York 4 years ago and thoroughly enjoyed the perspective offered in this book about the various places, people and history of Yorkshire. I learnt quite a bit. I've given it 4 stars only because it feels a bit incoherent at times as the author jumps a round a bit from one topic to another and you loose your train of thought and wonder how you ended up where you did :d this could be more a me issue than an author issue. lol

[Matt Hill · Rating 1 out of 5]

unstructured ramblings

While definitely fact dense it’s in poorly structured flitting between periods. Attempts at jokes only make it more incoherent. “ that little slice of misplaced Surrey, York” what’s York got to do with Surrey? Don’t know. Never will. Unfortunately I found this book unreadable.

[Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting read

Well written book exploring the range of Yorkshire folk and places. Some very interesting bits of information but also a willingness to include the harsher aspects of lives - both past and present. As a Yorkshire man by trade and living outside of the county, I learned a great deal and enjoyed the read. Thank you.

[Linda Cole · Rating 4 out of 5]

A county I know and love beautifully described

I'm a Yorkshire lass and living down South and reading about old haunts,literary genius, musical talent and sports personality made me proud of that identity. Homesick for grey skies, gritstone and satanic mills turned set galleries? This is the book for you (sorry, thee).

[j nunn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable read ..brought back a lot of memories for me . I also found out a lot of history of areas I knew which was great . The writing for me was like a pleasant journey with friends, very easy, entertaining and real .

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this on audiobook.

As a frequent visitor to Yorkshire, the county holds a special place in my heart. So it was interesting to learn the history of the towns and villages that I've visited.

A very entertaining read.

[Stephen Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Visit Yorkshire via this book

I'm going there one day and was informative and honest about the North of England ..Whitby here I come ..

[Simon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A compendium of things Yorkshire, arranged by types of people and an interesting read.

There were things that I knew and things that I didn't and some particular stuff that was a surprise. As someone who holiday'd in Yorkshire for many years, on and off, the county means a lot to me, especially as one of my parents was born here.

A good read. 4-stars for me and I'd recommend this book to any friends and fellow readers.