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Ramble Book
Ramble
/ˈramb(ə)l/
Verb
1. walk for pleasure in the countryside.
‘Dr Buckles and Rosie the dog love rambling in the countryside.’
2. talk or write at length in a confused or inconsequential way.
‘Adam rambles on about lots of consequential, compelling and personal matters in his tender, insightful, hilarious and totally unconfused memoir, Ramble Book.’
Ramble Book is about parenthood, boarding-school trauma, arguing with your partner, bad parties, confrontations on trains, friendship, wanting to fit in, growing up in the '80s, dead dads, teenage sexual anxiety, failed artistic endeavours, being a David Bowie fan and how everything you read, watch and listen to as a child forms a part of the adult you become.
/ˈramb(ə)l/
Verb
1. walk for pleasure in the countryside.
‘Dr Buckles and Rosie the dog love rambling in the countryside.’
2. talk or write at length in a confused or inconsequential way.
‘Adam rambles on about lots of consequential, compelling and personal matters in his tender, insightful, hilarious and totally unconfused memoir, Ramble Book.’
Ramble Book is about parenthood, boarding-school trauma, arguing with your partner, bad parties, confrontations on trains, friendship, wanting to fit in, growing up in the '80s, dead dads, teenage sexual anxiety, failed artistic endeavours, being a David Bowie fan and how everything you read, watch and listen to as a child forms a part of the adult you become.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published September 3, 2020
192 people are currently reading
1590 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 397 reviews
May 3, 2020
Some may think that the ramble interruptions would turn the audiobook into COMPLETE AND UTTER CHAOS, but that is nonsense. The rambles are the perfect complement to the life story of Dr Buckles. I knew I liked Adam a lot, then my ears read this book and I realised I love him. It was worth the wait - 5 hairy, sexy stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ramble review - As a woman (a woman!) in my late 20s I genuinely appreciated an insight into the ageing process of the ballsack featured in the bonus podcast. It has really whet my appetite for retirement holidays with my husband.
Ramble review - As a woman (a woman!) in my late 20s I genuinely appreciated an insight into the ageing process of the ballsack featured in the bonus podcast. It has really whet my appetite for retirement holidays with my husband.
May 1, 2020
Everything you could wish for from Buckles. Funny, irreverent and self deprecatingly touching. Oh, and Bowie.
Five stars for entertaining me for the last 20 years.
Five stars for entertaining me for the last 20 years.
May 7, 2020
It's a great yarn - so many good stories in fact. But more than that I think it sets a new gold standard for the audio-book: original jingles for each chapter, asides and footnotes delivered as little walk-the-dog bonus rambles and then the coda of a bonus podcast episode buried at the end where he unpacks the book with his bestie. Wonderful stuff from Uncle Buckles.
May 7, 2020
Adam Buxton's work has consistently brought me joy since I was around ten years old when I would stay up late to watch the naughty show where the rude men swore and played with Star Wars figures. Now Count Bucules is most famous for his Bug shows and podcasts where he divulges his neuroses, discusses his complex and loving relationship with his father and family, references David Bowie and largely just dicks around with other interesting people.
I doubted that this book would provide much more about the man and I was right to have my doubts, because this book is essentially a checklist of everything I mentioned above. It's a bumper edition of the podcast where Buckles has to discuss himself instead of a guest, but no complaints from me on that front.
Despite what his editor said, I might have enjoyed more of the Adam and Joe stuff. Another chapter on his showbiz experiences and extended stay in Japan would have been interesting. Buckles reeling off a Partridge-style list of 'celebrities who have wronged him' section would have been entertaining but that's not the kind of thing you'll find here as he keeps things humourous and relatable.
The writing style feels less natural than his podcasts, and is expectedly more prepared and professional. The audiobook also comes with extra jingles and a bonus podcast with Joe Cornish, who quickly wind each other up and struggle to speak through laughter, such is their wonderful chemistry that has kept me a fan for well over twenty years.
I doubted that this book would provide much more about the man and I was right to have my doubts, because this book is essentially a checklist of everything I mentioned above. It's a bumper edition of the podcast where Buckles has to discuss himself instead of a guest, but no complaints from me on that front.
Despite what his editor said, I might have enjoyed more of the Adam and Joe stuff. Another chapter on his showbiz experiences and extended stay in Japan would have been interesting. Buckles reeling off a Partridge-style list of 'celebrities who have wronged him' section would have been entertaining but that's not the kind of thing you'll find here as he keeps things humourous and relatable.
The writing style feels less natural than his podcasts, and is expectedly more prepared and professional. The audiobook also comes with extra jingles and a bonus podcast with Joe Cornish, who quickly wind each other up and struggle to speak through laughter, such is their wonderful chemistry that has kept me a fan for well over twenty years.
June 8, 2020
The rambles were fine, but confirmed that not every middle-aged successful straight white man should write a memoir, no matter how humble and entertaining a person he seems to be. It won't make me stop listening to the podcast but it won't make me pick up a similar book again
May 15, 2023
Great fun for any fan of ol' Buckles--sharp, funny, chockablock with good music recommendations, and surprisingly poignant in places.
September 22, 2020
Criticising Adam Buxton would be like kicking a puppy. Kicking Rosie, even.
I enjoyed listening to this. My issue is that it's pretty much all been in the podcast over the years, some of it verbatim. So what is this and who is it for? Is it for people who don't know who he is? Or is it a souvenir for existing fans?
I enjoyed listening to this. My issue is that it's pretty much all been in the podcast over the years, some of it verbatim. So what is this and who is it for? Is it for people who don't know who he is? Or is it a souvenir for existing fans?
January 9, 2021
Really enjoyed this audio book.
I like Adam Buxton he has a great voice and
a very quirky sense of humour.
Liked that he was such a big David Bowie fan.
I've been listening to Bowie a lot during the week after listening to this audio book.
Also sad in parts where he talks about the passing of his dad.
Also recommend his podcasts.
I like Adam Buxton he has a great voice and
a very quirky sense of humour.
Liked that he was such a big David Bowie fan.
I've been listening to Bowie a lot during the week after listening to this audio book.
Also sad in parts where he talks about the passing of his dad.
Also recommend his podcasts.
June 7, 2020
Big fan of Adam’s podcasts, but this first book was a disappointment. There’s a few laughs, amusing observations, etc. But on the whole it’s decidedly average and uninspiring read.
July 3, 2020
A delightful audiobook to listen to while on a ramble through the woods, and a perfect companion piece to Gotta Get Theroux This. Best of luck for this years Grierson Trust Awards!
January 16, 2021
Some peoples lives really don't warrant an autobiography. This is one.
May 22, 2020
If you enjoy Adam Buxton, and I do, you will enjoy Ramble Book. The audiobook is narrated by Adam and it's a fun trawl through his life, and his relationship with his father.
In an advert for the audiobook on his podcast, Adam jokes about his privileged upbringing, and the lack of any great hardship, and this quickly becomes very apparent.
The book primarily consists of amusing anecdotes, musings on 80s pop culture, his relationship with David Bowie's work, his time working with Joe Cornish, his Bug nights, and, latterly, as a successful podcaster.
Unlike, say, Broken Greek (2020) by Pete Paphides, this is light and trivial, but still most definitely well worth getting your mitts on if you like Adam Buxton.
The audiobook is great fun and very inventive, and the perfect way to "read" Ramble Book.
3/5
In an advert for the audiobook on his podcast, Adam jokes about his privileged upbringing, and the lack of any great hardship, and this quickly becomes very apparent.
The book primarily consists of amusing anecdotes, musings on 80s pop culture, his relationship with David Bowie's work, his time working with Joe Cornish, his Bug nights, and, latterly, as a successful podcaster.
Unlike, say, Broken Greek (2020) by Pete Paphides, this is light and trivial, but still most definitely well worth getting your mitts on if you like Adam Buxton.
The audiobook is great fun and very inventive, and the perfect way to "read" Ramble Book.
3/5
January 31, 2021
This book gets an awful lot really right, mostly through its endearing resolute chipperness while also being unafraid to probe and puncture. At its core there’s a rigorous attempt at some serious self-analysis, but delivered in a fun way, broken up by asides and era-appropriate pop cultural musings. The dual structure of detailing his formative years alongside memories of a more recent formative event works well and keeps it lively. But in anchoring it to his relationship with his father, it’s both profound and touching. While it’s initially somewhat of a frustration that the book doesn’t delve into more behind-the-scenes stuff from his career, it touches on it enough that it doesn’t feel lacking. I found some of the diversions about opinions on 80s films felt a bit like they were there because they were expected to be there, but the structure of the book means it never felt like any one slightly misfiring aspect felt too dominating. I have to confess to my back being up at times about the level of privilege being described (which, to be fair, he more than acknowledges), much in the same way I felt about his pal Louis Theroux’s book last year — but, hey, that’s his life, and the glee in the writing goes a long way. I’m still more than onboard the Buckles train and grateful for this insight into one of the more formative comedy forces of my lifetime.
December 13, 2020
Again, an autobiography that delivers childhood memories with such clarity and reflective prism that you could absolutely be there, you feel you really know what you're invited to understand, you get a great sense of time and place and character. Then, by the time you get to recent years, and, in Adam's case, even to the Adam and Joe years, where the detail would've been fascinating and the anecdotes welcome, it all felt briskly glossed over. Perhaps this has all been covered in Adam's podcasts; I've yet to hear them all (indeed, until this book, I didn't really know he had one), but the overall effect is oddly unbalanced. The audiobook has the considerable benefit of Adam's jingles and ridiculously good Bowie impression - honestly, I could've enjoyed an entire reflective book on appreciating David Bowie - and the ramble section was, as supposed, thoroughly welcome during all this quarantine time. A lot of promise, and some great storytelling, but...it pulled back where I'd hoped it would dive in.
May 4, 2020
Superb! A welcome return to form from the marvellous Edwina Currie. A must read (listen).
Thank you Dr Buckles.. job well done.
I love you.. BYE!!!
Thank you Dr Buckles.. job well done.
I love you.. BYE!!!
January 4, 2021
Fun!! I don’t usually go for biogs but I really like Adam’s podcasts so gave it a go. Made me wonder what it would have been like being a teenager in the 80s - lots of Bowie / Talking Heads chat - and also found the letter to his dad at the end very sweet.
May 26, 2020
Stuff like this is what audio books should be for really. Sit down (or wander about) listening to Adam on his favourite topics: himself, Bowie, death, and himself. It's a very enjoyable listen.
July 4, 2021
Tldr: posh nice bloke is posher than you realise (but still nice albeit with tendencies towards dickhead), once had a job in a pizza restaurant , has a heartbreakingly awkward relationship with his dad and consumed a lot of 80s pop culture. Bit dull really.
Perfectly nice man with a complex relationship with his dad. Felt like every interesting anecdote has already been told elsewhere and despite implying his privileged education and upbringing isn't a benefit as he's not a politican, doctor or industry leader- the book then goes massively against that. Knows other posh people some who are famous and goes on more holidays in the 80s than the population of Scotland.
Also that Bowie album he didn't like...turns out he likes it alot after a couple of weeks. Every time.
Perfectly nice man with a complex relationship with his dad. Felt like every interesting anecdote has already been told elsewhere and despite implying his privileged education and upbringing isn't a benefit as he's not a politican, doctor or industry leader- the book then goes massively against that. Knows other posh people some who are famous and goes on more holidays in the 80s than the population of Scotland.
Also that Bowie album he didn't like...turns out he likes it alot after a couple of weeks. Every time.
May 19, 2020
Lovely. "Ramble" is definitely the key phrase. Not that Buckles goes on a bit, but because of the jumps in the narrative. But luckily, the leaps are always entertaining. I loved the Bowie Annual sections too.
If, like me, you've followed Dr. Buckulees' career with interest, this book won't disappoint.
The added podcast with Cornballs is a genuine joy. If you feel like you "grew up" with Adam and Joe, this audiobook is like reminiscing with old friends.
If, like me, you've followed Dr. Buckulees' career with interest, this book won't disappoint.
The added podcast with Cornballs is a genuine joy. If you feel like you "grew up" with Adam and Joe, this audiobook is like reminiscing with old friends.
May 21, 2020
An enjoyable book, with fun anecdotes, characteristic Adam Buxton humour and deeply honest moments. I feel like if you are interested in 80/90's film, music and culture you will get alot more out of the book, but as a person who isn't deeply interested in those topics, I found it delved into details in these areas more than I would've liked and found myself skipping parts at times. But overall an endearing autobiography that is a pleasent read/listen.
October 8, 2020
(3.5) Quite a bit of this has stuck in my mind a bit more than I expected it to, such as the bad mushroom trip and the fact that Bowie liked Adam and Joe, but in particular Baaad Dad, who comes across much more as a very poignant and complex Saaad Dad here. Not sure how many 'non-Buckles' fans would enjoy this but I did.
May 30, 2020
It would feel like absolute sacrilege to read something from Adam Buxton rather than listen to it, so the release of this prompted me to FINALLY download Audible.
January 17, 2021
I had only a dim memory of Adam and Joe from the nineties, probably as I was in college at the time and not watching TV much. But I have loved listening to the Adam Buxton podcast over the last few years and have been curious about Buckles’s self-doubt and relationship with his dad both of which he refers to with some frequency in the interviews that are often as much about himself as the guest (apart from the Paul McCartney one, presumably because it was Paul McCartney).
Recently I watched an Adam and Joe show on the 4Player and was surprised that his dad appeared on the show. I mean, his dad must have been alright to have been willing to be on his son’s comedy TV show playing a posh, grumpy old man doing unlikely things for the audience’s amusement.
This was one of the things I was most interested to understand from Ramble Book, Adam’s autobiography (autobiographical work?). I listened to the audiobook, and it was absolutely perfect for this format - to the extent that I was curious what the experience of reading it would be like. All of the stupid, funny jingles and voices that make the podcast great - reading it just couldn’t be the same experience as hearing it from Buckles himself.
The content covers his days at boarding school, the family’s travels (his dad was the Travel Editor at the Telegraph, so holidays were exotic), discovering music, discovering girls, never living up to his dad’s expectations, his days at Westminster where he met Joe and Louis Theroux and others. It’s whimsically done, and admirably honest. The only bits that fell flat for me were the music deep dives - only because I didn’t have the obsessions that he had with David Bowie and others. The bits on friends, school tribes, formative experiences and eighties culture were great.
The last chapter, on his father’s death, was very poignant. Having been through a similar experience with my dad (not the bit about wanting his dad to approve of him, but looking after him at the end of his life and the confusing emotions of love, frustration and finding the right words), this resonated hugely with me.
Recently I watched an Adam and Joe show on the 4Player and was surprised that his dad appeared on the show. I mean, his dad must have been alright to have been willing to be on his son’s comedy TV show playing a posh, grumpy old man doing unlikely things for the audience’s amusement.
This was one of the things I was most interested to understand from Ramble Book, Adam’s autobiography (autobiographical work?). I listened to the audiobook, and it was absolutely perfect for this format - to the extent that I was curious what the experience of reading it would be like. All of the stupid, funny jingles and voices that make the podcast great - reading it just couldn’t be the same experience as hearing it from Buckles himself.
The content covers his days at boarding school, the family’s travels (his dad was the Travel Editor at the Telegraph, so holidays were exotic), discovering music, discovering girls, never living up to his dad’s expectations, his days at Westminster where he met Joe and Louis Theroux and others. It’s whimsically done, and admirably honest. The only bits that fell flat for me were the music deep dives - only because I didn’t have the obsessions that he had with David Bowie and others. The bits on friends, school tribes, formative experiences and eighties culture were great.
The last chapter, on his father’s death, was very poignant. Having been through a similar experience with my dad (not the bit about wanting his dad to approve of him, but looking after him at the end of his life and the confusing emotions of love, frustration and finding the right words), this resonated hugely with me.
September 27, 2020
When I heard Adam Buxton had written a book, I was really keen to read it. I still remember the night I discovered the anarchic joy that was The Adam and Joe Show, a comedy that still fills me with fond memories of my student days and early married life.
I find it a bit hard to get my head around the fact that Adam is now fifty years old, much as I struggle to get my head around the fact that I'm now forty-six, but hey, it happens to us all, I suppose. Writing a book seems a natural thing to do at the time Adam has reached in his life. He's now married with three kids, and the death of his father (the legendary BaaaaadDad) in 2015 provoked some reflection on his life. This book is the result, and it turned out to be a wonderful read.
Adam had a frequently difficult relationship with his dad, caused by many things, and he deals with them honestly and frankly here, which is pretty moving stuff. Our parents are never perfect, and it can be hard dealing with the legacies they leave behind, and there's much to reflect upon here. Adam's parents sent him to expensive boarding schools they could scarcely afford, and he realises it gave him a very privileged start in life. I've come to realise that, in a similar way, my mum and dad really wanted me to have a good education, and moved heaven and earth to get me into a grammar school considered excellent. I hated every second of it and have resented the hell out of the toxic dump ever since, but I have to admit it's probably done me a lot more good than I've ever wanted to accept...
There's plenty in here about the author's love of pop culture, and his path to becoming famous and able to do so much of what he's enjoyed over the years, and I really enjoyed all of that. He and I were into lots of similar things, and I can really relate to the way music and films made him feel growing up, especially when surrounded by a world that feels brutal and confusing. He's also reflected upon things that haven't gone so well, and have caused him pain, and it's interesting and informative to read about those. Life is full of highs and lows, I suppose, and there's full acceptance of that here, but however serious the book gets, it's full of humour and has plenty of moments that genuine made me laugh. Plenty more where I smiled, empathised, chuckled, and related.
Really, really good. Ploughed through quickly, and a great pleasure. I admit I haven't really consumed much of his output since The Adam and Joe Show concluded many moons ago, so I think it's high time I rectified that and started following his recent work. I doubt I'll regret it.
I find it a bit hard to get my head around the fact that Adam is now fifty years old, much as I struggle to get my head around the fact that I'm now forty-six, but hey, it happens to us all, I suppose. Writing a book seems a natural thing to do at the time Adam has reached in his life. He's now married with three kids, and the death of his father (the legendary BaaaaadDad) in 2015 provoked some reflection on his life. This book is the result, and it turned out to be a wonderful read.
Adam had a frequently difficult relationship with his dad, caused by many things, and he deals with them honestly and frankly here, which is pretty moving stuff. Our parents are never perfect, and it can be hard dealing with the legacies they leave behind, and there's much to reflect upon here. Adam's parents sent him to expensive boarding schools they could scarcely afford, and he realises it gave him a very privileged start in life. I've come to realise that, in a similar way, my mum and dad really wanted me to have a good education, and moved heaven and earth to get me into a grammar school considered excellent. I hated every second of it and have resented the hell out of the toxic dump ever since, but I have to admit it's probably done me a lot more good than I've ever wanted to accept...
There's plenty in here about the author's love of pop culture, and his path to becoming famous and able to do so much of what he's enjoyed over the years, and I really enjoyed all of that. He and I were into lots of similar things, and I can really relate to the way music and films made him feel growing up, especially when surrounded by a world that feels brutal and confusing. He's also reflected upon things that haven't gone so well, and have caused him pain, and it's interesting and informative to read about those. Life is full of highs and lows, I suppose, and there's full acceptance of that here, but however serious the book gets, it's full of humour and has plenty of moments that genuine made me laugh. Plenty more where I smiled, empathised, chuckled, and related.
Really, really good. Ploughed through quickly, and a great pleasure. I admit I haven't really consumed much of his output since The Adam and Joe Show concluded many moons ago, so I think it's high time I rectified that and started following his recent work. I doubt I'll regret it.
April 9, 2024
Have I got a treat for you today! A memoir that manages to be as hilarious as it is poignant, with a sprinkle of self-deprecation that's as British as a rainy summer's day.
Ramble Book isn't just any old stroll through memory lane; it's a full-on hike through the wilderness of Adam's childhood in the '80s, complete with pop culture landmarks and the occasional pitfall of teenage angst. And who could forget the heartwarming tales of Adam and his father, Nigel?
Adam's storytelling is like sitting down with an old friend who can't help but share every deliciously awkward detail of their life. He covers everything from boarding school blues to cringeworthy party fails and even those moments of existential dread that strike in the quiet of a train journey. And let's not overlook the saga of Dr Buckles and Rosie the dog, whose countryside rambles are a charming metaphor for the book's wandering narrative.
Adam intertwines the laughter with layers of introspection, especially when delving into the complex relationship with his father. It's a reminder that behind every eccentric family anecdote lies a deeper connection that shapes us more than we realise.
In a world where autobiographies often tread the same old paths, Adam takes us on a ramble through the thickets and brambles of life, emerging with a story as touching as it is entertaining. So, grab your wellies because this is one ramble you won't want to miss.
Ramble Book isn't just any old stroll through memory lane; it's a full-on hike through the wilderness of Adam's childhood in the '80s, complete with pop culture landmarks and the occasional pitfall of teenage angst. And who could forget the heartwarming tales of Adam and his father, Nigel?
Adam's storytelling is like sitting down with an old friend who can't help but share every deliciously awkward detail of their life. He covers everything from boarding school blues to cringeworthy party fails and even those moments of existential dread that strike in the quiet of a train journey. And let's not overlook the saga of Dr Buckles and Rosie the dog, whose countryside rambles are a charming metaphor for the book's wandering narrative.
Adam intertwines the laughter with layers of introspection, especially when delving into the complex relationship with his father. It's a reminder that behind every eccentric family anecdote lies a deeper connection that shapes us more than we realise.
In a world where autobiographies often tread the same old paths, Adam takes us on a ramble through the thickets and brambles of life, emerging with a story as touching as it is entertaining. So, grab your wellies because this is one ramble you won't want to miss.
July 24, 2022
Review for audio book version: I think if you're a fan of Adam Buxton then the audio book is the way to go. There's some great jingles and audio shenanigans plus a bonus podcast at the end. Adam is open and honest about his relationship with his father. This book is about this in context to his youth and much later in his life looking after his dad as he is dying of cancer. It is both touching and humorous (often self deprecating). Plus lots of great stuff about David Bowie (Wazzah wazzah wazzah)
February 21, 2022
I was worried this might have been just a lazy cash-in on the popularity of the podcast - transcribed interviews with a bare minimum of extra original material - but in fact it turned out to be an excellent ramble through his mostly teenaged years at school and the formative music, films and friendships that set Buxton on the course his life would follow. Interspersed with the recollections of a relatively privileged life in 80s London are musings on his father's impending death and lengthy discursions on David Bowie's output. Unexpectedly touching and personal.
September 26, 2020
So heartwarming, funny, and just what I needed right now. I read this in conjunction with the June 2020 podcast episode with Joe Cornish as guest, which had me sobbing and laughing alternately. Not your average celebrity memoir. Oh, Buckles 💛
May 28, 2021
Warm and lovely 🥰
June 11, 2020
Funny and heartwarming - if you like the podcast you will love this. Would be 5* if it weren't for all the references to 80s culture, which millennial readers such as myself might struggle to catch.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 397 reviews