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What The Bouncer Saw: Life on the Front Line of the Security Business
'Undoubtedly one of the most refreshing and vital books about England I have read in years' AMOL RAJAN
'A voice too rarely heard that relates to the hard graft of the everyday' LAURA KUENSSBERG
George is a full-time campus security guard at a busy university. Working a shift pattern of four days on, four days off to protect the next generation of professionals, George earns just above the minimum wage to provide for his family.
From accidental kitchen fires to mental health crises, George and his team are always the first ones at the scene, working round the clock to keep students safe as they navigate university life. But what is it really like to safeguard the nation's young people?
In this engaging, unique firsthand account, George reveals the dark underbelly of security work and student life, taking us behind the curtain of what it really takes to keep the city safe, while also providing for your family.
Quietly confrontational and consistently funny, What The Bouncer Saw is George's unique, compelling insight into what life is like on the front line of security, and also a response to the financial catastrophe that many in the service industry continue to face.
'A voice too rarely heard that relates to the hard graft of the everyday' LAURA KUENSSBERG
George is a full-time campus security guard at a busy university. Working a shift pattern of four days on, four days off to protect the next generation of professionals, George earns just above the minimum wage to provide for his family.
From accidental kitchen fires to mental health crises, George and his team are always the first ones at the scene, working round the clock to keep students safe as they navigate university life. But what is it really like to safeguard the nation's young people?
In this engaging, unique firsthand account, George reveals the dark underbelly of security work and student life, taking us behind the curtain of what it really takes to keep the city safe, while also providing for your family.
Quietly confrontational and consistently funny, What The Bouncer Saw is George's unique, compelling insight into what life is like on the front line of security, and also a response to the financial catastrophe that many in the service industry continue to face.
309 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 7, 2026
About the author
George Bass
20 books1 followerThe British explorer George Bass discovered Bass Strait in 1798 and thus proved Tasmania, not part of the Australian continent.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_...
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 8, 2026
This was such a gritty, yet poignant, memoir of George’s, and a firsthand insight into the realities of working as a security guard at a UK university.
George invites us into the life he shares with his partner, Jess, and their daughter, Rose. George earns just above the minimum wage and while we learn about his job, we also find out how he copes when bills rise and unexpected costs occur.
It’s hard to imagine setting an alarm clock for 2.30am, but that’s what George does on the four days he goes to work. He works shifts, so he then has four rest days.
This book really opened my eyes as to what a job like his entails. He and his fellow guards have to be prepared for just about anything. I loved all the anecdotes of his time at work, some of which were amusing but some do highlight the confrontations and dangers they face on a daily basis.
The chapters about George’s job and current home life alternate with chapters about his earlier life. These are snapshots of his childhood memories from the age of four, and take us on a journey through his time at school, his teenage years and his search for a job. George is very frank and open, and relates the good along with the bad.
George’s determination to provide for his family and his willingness to work hard really shine through in this book. I also enjoyed hearing about his creative side and the freelance writing he undertakes to earn a bit more money. It’s great to see that his writing exploits have finally resulted in this book being written.
I have a lot of admiration for the way George has achieved his top three goals and works hard, in tough circumstances, to give his family a good life, and I wish him every success in the future.
With many thanks to the publishers for sending me a proof copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
George invites us into the life he shares with his partner, Jess, and their daughter, Rose. George earns just above the minimum wage and while we learn about his job, we also find out how he copes when bills rise and unexpected costs occur.
It’s hard to imagine setting an alarm clock for 2.30am, but that’s what George does on the four days he goes to work. He works shifts, so he then has four rest days.
This book really opened my eyes as to what a job like his entails. He and his fellow guards have to be prepared for just about anything. I loved all the anecdotes of his time at work, some of which were amusing but some do highlight the confrontations and dangers they face on a daily basis.
The chapters about George’s job and current home life alternate with chapters about his earlier life. These are snapshots of his childhood memories from the age of four, and take us on a journey through his time at school, his teenage years and his search for a job. George is very frank and open, and relates the good along with the bad.
George’s determination to provide for his family and his willingness to work hard really shine through in this book. I also enjoyed hearing about his creative side and the freelance writing he undertakes to earn a bit more money. It’s great to see that his writing exploits have finally resulted in this book being written.
I have a lot of admiration for the way George has achieved his top three goals and works hard, in tough circumstances, to give his family a good life, and I wish him every success in the future.
With many thanks to the publishers for sending me a proof copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
May 9, 2026
"On patrol sometimes I look at other uniforms going past me: delivery drivers, cleaners, maintenance crew. In the pandemic they called us key workers. Now we're invisible again and falling behind with bills,"
A great read! I loved the structure of this book changing between a current shift pattern and then his life growing up and ultimately why he felt drawn to security work. Obviously the chaos that comes with working in student accommodation ranges from the funny pranks to the serious situations but George's logical way of presenting this makes you feel like you're in safe hands. I loved the reality check the book brought that though you might not have all the money in the world it's the little everyday things that we take for granted that make us rich in life
A great read! I loved the structure of this book changing between a current shift pattern and then his life growing up and ultimately why he felt drawn to security work. Obviously the chaos that comes with working in student accommodation ranges from the funny pranks to the serious situations but George's logical way of presenting this makes you feel like you're in safe hands. I loved the reality check the book brought that though you might not have all the money in the world it's the little everyday things that we take for granted that make us rich in life
May 10, 2026
A clearly good man doing his best with commitment, dedication and kindness but not an interesting book to read. Repetitive and dull. DNF
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews