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Mr Wilman’s Motoring Adventure: Top Gear, Grand Tour and Twenty Years of Magic and Mayhem
Lift the bonnet on 20 years of magic and mayhem on Top Gear and The Grand Tour - from the mysterious man behind the camera . . .
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Top Gear turned gloomy Sunday nights into celebratory Friday nights.
It made household names of presenters Clarkson, Hammond and May, their unique chemistry and buddy movie antics proving irresistible to a vast global audience. With these three at the helm, Top Gear earned a place in the Guinness Book of Records as the most popular factual TV show on the planet.
Then, a short while later, it was all gone.
How did a thoroughly sensible little consumer advice programme on cars turn into a global phenomenon in the first place, though? How did it all go wrong? And how did they rise from the ashes as The Grand Tour, and go on to scale even greater heights?
One man has all the answers.
There from the beginning, Top Gear and The Grand Tour co-creator, and Jeremy’s oldest friend, Andy Wilman, opens the bonnet on over twenty years of motoring mayhem. In Mr Wilman’s Motoring Adventure, the mysterious man in the shadows tells the inside story of your favourite TV shows for the first time.
Irreverent, joyful and as laugh-out-loud funny as the shows themselves, it’s the best book about Top Gear and The Grand Tour . . . in the world.
--
Top Gear turned gloomy Sunday nights into celebratory Friday nights.
It made household names of presenters Clarkson, Hammond and May, their unique chemistry and buddy movie antics proving irresistible to a vast global audience. With these three at the helm, Top Gear earned a place in the Guinness Book of Records as the most popular factual TV show on the planet.
Then, a short while later, it was all gone.
How did a thoroughly sensible little consumer advice programme on cars turn into a global phenomenon in the first place, though? How did it all go wrong? And how did they rise from the ashes as The Grand Tour, and go on to scale even greater heights?
One man has all the answers.
There from the beginning, Top Gear and The Grand Tour co-creator, and Jeremy’s oldest friend, Andy Wilman, opens the bonnet on over twenty years of motoring mayhem. In Mr Wilman’s Motoring Adventure, the mysterious man in the shadows tells the inside story of your favourite TV shows for the first time.
Irreverent, joyful and as laugh-out-loud funny as the shows themselves, it’s the best book about Top Gear and The Grand Tour . . . in the world.
395 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 6, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 205 reviews
November 10, 2025
It’s difficult to articulate how much Top Gear meant to me growing up. Any peak behind the curtain would be a must-read for me.
However, Andy Wilman gives so much more than just a peak. The book sparkles with humour that had me in tears, intensity which meant I couldn’t put it down, and most importantly - a deeply human look at some of the more fraught moments without a hint of deflection.
I didn’t intend to read it in one sitting, but I couldn’t help myself.
However, Andy Wilman gives so much more than just a peak. The book sparkles with humour that had me in tears, intensity which meant I couldn’t put it down, and most importantly - a deeply human look at some of the more fraught moments without a hint of deflection.
I didn’t intend to read it in one sitting, but I couldn’t help myself.
November 8, 2025
As someone who has watched Top Gear and The Grand Tour for years, this book is everything I wanted! These shows have gotten me through some dark times, and reading behind the scenes has just made me love them even more.
January 2, 2026
Outstanding is the only way to describe this book by Top Gear and The Grand Tour co-creator, Andy Wilman—that’s Mr Wilman to you.
Top Gear was the reason Sunday nights existed, and despite the BBC slaughtering their golden goose, they did us a favour when The Grand Tour was unleashed. Wilman has been there since the beginning right through to the last moment. And what a moment it was. ‘One for the Road’ brought the trio full circle and when they unplugged their microphones on Kubu Island in Botswana and drove off in different directions into the sunset, I doubt there was anyone who didn’t cry.
In this book, he doesn’t give us any unknown titbits. He doesn’t spill the beans as it’s not a tell-all book but it’s his own take on how they created the episodes and the storylines and the magic. And boy, was it magic.
Top Gear was the reason Sunday nights existed, and despite the BBC slaughtering their golden goose, they did us a favour when The Grand Tour was unleashed. Wilman has been there since the beginning right through to the last moment. And what a moment it was. ‘One for the Road’ brought the trio full circle and when they unplugged their microphones on Kubu Island in Botswana and drove off in different directions into the sunset, I doubt there was anyone who didn’t cry.
In this book, he doesn’t give us any unknown titbits. He doesn’t spill the beans as it’s not a tell-all book but it’s his own take on how they created the episodes and the storylines and the magic. And boy, was it magic.
December 14, 2025
The book promises a storyteller’s perspective but never really delivers one. Despite frequent reminders that storytelling is the author’s greatest strength, it lacks any narrative.
The repeated fallback to “as you would’ve seen in the show” is especially frustrating. Instead of adding depth or offering behind-the-scenes insight, the book simply gestures back to the programme, providing little that feels new or worthwhile. Fans gain nothing extra, and newcomers are left without proper context.
Overall, the book is thin, repetitive, and strangely hollow. There’s little in the way of substance or reflection, and it never commits to being a memoir, an exposé, or even a meaningful peek behind the curtain.
The repeated fallback to “as you would’ve seen in the show” is especially frustrating. Instead of adding depth or offering behind-the-scenes insight, the book simply gestures back to the programme, providing little that feels new or worthwhile. Fans gain nothing extra, and newcomers are left without proper context.
Overall, the book is thin, repetitive, and strangely hollow. There’s little in the way of substance or reflection, and it never commits to being a memoir, an exposé, or even a meaningful peek behind the curtain.
November 30, 2025
"… we really missed the simple days, and we knew there was no way we could ever get them back." (pg. 382)
While it lacks the comedic flair and writing skill of And on That Bombshell, the memoir of Top Gear scriptwriter Richard Porter, Mr Wilman's Motoring Adventure is a very welcome opportunity to revisit the unique magic of the Top Gear phenomenon. Author Andy Wilman was the executive producer from beginning to end and was a regular collaborator with Jeremy Clarkson going back to their schooldays (he still is, on the hit show Clarkson's Farm). After a brief exploration of his own childhood, which is useful context for explaining his motivations later on, Wilman focuses almost exclusively on the Top Gear years. He knows what readers are here for.
In one sense, the memoir is limited; there's little here that would be revelatory or even unexpected to an avid Top Gear fan, and Wilman is too genial and grateful for his good fortune to ever risk much contention or controversy. Even topics that should generate heat, like Hammond's crash(es), controversial Top Gear moments, Ben Collins' unmasking as The Stig, or the BBC's eventually successful attempts to wilfully slaughter their golden goose, are addressed in a diplomatic way. Wilman, unfortunately, is not a raconteur (though the book is capable enough and pleasant to read) and special moments such as relief over Hammond's survival(s) or witnessing spectacular vistas on foreign road trips, are delivered with a rather safe, platitudinous prose. The dough's there, but there's no heat to make it rise.
But this doesn't matter, because any disappointment that there's no particular inside-scoop or unique perspective from Wilman, despite his role as George Martin to the on-screen trio's Beatles, is immediately mitigated by this excuse we're presented with as fans to revisit those remarkable years. We can go back and revisit old DVDs, of course, and watch our favourite moments, but reading a retrospective like this book brings back to you just how much of an unlikely phenomenon it all was.
For those of us who grew up with it – I started watching Top Gear's first season as it aired in 2002, when I was 12 years old, and watched the final episode of The Grand Tour on its release date last year – the Top Gear experience was a truly special one. As Wilman rightly intuits, the organic development of the show helped us feel like the show belonged to us in some ways (pg. 235) and every Sunday evening that it was on TV generated a sort of community, a momentum that it was fun to be a passive partner in.
It was a genuine lightning-in-a-bottle TV show, and Wilman is right in likening it to a rock band (pg. 397). As much as people watching it today can admire the quality, they will never know how good it felt to see that lightning-in-a-bottle at every step since the first thunderclouds formed, and soak in every raindrop: every segment, every car, every quip and every controversy. Theirs was the best job in the world: being paid to fulfil every teenage boy's dream of going on adventures in exotic places, in fast cars, doing daft stunts and – most importantly of all – doing it with your mates. As Wilman again rightly says, "nobody would ever see the like of us again" (pg. 396).
One of the reasons I read a lot of books is in the hope of coming across and experiencing some genuinely thrilling and meaningful artistic and creative expressions – and thereby some sense of being happy at just being alive. I can pick up Andy Wilman's book for a similar reason; that of reliving, somewhat nostalgically, that same happy sensation of being alive as it was delivered reliably to me, between the ages of 12 and 25, at 8pm on Sunday evenings on BBC Two.
While it lacks the comedic flair and writing skill of And on That Bombshell, the memoir of Top Gear scriptwriter Richard Porter, Mr Wilman's Motoring Adventure is a very welcome opportunity to revisit the unique magic of the Top Gear phenomenon. Author Andy Wilman was the executive producer from beginning to end and was a regular collaborator with Jeremy Clarkson going back to their schooldays (he still is, on the hit show Clarkson's Farm). After a brief exploration of his own childhood, which is useful context for explaining his motivations later on, Wilman focuses almost exclusively on the Top Gear years. He knows what readers are here for.
In one sense, the memoir is limited; there's little here that would be revelatory or even unexpected to an avid Top Gear fan, and Wilman is too genial and grateful for his good fortune to ever risk much contention or controversy. Even topics that should generate heat, like Hammond's crash(es), controversial Top Gear moments, Ben Collins' unmasking as The Stig, or the BBC's eventually successful attempts to wilfully slaughter their golden goose, are addressed in a diplomatic way. Wilman, unfortunately, is not a raconteur (though the book is capable enough and pleasant to read) and special moments such as relief over Hammond's survival(s) or witnessing spectacular vistas on foreign road trips, are delivered with a rather safe, platitudinous prose. The dough's there, but there's no heat to make it rise.
But this doesn't matter, because any disappointment that there's no particular inside-scoop or unique perspective from Wilman, despite his role as George Martin to the on-screen trio's Beatles, is immediately mitigated by this excuse we're presented with as fans to revisit those remarkable years. We can go back and revisit old DVDs, of course, and watch our favourite moments, but reading a retrospective like this book brings back to you just how much of an unlikely phenomenon it all was.
For those of us who grew up with it – I started watching Top Gear's first season as it aired in 2002, when I was 12 years old, and watched the final episode of The Grand Tour on its release date last year – the Top Gear experience was a truly special one. As Wilman rightly intuits, the organic development of the show helped us feel like the show belonged to us in some ways (pg. 235) and every Sunday evening that it was on TV generated a sort of community, a momentum that it was fun to be a passive partner in.
It was a genuine lightning-in-a-bottle TV show, and Wilman is right in likening it to a rock band (pg. 397). As much as people watching it today can admire the quality, they will never know how good it felt to see that lightning-in-a-bottle at every step since the first thunderclouds formed, and soak in every raindrop: every segment, every car, every quip and every controversy. Theirs was the best job in the world: being paid to fulfil every teenage boy's dream of going on adventures in exotic places, in fast cars, doing daft stunts and – most importantly of all – doing it with your mates. As Wilman again rightly says, "nobody would ever see the like of us again" (pg. 396).
One of the reasons I read a lot of books is in the hope of coming across and experiencing some genuinely thrilling and meaningful artistic and creative expressions – and thereby some sense of being happy at just being alive. I can pick up Andy Wilman's book for a similar reason; that of reliving, somewhat nostalgically, that same happy sensation of being alive as it was delivered reliably to me, between the ages of 12 and 25, at 8pm on Sunday evenings on BBC Two.
February 18, 2026
A cool look back at both Top Gear and The Grand Tour, straight from the horse's mouth. The fact that this is written by Andy Wilman and not one of the big three is perfect, since for us viewers this gives a broader overview while still coming from a direct source. Wilman is also quite funny and gives some insights that are fun to read for anybody that ever enjoyed either of the shows.
March 21, 2026
Absolute 100% gold. This is one of the few books I’ve read that deserves an extra star.
Andy Wilman’s recollection of his years producing Top Gear and the Grand Tour was full of nostalgic moments and it felt like I had a bit of dust in my eyes towards the end.
It was great to hear the backstory of how Andy and Jeremy met, and some of their antics behind the scenes.
Andy Wilman’s recollection of his years producing Top Gear and the Grand Tour was full of nostalgic moments and it felt like I had a bit of dust in my eyes towards the end.
It was great to hear the backstory of how Andy and Jeremy met, and some of their antics behind the scenes.
January 8, 2026
Goated TV show, great book.
January 20, 2026
An entertaining read, nicely paced.
Ten out of ten !
Ten out of ten !
January 4, 2026
Some say... this is the perfect nostalgia bomb for any TG/GT fan.
January 13, 2026
As Top Gear was a tv show that I adored growing up I was expecting big things from this behind the scenes perspective from its infamous producer. I was not disappointed. Lots of interesting tidbits and stories and I was pleasantly surprised to find out how “real” a lot of the films were. Easy reading, perfect for a holiday on the beach. Definitely found myself chuckling along with some sections!
January 25, 2026
I have nothing but praise to sing about this book. What an absolutely fantastic and fascinating look into the most successful motoring shows in history. The detail Mr Willman goes into about the philosophy of top gear and the dynamic that made it such a once in a century show was incredible. I highly highly highly recommend this book
November 15, 2025
A 5 IF you are a fan. Ut then again I can’t imagine anyone not a fan of the shows picking this up.
January 4, 2026
It’s a history of Top Gear & The Grand Tour by Mr. Wilman, it’s everything I wanted it to be.
I can still remember my dad putting an episode of Top Gear on and our family all piled onto the couch in front of the tv to watch. It’s what pushed my brother and I into karting/racing and wanting to drive fast cars at dangerous speeds (in as safe a manner as possible, of course); while also igniting a love of motorsport that continues to this day (just ask my wife, specifically when Le Mans is on and it’s 1 in the morning).
Top Gear was the catalyst for all of this and has been a part of my life through both good and bad, from nights where it was put on because I just needed the joy and comfort it brought, to begging to stay up past our bedtime to watch the next episode.
This book encapsulates all those feelings and its perfect.
I can still remember my dad putting an episode of Top Gear on and our family all piled onto the couch in front of the tv to watch. It’s what pushed my brother and I into karting/racing and wanting to drive fast cars at dangerous speeds (in as safe a manner as possible, of course); while also igniting a love of motorsport that continues to this day (just ask my wife, specifically when Le Mans is on and it’s 1 in the morning).
Top Gear was the catalyst for all of this and has been a part of my life through both good and bad, from nights where it was put on because I just needed the joy and comfort it brought, to begging to stay up past our bedtime to watch the next episode.
This book encapsulates all those feelings and its perfect.
February 3, 2026
Growing up, Top Gear was proper Sunday night TV in our house. Full of roast dinner, everyone slumped on the sofa by 8pm, mum included, despite it being marketed as a “blokes’ show”. Those evenings are baked into my childhood, and they’re where my love of cars really started.
This book feels like a nostalgic love letter to that era. Whether you loved or loathed the presenters, Clarkson, Hammond and May were the perfect trio, and Andy Wilman was right there shaping the magic. His writing is thoughtful, and a genuine insight into what was happening behind the scenes without just repeating the episodes we all remember. It’s more about the atmosphere, the chaos, and the moments off camera which makes it all the more enjoyable.
It’s an emotional read if you’re a fan, but in the best possible way. Warm, nostalgic, and in the same vein, very self deprecating. The plane analogy throughout is brilliant.
Much like the final moments of The Grand Tour, closing this book felt bittersweet. A gentle reminder that those golden days are over, and all we have now are the memories. And honestly? That’s enough.
Bravo, Andy.
This book feels like a nostalgic love letter to that era. Whether you loved or loathed the presenters, Clarkson, Hammond and May were the perfect trio, and Andy Wilman was right there shaping the magic. His writing is thoughtful, and a genuine insight into what was happening behind the scenes without just repeating the episodes we all remember. It’s more about the atmosphere, the chaos, and the moments off camera which makes it all the more enjoyable.
It’s an emotional read if you’re a fan, but in the best possible way. Warm, nostalgic, and in the same vein, very self deprecating. The plane analogy throughout is brilliant.
Much like the final moments of The Grand Tour, closing this book felt bittersweet. A gentle reminder that those golden days are over, and all we have now are the memories. And honestly? That’s enough.
Bravo, Andy.
April 8, 2026
If you like Top Gear, you’ll like this one.
I also like to find books that I think guy’s guys will like. Guys’ guys? Guys guy’s?
I like to find books that I think will be enjoyed by the traditionally masculine set, and this is definitely one. You know, your dad or your uncle or your husband or your friend who don’t read much but every couple years a book really jumps up and grabs them.
This is firmly one of those books.
I pitched a column over and over when I worked at Litreactor where I’d do top-gear-style tests on some pens, fancy and cheap alike. It never got off the ground, probably because I couldn’t think of many truly interesting tests, or tests that would be interesting to read about. But someday. Someday. That one is destined to move off the back burner and onto, well, the front burner, which is the business burner.
I also like to find books that I think guy’s guys will like. Guys’ guys? Guys guy’s?
I like to find books that I think will be enjoyed by the traditionally masculine set, and this is definitely one. You know, your dad or your uncle or your husband or your friend who don’t read much but every couple years a book really jumps up and grabs them.
This is firmly one of those books.
I pitched a column over and over when I worked at Litreactor where I’d do top-gear-style tests on some pens, fancy and cheap alike. It never got off the ground, probably because I couldn’t think of many truly interesting tests, or tests that would be interesting to read about. But someday. Someday. That one is destined to move off the back burner and onto, well, the front burner, which is the business burner.
November 11, 2025
Andy Wilman’s Motoring Adventure is an absolute gem. It is a beautifully told, heartfelt, and hilarious behind-the-scenes journey through the epic world of Top Gear. It made me laugh out loud and cry in equal measure. Every page radiates Andy’s unmistakable voice: wickedly funny, brilliantly self-deprecating, and full of that rare humility of someone who has no idea just how much brilliance he’s brought into the world. His gratitude to the fans and the people who shared the journey is woven through every line. His humanity and kindness shine through every story. It’s an honest, tender, and deeply human love letter to one of the most extraordinary chapters in television history.
December 31, 2025
Mr. Wilman’s Motoring Adventure is a nostalgic and genuinely funny memoir. Although I came to Top Gear fairly late, that didn’t stop me from enjoying this immensely.
I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Andy Wilman himself, and his delivery perfectly captures the humour, chaos, and irreverent spirit that defined the show. You already know the when and the what—this book focuses on the why and the how. It’s fascinating to hear how Top Gear became such a cultural phenomenon, often succeeding in spite of its own setbacks and near-misses.
The narrative jumps around at times, but it’s an easy, entertaining listen that reliably raises a smile—and more often than not, a laugh.
I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Andy Wilman himself, and his delivery perfectly captures the humour, chaos, and irreverent spirit that defined the show. You already know the when and the what—this book focuses on the why and the how. It’s fascinating to hear how Top Gear became such a cultural phenomenon, often succeeding in spite of its own setbacks and near-misses.
The narrative jumps around at times, but it’s an easy, entertaining listen that reliably raises a smile—and more often than not, a laugh.
April 14, 2026
3.75 good enough to pass the time and entertained while studying
You gotta lower your expectations for a sort of celebrity memoir. I wouldn’t really classify this as a memoir of a particular celebrity’s life but more of Top Gear the show and the trio. So, to me since I didn’t know much about it, like the background of their coming up and their story it gave me a great look behind the curtain so I appreciated it for that. Certainly some similes were questionable at best I did appreciate the humour.
You gotta lower your expectations for a sort of celebrity memoir. I wouldn’t really classify this as a memoir of a particular celebrity’s life but more of Top Gear the show and the trio. So, to me since I didn’t know much about it, like the background of their coming up and their story it gave me a great look behind the curtain so I appreciated it for that. Certainly some similes were questionable at best I did appreciate the humour.
November 26, 2025
Una de mis lecturas favoritas del año. El libro es un compendio de anécdotas y momentos “entre bambalinas” que encantará a cualquier fan del mítico trío. El humor es fantástico y muy en la línea de lo que transmitían en TV. Lo mejor es poder ver la química y, sobre todo, la espontaneidad real que siempre los ha caracterizado.
El libro está estructurado de forma cronológica y muy clara, lo que hace que la lectura fluya casi como si estuvieras viendo los episodios en tu cabeza. Página tras página, descubrí un montón de detalles nuevos sobre cómo muchas de las situaciones icónicas surgieron realmente de manera improvisada. Eso sí, es un libro pensado para fans.
En resumen: divertido, cercano y lleno de sorpresas que amplían y celebran lo que ya queríamos del trío. Una lectura imprescindible.
El libro está estructurado de forma cronológica y muy clara, lo que hace que la lectura fluya casi como si estuvieras viendo los episodios en tu cabeza. Página tras página, descubrí un montón de detalles nuevos sobre cómo muchas de las situaciones icónicas surgieron realmente de manera improvisada. Eso sí, es un libro pensado para fans.
En resumen: divertido, cercano y lleno de sorpresas que amplían y celebran lo que ya queríamos del trío. Una lectura imprescindible.
December 21, 2025
For those of us who grew up with the infamous 2002 reformat of ‘Top Gear’ as the Sunday night backing track to our childhoods, this book is an utter joy to read, a very nostalgic look back at one of television’s most iconic and creative programs from the man who was there from the beginning. Will expand on this when I have time.
January 4, 2026
An entertaining and nostalgic read, especially for fans of Top Gear and The Grand Tour. It was fun to get a glimpse behind the scenes, with a few genuinely funny moments along the way. Not laugh-out-loud throughout, but still an enjoyable backstage look at twenty years of motoring TV magic.
November 14, 2025
loved listening to behind the scenes info of episodes i loved growing up.
November 21, 2025
Nostalgic
January 11, 2026
One for the fans
April 12, 2026
Fantastic book
December 3, 2025
Worked my way through the last few pages with tears in my eyes. Fabulous memories. If you were ever a fan of this show, then you really should read this book.
April 17, 2026
I’m no better than your divorced dad, this was excellent
April 25, 2026
It may not be the most well-written book in the world. I may be rating this purely on its quality as a tome for Top Gear/Grand Tour lovers like me. It may be full of British humor (humour) and sentences which even I, as an appreciator of the dialect, struggle to untangle on rare occasion.
Still 5/5
Still 5/5
February 10, 2026
I thoroughly enjoyed the audio book, read by the author no less. It’s niche content if you never watched Top Gear on BBC, but if you did, it’s a fantastic inside look at the series. Well worth your time.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 205 reviews