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TWAS The Year 2020
I didn’t intend to write this book. I wrote a piece on the hypocrisy of the Black Lives Matter movement for my blog, found there were a few more points concerning the way the planet’s spinning at this moment in time, the year 2020, so decided to finish up with a second piece.
75,000 words later I discovered I’d written a book covering BLM, slavery, Antifa, DFLA (Democratic Football Lads Alliance), COVID-19, pensions, radicalisation, President Trump, Marxism, China, masks & vaccines, racism, Forever Family, population control, cashless society, and a possible New World Order
The word TWAS, of course, is an acronym for Together we are Stronger
I’ve always been ready to stand up and be counted because I know that if I allow my emotions to be stilled, then a kind of blue funk settles in, and I have no intention of apologising for being me
In this book, I’m sure to rattle a few cages, but my intention isn’t to be quarrelsome, it’s just to offer enough ‘Wow!’ moments to give the reader something to ponder over.
I make every effort to stay away from Conspiracy Theories, not because I don’t believe in them, but more because I find it a rather dismissive term, allowing others to reject the freethinker’s point of view.
I’m an overthinker, I know, and if sh*t doesn’t make sense, I think about it over and over until it does make sense, and right now none of this makes sense …. But it’s starting to.
People are getting angry, and in this book I analyse these views and justify them in the words of the bloke who goes to football on a Saturday afternoon, enjoys a few pints with his mates before the game and puts the world to right.
I’ve no doubt there will be people who disagree with my reflections, and that’s okay. We’re not all supposed to agree. But there are issues right now that need addressing. We read about them in the papers, we listen to radio hosts discuss them on phone-in programmes and we talk about them to our pals at work and in the pub. I also speak to a lot of football supporters from various clubs and I know most are in accordance with my views.
I haven’t watered down my writing at all, or bent over backwards to suit the do-gooders, I promise you that.
I’m strong-willed, a bit outspoken and I write exactly what I’m thinking. I’m not to everyone’s taste, but this is a book you can dip in and out of whenever the mood takes you.
I hope you enjoy!
75,000 words later I discovered I’d written a book covering BLM, slavery, Antifa, DFLA (Democratic Football Lads Alliance), COVID-19, pensions, radicalisation, President Trump, Marxism, China, masks & vaccines, racism, Forever Family, population control, cashless society, and a possible New World Order
The word TWAS, of course, is an acronym for Together we are Stronger
I’ve always been ready to stand up and be counted because I know that if I allow my emotions to be stilled, then a kind of blue funk settles in, and I have no intention of apologising for being me
In this book, I’m sure to rattle a few cages, but my intention isn’t to be quarrelsome, it’s just to offer enough ‘Wow!’ moments to give the reader something to ponder over.
I make every effort to stay away from Conspiracy Theories, not because I don’t believe in them, but more because I find it a rather dismissive term, allowing others to reject the freethinker’s point of view.
I’m an overthinker, I know, and if sh*t doesn’t make sense, I think about it over and over until it does make sense, and right now none of this makes sense …. But it’s starting to.
People are getting angry, and in this book I analyse these views and justify them in the words of the bloke who goes to football on a Saturday afternoon, enjoys a few pints with his mates before the game and puts the world to right.
I’ve no doubt there will be people who disagree with my reflections, and that’s okay. We’re not all supposed to agree. But there are issues right now that need addressing. We read about them in the papers, we listen to radio hosts discuss them on phone-in programmes and we talk about them to our pals at work and in the pub. I also speak to a lot of football supporters from various clubs and I know most are in accordance with my views.
I haven’t watered down my writing at all, or bent over backwards to suit the do-gooders, I promise you that.
I’m strong-willed, a bit outspoken and I write exactly what I’m thinking. I’m not to everyone’s taste, but this is a book you can dip in and out of whenever the mood takes you.
I hope you enjoy!
238 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 9, 2020
3 people are currently reading
296 people want to read
About the author
Karl Wiggins
25 books324 followersKarl Wiggins – Author, humourist, raconteur and (unfortunately) master of dysphemism
I'm an author with seven books on Amazon Kindle, and I'll state right from the start that I have a particular aversion to fellow authors who befriend you and then immediately message you saying, "You might like my book ..... check it out."
I don't do that. If people wish to know more about my books the information is here to read, but I won't invade your personal space (not to mention precious time) with pleas to check out my own books
My goal, my life’s ambition if you like, is to give direction to comedy, purpose to satire. And this is probably why I write the way I do, in order to use self-deprecating, piss-taking humour to bring to the fore situations that just don’t stack up. To demonstrate that serious issues can be approached with humour.
Embarrassingly, a number of the reviews for my books seem to involve people losing control of their bladder; “Anyone who is a bit saucy, very fond of boobies and doesn't mind peeing slightly when they laugh too hard, this is the book for you!” “Best not to read this book on the train if you have a full bladder because by the end of your journey you will have a damp patch in an embarrassing place.” “I have to admit that I wet myself twice while reading it but this may in part have been due to my age and a couple of bottles of a fine St. Emilion,” “Due to the laughter you owe my secretary one clean pair of knickers.”
Two reviewers have even suggested I should tour as a stand-up comedian; “I found myself laughing out-loud and even sharing segments with my spouse ….. I think Karl could tour as a stand-up comedian,” “Mr Wiggins has views on life that are expressed in a manner worthy of any stand-up comedian.”
So my scribblings do seem to raise a smile and a chuckle, and either way you look at it, that has to be a good thing. Hardly any subject is taboo to the Englishman when he’s laughing, and this often seems insensitive to other cultures, but the bedrock of the British sense of humour is a strong sense of sarcasm and self-deprecation. The British can be very passionate – and if you doubt that try going to a football match - but that passion is hidden deep in our humour so that other nationals often fail to recognise the deadpan delivery and are never quite sure if they’ve been involved in a serious conversation or just a little bit of friendly banter.
Having said that my style of writing is now appealing more and more to the American market, and I write a regular column for a newsletter in Copiague, Long Island, New York. I’m really enjoying connecting with the people over there.
Interestingly enough, my writing style has been compared to two people, both now dead, Charles Bukowski and Socrates. Their names keep popping up in reviews; “Mr Bukowski, meet Socrates. This is an exceptionally amusing collection of observations of daily life,” “The prose style reminded me quite a lot of Charles Bukowski’s short essays and observations,” “It reminded me a lot of Bukowski’s novels, but particularly Factotum and Post Office,” “Had me laughing out loud several times, which doesn’t happen often to me. It reminded me a lot of Bukowski’s novels,” (I swear those are two completely separate reviewers), “Karl Wiggins is like a contemporary Socrates.”
I’m sure both Socrates and Charles Bukowski would turn in their graves. But then again, maybe not.
My books;
'You Really are full of Shit, Aren't You?' is my latest and possible my favourite. It's an agony uncle / advice columnist style book, but unlike most agony aunts I cut them no slack.
I'll be the first to admit that 'Dogshit Saved my Life' and 'Calico Jack in your Garden' are not to everyone's taste, but the reviews are good, so I seem to be hitting the right note.
'Shit my History Teacher DID NOT tell me' kind of speaks for itself I guess, as does 'Grit - The Banter & Brutality of the Late-Night Cab Driver.' I drove cab in b
I'm an author with seven books on Amazon Kindle, and I'll state right from the start that I have a particular aversion to fellow authors who befriend you and then immediately message you saying, "You might like my book ..... check it out."
I don't do that. If people wish to know more about my books the information is here to read, but I won't invade your personal space (not to mention precious time) with pleas to check out my own books
My goal, my life’s ambition if you like, is to give direction to comedy, purpose to satire. And this is probably why I write the way I do, in order to use self-deprecating, piss-taking humour to bring to the fore situations that just don’t stack up. To demonstrate that serious issues can be approached with humour.
Embarrassingly, a number of the reviews for my books seem to involve people losing control of their bladder; “Anyone who is a bit saucy, very fond of boobies and doesn't mind peeing slightly when they laugh too hard, this is the book for you!” “Best not to read this book on the train if you have a full bladder because by the end of your journey you will have a damp patch in an embarrassing place.” “I have to admit that I wet myself twice while reading it but this may in part have been due to my age and a couple of bottles of a fine St. Emilion,” “Due to the laughter you owe my secretary one clean pair of knickers.”
Two reviewers have even suggested I should tour as a stand-up comedian; “I found myself laughing out-loud and even sharing segments with my spouse ….. I think Karl could tour as a stand-up comedian,” “Mr Wiggins has views on life that are expressed in a manner worthy of any stand-up comedian.”
So my scribblings do seem to raise a smile and a chuckle, and either way you look at it, that has to be a good thing. Hardly any subject is taboo to the Englishman when he’s laughing, and this often seems insensitive to other cultures, but the bedrock of the British sense of humour is a strong sense of sarcasm and self-deprecation. The British can be very passionate – and if you doubt that try going to a football match - but that passion is hidden deep in our humour so that other nationals often fail to recognise the deadpan delivery and are never quite sure if they’ve been involved in a serious conversation or just a little bit of friendly banter.
Having said that my style of writing is now appealing more and more to the American market, and I write a regular column for a newsletter in Copiague, Long Island, New York. I’m really enjoying connecting with the people over there.
Interestingly enough, my writing style has been compared to two people, both now dead, Charles Bukowski and Socrates. Their names keep popping up in reviews; “Mr Bukowski, meet Socrates. This is an exceptionally amusing collection of observations of daily life,” “The prose style reminded me quite a lot of Charles Bukowski’s short essays and observations,” “It reminded me a lot of Bukowski’s novels, but particularly Factotum and Post Office,” “Had me laughing out loud several times, which doesn’t happen often to me. It reminded me a lot of Bukowski’s novels,” (I swear those are two completely separate reviewers), “Karl Wiggins is like a contemporary Socrates.”
I’m sure both Socrates and Charles Bukowski would turn in their graves. But then again, maybe not.
My books;
'You Really are full of Shit, Aren't You?' is my latest and possible my favourite. It's an agony uncle / advice columnist style book, but unlike most agony aunts I cut them no slack.
I'll be the first to admit that 'Dogshit Saved my Life' and 'Calico Jack in your Garden' are not to everyone's taste, but the reviews are good, so I seem to be hitting the right note.
'Shit my History Teacher DID NOT tell me' kind of speaks for itself I guess, as does 'Grit - The Banter & Brutality of the Late-Night Cab Driver.' I drove cab in b
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
July 22, 2021
This book is trash.
The first third is almost pleasant, a collection of "scamp" bios focussing on standout societal misfits that, for the most part, honestly deserve recognition for their contributions to art & culture. I'm always keen to support independent writers, so as I dashed through meandering profiles of Marilyn, Jimi & co. I caught myself mentally calculating whether I could justify giving 3*s to a book lacking in form but (seemingly) positively & a-typical in substance.
Unfortunately I soon noticed I was feeling uneasy; that somehow - despite the seemingly innocuous format of one man and his thoughts on people he admires - something wasn't right. A quick check and there it was in black and white, a quiet early dog whistle, calling to the baser instincts of anyone in ear (or eye) shot. Then it was impossible to miss the thinly veiled references to establishment influences and "media" puppets, laying the feel-a-little-fear here & don't-worry-I've-got-answers groundwork that is too commonly employed by those seeking to hide their attempts to convince you of their accepted truths.
The rest of the book is littered with think-like-me-to-be-free rhetoric and rhetorical "why is X like Y? " questions that trick you into forgetting to check whether X is really like anything let alone whY that might be.
To be clear, I'm not here to bash the content of the book, there's some parts I'd question thoroughly, and some parts that sound sensible enough. His opinions are his right, & I didn't read to have someone agree with me. But unfortunately all that's eclipsed by the purposeful (or worse, accidental) drumbeat of narratively selective "facts" and misrepresentations that could quickly be mistaken for antisemitism/racism etc.
I'd hoped for a better offering from what seemed like a straight shooter, but it seems that Twas might be a twa*.
The first third is almost pleasant, a collection of "scamp" bios focussing on standout societal misfits that, for the most part, honestly deserve recognition for their contributions to art & culture. I'm always keen to support independent writers, so as I dashed through meandering profiles of Marilyn, Jimi & co. I caught myself mentally calculating whether I could justify giving 3*s to a book lacking in form but (seemingly) positively & a-typical in substance.
Unfortunately I soon noticed I was feeling uneasy; that somehow - despite the seemingly innocuous format of one man and his thoughts on people he admires - something wasn't right. A quick check and there it was in black and white, a quiet early dog whistle, calling to the baser instincts of anyone in ear (or eye) shot. Then it was impossible to miss the thinly veiled references to establishment influences and "media" puppets, laying the feel-a-little-fear here & don't-worry-I've-got-answers groundwork that is too commonly employed by those seeking to hide their attempts to convince you of their accepted truths.
The rest of the book is littered with think-like-me-to-be-free rhetoric and rhetorical "why is X like Y? " questions that trick you into forgetting to check whether X is really like anything let alone whY that might be.
To be clear, I'm not here to bash the content of the book, there's some parts I'd question thoroughly, and some parts that sound sensible enough. His opinions are his right, & I didn't read to have someone agree with me. But unfortunately all that's eclipsed by the purposeful (or worse, accidental) drumbeat of narratively selective "facts" and misrepresentations that could quickly be mistaken for antisemitism/racism etc.
I'd hoped for a better offering from what seemed like a straight shooter, but it seems that Twas might be a twa*.
November 7, 2020
This is Karl Wiggins at his best. Rants, riots, personal conjecture, humor, WTF moments—all backed up by fact and well-researched happenings of the past. Karl always makes me laugh, but he also makes me think, ponder, wonder where it all went wrong and why—and then he'll tell you. There is plenty of recent day history wrapped into this most entertaining of books. If you're going to a political pub quiz, this would be the book to read beforehand for a guaranteed prize. You could even use this as a study guide for a specialized subject on Mastermind. It is a wealth of information told as only Karl can tell it.
April 25, 2021
Quirky Insight from an Analytical Mind. In his usual style, the author uses satire and humour to look at all the crazy in the world from every angle. His engagement with the reader is brilliant and you feel as though you are sitting across the table from him in a pub with a pint in your hand--but of course, you aren't, because the world is in lockdown. This was the year in history like no other and authors almost have a duty to give their take on it--because these are the history books of the future. Wiggins is fantastic, intelligent, informative and above all page-turning funny. A must-read look at the most insane year the world has ever seen.
January 5, 2023
That Bloke Down The Pub But In Book Form
I think I have said this about another book that I have read from the same author. If you go down the pub or enjoy any social setting for that matter there is always that one bloke that’s going of on a rant about anything and everything and all you can do is sit there with some morbid fascination to see what he comes out with next and nod to everything he says regardless of whether or not you agree with what he’s saying. That’s what this book is like. From Black Lives Matter to Boris Johnson, from Covid to Donald Trump, from Terrorism to Immigration there is nothing left unturned in this satirical rant. This is kind of like a time capsule of what happened in 2020 and bizarrely I reckon 20 years from now this could be used a history resource for schools as it is very much if it’s time. Considering a lot has happened in the world in the last couple of years I am intrigued on whether the author’s thoughts on Donald Trump, Russia our current Prime Minister (especially as we’ve had 3 different ones since this was published) and the current state of the economy have changed. TWAS The Year 2022, maybe?
I think I have said this about another book that I have read from the same author. If you go down the pub or enjoy any social setting for that matter there is always that one bloke that’s going of on a rant about anything and everything and all you can do is sit there with some morbid fascination to see what he comes out with next and nod to everything he says regardless of whether or not you agree with what he’s saying. That’s what this book is like. From Black Lives Matter to Boris Johnson, from Covid to Donald Trump, from Terrorism to Immigration there is nothing left unturned in this satirical rant. This is kind of like a time capsule of what happened in 2020 and bizarrely I reckon 20 years from now this could be used a history resource for schools as it is very much if it’s time. Considering a lot has happened in the world in the last couple of years I am intrigued on whether the author’s thoughts on Donald Trump, Russia our current Prime Minister (especially as we’ve had 3 different ones since this was published) and the current state of the economy have changed. TWAS The Year 2022, maybe?
August 17, 2023
That Bloke Down The Pub But In Book Form
I think I have said this about another book that I have read from the same author. If you go down the pub or enjoy any social setting for that matter there is always that one bloke that’s going of on a rant about anything and everything and all you can do is sit there with some morbid fascination to see what he comes out with next and nod to everything he says regardless of whether or not you agree with what he’s saying. That’s what this book is like. From Black Lives Matter to Boris Johnson, from Covid to Donald Trump, from Terrorism to Immigration there is nothing left unturned in this satirical rant. This is kind of like a time capsule of what happened in 2020 and bizarrely I reckon 20 years from now this could be used a history resource for schools as it is very much if it’s time. Considering a lot has happened in the world in the last couple of years I am intrigued on whether the author’s thoughts on Donald Trump, Russia our current Prime Minister (especially as we’ve had 3 different ones since this was published) and the current state of the economy have changed. TWAS The Year 2022, maybe?
I think I have said this about another book that I have read from the same author. If you go down the pub or enjoy any social setting for that matter there is always that one bloke that’s going of on a rant about anything and everything and all you can do is sit there with some morbid fascination to see what he comes out with next and nod to everything he says regardless of whether or not you agree with what he’s saying. That’s what this book is like. From Black Lives Matter to Boris Johnson, from Covid to Donald Trump, from Terrorism to Immigration there is nothing left unturned in this satirical rant. This is kind of like a time capsule of what happened in 2020 and bizarrely I reckon 20 years from now this could be used a history resource for schools as it is very much if it’s time. Considering a lot has happened in the world in the last couple of years I am intrigued on whether the author’s thoughts on Donald Trump, Russia our current Prime Minister (especially as we’ve had 3 different ones since this was published) and the current state of the economy have changed. TWAS The Year 2022, maybe?
September 17, 2020
Great facts about life in general
Loved the way Karl tackled the issues which are affecting us all. Go buy it guys!!! Would definitely recommend it
Loved the way Karl tackled the issues which are affecting us all. Go buy it guys!!! Would definitely recommend it
November 9, 2020
ITS ALL MOST 2021 YESS.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews