Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

1980: A Year in the Life of Keith Diamond: A 1980s Time Travel Adventure

Rate this book
Relive the 1980s in this rip-roaring time travel adventure from bestselling author, Jason Ayres.
As the 2020s dawn, Keith Diamond, the self-styled ‘Diamond Geezer’, works as a shock jock presenter at controversial radio station, ChatFM. When the station comes under new management, Keith finds himself surplus to requirements. His employment prospects look bleak until a stranger gives him a bracelet that catapults him forty years back in time to when he was a young journalist. Soaking up the culture, Keith immerses himself in the music scene, going to see legendary bands like The Clash, Blondie, and The Specials, but soon there are more important tasks at hand.

Working in Fleet Street, Keith finds himself thrust into the news stories of the day. These range from the hunt for the Yorkshire Ripper to the death of John Lennon, plus the world’s obsession with “Who Shot JR?” From a personal perspective, 1980 is a pivotal year on which both his and many of his friends’ destinies depend. Can he rectify past mistakes, avert disasters, and reshape both his future and that of others?

Join Keith, as he revisits the culture and events of 1980, in this humorous and thought-provoking time travel story.

1980 is part of the anthology series, A Year in the Life. Each book revisits a different aspect of life in the 1980s, and each story can be enjoyed standalone.
Readers are loving 1980:‘Really encapsulates the period - you almost feel as if you are there.’ Reader Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘It's great to go down memory lane with this book. Recommended.’ Reader Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘My favourite Jason Ayres book yet. Imaginative and enjoyable, I didn’t want to put it down!’ Reader Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I loved this book; the plot and the characters were first class. I never used to be into time travel books but Mr Ayres has changed that for me.’ Goodreads Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

279 pages, ebook

Published January 26, 2024

Loading...
Loading...

About the author

Jason Ayres

180 books122 followers
Jason Ayres is a bestselling British time travel author whose books combine humour, nostalgia, romance, drama and imaginative science fiction.

Since publishing his first novel in 2014, he has written twenty-four books and sold more than 250,000 copies. His character-driven stories follow ordinary people caught up in extraordinary situations, whether travelling into the future, returning to the past, exploring parallel universes, or being given a second chance to change their lives.

Jason is best known for The Time Bubble, a complete fifteen-book British time travel series spanning the past, future and alternative timelines, and A Year in the Life, a bestselling anthology of standalone time travel novels set in 1980s Britain. He is also the author of The Ronnie and Bernard Adventures, which blend British comedy, mystery, horror and time travel.

His nostalgic 1980s fiction is particularly popular with readers who remember the decade, drawing on British music, television, popular culture and everyday life. Many of his books are available on Kindle Unlimited, as well as in paperback and audiobook.

Find out more at:

https://www.jasonayres.co.uk

https://www.facebook.com/TheTimeBubble/

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
448 (50%)
4 stars
286 (31%)
3 stars
123 (13%)
2 stars
25 (2%)
1 star
13 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
Profile Image for Tony.
637 reviews51 followers
April 1, 2026
This is my second book from Mr Ayers and I must say, a big improvement on the last one!

I found the language a little sluggish at times but all in all, I must say I rather enjoyed the tale.
Profile Image for Kirsten McKenzie.
Author 18 books285 followers
December 13, 2025
Stayed up well past my bedtime finishing this! Loved the 1980s historical nods and the journey of self discovery that Keith Diamond went on, and adored the ending. Love a good time slip book, and this one meets all my needs. Already bought the next book in the series.
322 reviews1 follower
February 16, 2024
A really promising start to a new series

Another great work from Mr Ayres, as expected.
A fairly unpleasant character gets a second chance and takes us back to an era that a lot of people will recognise. And reminisce with either distain or a sly grin.

If you enjoy any of Mr Ayres's previous work, then this is for you.

Looking forward to the next installment.
86 reviews
August 7, 2024
What novel and interesting idea on time travel good pieces of nostalgia that I remember from that time
Good characters and a good storyline it’s well worth reading the series I am and I am loving it
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
22 reviews
March 22, 2024
Good idea not well executed

What can I say, idea is good and the
story maybe too simplistic.

I never took to the main character, always seemed selfish, book doesn't really flow.
Profile Image for Quartknee.
232 reviews53 followers
October 28, 2025
I love the premise and was hoping this could be a good series to go through the autumnal months. Sadly, it's way too woke. The whole Me-Too bit with the evil boss was a bit much - not in an over the top fun sort of way - more like the insufferable man-hating condemnation way that's become far too acceptable these days.

The time jump convention, while far from unique, was presented in a clear and believable manner. The initial fish out of water scenes were fun but then Keith began to echo too much condemnation for the sexist environment of his old office. As an ex-smoker, I can't be around smokers without some level of disgust so it felt too forced that Keith was more upset over the sexism than the constant immersion in smoke filled environments. It came off as preachy self hatred. When it felt as if the earlier political diatribes and woke attitudes were overpowering the prose, I bailed. DNF
Profile Image for AdiTurbo.
860 reviews104 followers
March 1, 2026
Cute and a very light read, I enjoyed the nostalgia and the well-written characters. Unfortunately, there was TONS of telling, and hardly ever showing. The narrator just tells you what happens all the time. There's very little dialogue, which is a shame, because those that exist are not bad at all. The result is an interesing plotline and bunch of characters, but a narration that goes like this - "this happened, and then this happened, and then this happened," almost all the time. Even so, this was fun, and I'll try the next one now.
Profile Image for David Brusstar.
27 reviews4 followers
October 14, 2025
One of the most bland books I have read. Dull and unlikable characters, and the year 1980 was as interesting as one of those “what happened in __” websites. A child’s diorama of 1980’s London.
Profile Image for Glenn Younger.
Author 4 books5 followers
November 10, 2025
Easy read and light fun in 1980

What this story might lack in creating an emotional roller coaster for the reader, it makes up for it by being an easy breezy read. The dialogue is good; the exposition is smooth; supporting characters are unique; and the main character starts off sufficiently horrible to give him lots of space for growth.

Take a broken down misogynistic radio announcer whose style is provocatively and often gratuitously confrontational. Give him a mysterious bracelet that sends his consciousness 40 years back in time into his younger body. Tell him to fix things. What things, he asks? He’ll have to figure it out as he goes. The mysterious bracelet will guide him.

Fun premise, right? Imagine being in your younger body and earlier timeline with your 62 year old life experience. There’s no way you’d do things the same. No way.

This book is fun for (re)visiting 1980 London as well as seeing how Keith manages to make his way through his old times with new eyes. You won’t cry and you might not laugh out loud, but you will enjoy the ride.

Off to read the next one…
Profile Image for Audible Girly Book Reviews.
96 reviews
May 29, 2026
An Engaging, Nostalgic Trip Back in Time

​1980 by Jason Ayres follows Keith, a man pushing 60 who is out of shape, bordering on alcoholism, divorced, and estranged from his adult son. To make matters worse, he’s just been hit with a revenge firing from his journalism job for a past mistake.

​Luckily, Keith gets a rare chance at redemption: he can travel back to 1980 for exactly one year to fix his faults. Armed with knowledge of the future, he even manages to save a few lives along the way. But as he alters the timeline, the ultimate question remains: will he return to a better future, or has he made things entirely worse for himself?

​Having graduated high school in 1980, I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this audiobook. The references hit perfectly and brought back a wonderful sense of nostalgia. Narrator Peter J. Mathews was an excellent choice—his voice is incredibly easy to listen to and kept me hooked from start to finish. Highly recommended!

Profile Image for Steve Bewley.
94 reviews1 follower
January 13, 2026
1980 A Year in the life of Keith Diamond  by Jason Ayres

Rating :  3⭐
Format : eBook 💻
Pages : 279
Duration : 3 days

----------------

I'm really torn on this one.

I downloaded this book as part of  Kindle Unlimited, I won't lie it's entirely based on nostalgia and the cover. Nostalgia for what I don't know, I was born in 1982!

The writing style is, uhm.... (God I don't want to be rude....) It all seemed a little bit basic

The premise was pretty cool, a person, down on their luck gets the opportunity to go back into their glory days and live out a year putting right previous wrongs and growing into a better person. It's all a little bit preachy but good preachy if that's possible.

Bits of the book border on the seedier side of the 80s, all alcohol, cigarettes and page 3 models and everything what goes with those things, not particularly my thing but I presume that this is a true representation of 1980s, like I said I was born in 82 so I thankfully missed all of that stuff, thank god the world has moved on 

My biggest issue though is the nostalgia elements in the book, they are shoe horned in at every opportunity, from adverts to products, news stories and name dropping every 1980's name possiblr. For a time travel book it all felt a little bit pushed.

That said though I kinda enjoyed it, the story moved pretty quickly and though slightly disjointed at times and suffering from a case of main character super hero infliction it was fun enough and even mostly enjoyable 

However Keith Diamond is a dick of the highest order.

Now on to 1981
Profile Image for Nicola Jones.
183 reviews1 follower
May 18, 2026
“As the 2020s dawn, controversial radio DJ Keith Diamond’s career is on the rocks when he’s gifted a bracelet which sends him forty years back in time.

Back in his twenty-two-year-old body, Keith returns to his old role as a tabloid journalist in a Britain on the cusp of change. As he is drawn into the major stories, shifting culture, and tensions of a country entering a new decade, he relishes the chance to use his knowledge of the future to right wrongs, avert tragedies, and build a better life for himself and those around him. But with some events seemingly set in stone, how much can he realistically change?

Join Keith and immerse yourself in the events, music, and culture of the early 1980s in this engaging and thought-provoking time travel tale.”
80 reviews
June 23, 2026
Keith Diamond is a washed-up, 62-year-old radio presenter living in late 2019 when he is chosen (we don’t know by whom) to return to his 22-year-old life in 1980 for one year. It allows him to correct mistakes he made in the past.

The possibility of reworking one’s life is intriguing. Would the new, improved Keith end up back in 2019 as a completely different person, or was time immutable?

The writing is good and the characters are well-developed.

My only criticism – that loses the star – is that the 1980s misogyny is too caricatured and obviously written from a modern, woke perspective: almost as if the writer is saying, ‘every man in 1980 was a male, chauvinist pig’ and ‘didn’t they realise they should think as we do now?’
Profile Image for Karen.
168 reviews
February 20, 2026
I really enjoyed the premise of this book. Our lead character, Keith, is involuntarily sent back in time to 1980, 40 years ago. He goes back with a watch that helps guide him, and he knows he’ll be there for one year.

I enjoyed Keith’s evolution. Though, while I appreciated that he didn’t have the same challenges most time travelers tend to experience (I.e., being discounted as crazy or things not working out as expected), I did think his experience was a wee bit too easy.

I also like that the watch is the vehicle to expand this into a series, where each book covers a different year with a different traveler. A fun way to re-explore the eighties!
312 reviews12 followers
September 25, 2024
I have listened to the audio version of this book.
Imagine being given a chance to go back 40 years and tweak your actions for a whole year, totally changing your future. That's what happens to Keith Diamond. Well written and entertainingly humorous from start to finish. I like the differences between what the bracelet allowed and didn't. Easy to imagine the frustration when not allowed to make some changes that would have been fantastic. Peter J Matthews narration was excellent and brought the whole story to life, highly recommended. Looking forward to future instalments.
Profile Image for Gene.
659 reviews
June 23, 2025
06/20/2025 - after reading dozens of these types of stories, I've found that I just don't have any enthusiasm to invest in this one. Part of it might be because it's set in England and requires a bit of knowledge about the area and what it was like in 1980. But I think that a large part has to do with the protagonist not being a very sympathetic character. I'd like to think that by the end of the book he's undergone some redemption arc, but the book is just too slow and boring for me to take that chance, so I'm bailing at 26%
Profile Image for Ashwin Dongre.
360 reviews11 followers
March 11, 2026
Its a good story, and the Keith doesn't go on big adventure. Towards the end I too started to wonder what he had accomplished in that year, just like Keith in the story does. But however small or large, the things he accomplished are good and makes a big difference for his character.
And I loved the ending.
The accent of the narrator could have been better, but it's fine, average.
I'm sure I'll re read this in future, which, considering its a Brit story, is surprising. :) I'm definitely reading the sequel.
18 reviews
May 3, 2024
1980: A Year in the Life of Keith Diamond

I enjoyed this book. Especially the way the Diamond Geezer was made to look at his lifestyle and correct his earlier mistakes. I just wish I could do the same with mine.
I also enjoyed the era the book was set in as I grew up in those times, and they were just as described, both bad and good.
Profile Image for Susan.
170 reviews1 follower
July 30, 2024
Susan Fraser Aberdeen

It was good but not as good as 1981
Didn’t mean to read the second one first …I just liked the sound of it more.
I loved it so much I bought this one and enjoyed it
I feel you don’t have to read them in order.
I will definitely be reading the next book in series
Profile Image for Alexa.
419 reviews16 followers
August 28, 2024
I read a ton of time travel/relive your earlier life trope books, this one is decently good, better than The Time Bubble I thought (Time Bubble was Ayres' first book 10 years ago, so glad to see his writing has gotten more polished). Helps if you grew up in the 70s/80s like I did! Interested enough to go on to the next in the series.
Profile Image for John T.
129 reviews
January 9, 2025
Ok, I know it’s all been done before but this is still a good yarn.

I do wonder how a guy who’s been an arse for 40 years could suddenly flip in a single year, and also how an A Bomb equates with saving his mate, but maybe I’m being picky (I have given the book 4 moons after all).

Onwards and upwards to 1981….
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Toni.
1,640 reviews68 followers
August 12, 2025
Definitely a great thrill ride

I wasn't sure what to expect but I found this to be a great story that kept me guessing from month to month. Definitely a story I will keep in the back of my mind for reflection when serious changes in life crop up. I suggest it for anyone who likes a little mystery in their everyday.
Profile Image for Heidi Hisrich.
155 reviews2 followers
December 26, 2025
Pretty silly book. Is he trying to prevent things that never happened from happening or prevent things that did happen and shouldn't have? And why is ant of it happening? I kept thinking it wasn't a very good book, yet I kept reading it and finished in about a day, so I guess I have to give it a decent rating. I'm a sucker for time travel stories, even if they don't make a ton of sense!
Profile Image for Cookewitch.
540 reviews
January 8, 2026
1.5 stars

I was really looking forward to this series, but it’s a bit rubbish!

It’s ok I suppose but poorly written, a soapbox for the author to whinge about modern day but even then he can’t seem to make up his mind.

It could have been so much more but for me a miss and I won’t bother with the rest 🫤

📖🕗📖
16 reviews1 follower
April 21, 2026
80s nostalgia at its best with a reminder that it's good some things have changed.
Keith is a diamond geezer. A brilliantly unlikable character who thinks there's nothing wrong with his outdated views.
The universe has other ideas and gives him a year in 1980 to relive his youth and make different choices.
Clever. Funny. And unputdownable. A great start to a decade of stories. I'm looking forward to reading more.
7 reviews
February 23, 2024
1980 was a very good year

A great book. Big fan of The Time Bubble books and this spin off is just as.good. I look forward to 1981. By which I mean the book. I can't travel in time. Not yet anyway!
Profile Image for Ray Smillie.
805 reviews
April 14, 2024
Quite good is as kind as I will be about this. I expected more having read some excellent novels in this field so maybe my expectations were too high? I think I have read the first couple of the time bubble series but the fact I am not 100% sure suggests I thought they were only quite good as well.
1 review
August 14, 2024
I love time travel books including all the 'Time Bubble' ones. Enjoyed this one although some parts felt a bit rushed and others brushed over too quickly. Overall though another winner from Jason Ayres.
Profile Image for Abrah J..
456 reviews3 followers
September 7, 2024
I really enjoyed this book. It was about time travel (which I love) and the main character happens to travel back to 1980, the start of my favorite decade.

It was interesting to watch the growth of the character as well as to recall how much has changed in the world in 40+ years.
320 reviews6 followers
January 9, 2025
a good one

Interesting twist on time travel, with just a year in the past and a bracelet to help shape some of the changes being made. I always like a good redemption story and Keith's definitely was one. I'm sincerely looking forward to the next book in the series!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews