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How to Survive Family Holidays
One part 'Lonely Planet', one part tell-all family memoir, this is the definitive and hilarious guide on how to survive your family holiday, by Jack Whitehall, with a little bit of help from Michael and Hilary Whitehall.
No one family has more experience of traveling together than the Whitehalls. Indeed they've been allowing us a window to their escapades for the past five years in the hit Netflix show 'Travels with my Father', and in this hilarious book they have now decided to pool their advice for fellow travelers. To lay out the pitfalls of family holidays. The dos and don'ts, the highs and lows. In doing so they are sharing some of their best anecdotes. Their most extreme experiences and their most valuable advice. It is part memoir of family life, part travel guide, and full on, laugh-out-loud funny.
Whatever your version of holiday preparation the truth is always this: if it is with one's own family, no amount of sunshine, wine or holiday spirit will stop your worst character traits coming to the surface. You have just volunteered to spend a week in close proximity with the people who know you best and who will never EVER let you forget a f***up. No one survives unscathed. Things are always going to end in tears, you can only hope they're of laughter.
©2021 Hilary Whitehall, Jack Whitehall, Michael Whitehall (P)2021 Hachette Audio UK
No one family has more experience of traveling together than the Whitehalls. Indeed they've been allowing us a window to their escapades for the past five years in the hit Netflix show 'Travels with my Father', and in this hilarious book they have now decided to pool their advice for fellow travelers. To lay out the pitfalls of family holidays. The dos and don'ts, the highs and lows. In doing so they are sharing some of their best anecdotes. Their most extreme experiences and their most valuable advice. It is part memoir of family life, part travel guide, and full on, laugh-out-loud funny.
Whatever your version of holiday preparation the truth is always this: if it is with one's own family, no amount of sunshine, wine or holiday spirit will stop your worst character traits coming to the surface. You have just volunteered to spend a week in close proximity with the people who know you best and who will never EVER let you forget a f***up. No one survives unscathed. Things are always going to end in tears, you can only hope they're of laughter.
©2021 Hilary Whitehall, Jack Whitehall, Michael Whitehall (P)2021 Hachette Audio UK
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First published October 14, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews
November 4, 2021
Written by Jack Whitehall, this is a blend of family memoir, travelogue, and advice on how to get through the trauma that are family holidays. It reads like stand up comedy material and is one of the funniest things I have ever read. In the introduction Jack tells us it was originally going to be just him until his parents, Michael and Hilary, muscled their way in, and in my humble opinion, it wouldn't have been half as brilliant without them. I have come across Michael before, on chat shows mainly, and am familiar with his persona, the traditional conservative, whose fantasy dinner party would include Thatcher's cabinet, a diehard Brexit supporter, a product of his generation and class, a show biz agent to the stars, but I knew less about Hilary, here she is a revelation, coming across as truly hilarious, a mother of three children, at the heart of their family.
If you are acquainted with Jack Whitehall, the style and humour of this will feel familiar, with the three unreliable narrators remembering things differently, Jack refers to this book as entering new genre territory, a type of 'Travelogue and Misery Lit'. We are told to approach family holidays with a degree of cynicism, low expectations and if at all possible, not see the family prior to going away, easier if you are at boarding school as a child, and if you have moved home as an adult, whilst airing old family grievances before helps in lessening their impact when they come up on holiday. Michael tells us why mixing business with family holidays is not a good idea as he name drops his way through his anecdotes. I loved his reference to Cuba as Liverpool with cigars! There are the perils of eating abroad, particularly at Michelin starred restaurants and the Chernobyl canteen, and what can get lost in translation as with the term thongs in Australia, whilst Hilary regales us with Scrabblegate on her honeymoon.
In many ways, the crazed conflict ridden Whitehall family dynamics will feel unnervingly familiar to many of us, the family knows us best, inside and out, are aware of all our weaknesses and will never let us forget our mistakes. We may rage at them and take the mick out of them, yes, there are the mental scars, but there is a strong sense of affection and love in the family ties that bind. Nowhere is this made clearer than when Jack relates missing out on the family Christmas festivities in 2020 for obvious reasons, and how hard that hit him. Fans of Jack and his family will love this entertaining and utterly comic and witty read, and I think even those that have never encountered him before will enjoy this too. This is the perfect Christmas present, and I hear the audio is fabulous, with Michael and Hilary relating their parts on it. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
If you are acquainted with Jack Whitehall, the style and humour of this will feel familiar, with the three unreliable narrators remembering things differently, Jack refers to this book as entering new genre territory, a type of 'Travelogue and Misery Lit'. We are told to approach family holidays with a degree of cynicism, low expectations and if at all possible, not see the family prior to going away, easier if you are at boarding school as a child, and if you have moved home as an adult, whilst airing old family grievances before helps in lessening their impact when they come up on holiday. Michael tells us why mixing business with family holidays is not a good idea as he name drops his way through his anecdotes. I loved his reference to Cuba as Liverpool with cigars! There are the perils of eating abroad, particularly at Michelin starred restaurants and the Chernobyl canteen, and what can get lost in translation as with the term thongs in Australia, whilst Hilary regales us with Scrabblegate on her honeymoon.
In many ways, the crazed conflict ridden Whitehall family dynamics will feel unnervingly familiar to many of us, the family knows us best, inside and out, are aware of all our weaknesses and will never let us forget our mistakes. We may rage at them and take the mick out of them, yes, there are the mental scars, but there is a strong sense of affection and love in the family ties that bind. Nowhere is this made clearer than when Jack relates missing out on the family Christmas festivities in 2020 for obvious reasons, and how hard that hit him. Fans of Jack and his family will love this entertaining and utterly comic and witty read, and I think even those that have never encountered him before will enjoy this too. This is the perfect Christmas present, and I hear the audio is fabulous, with Michael and Hilary relating their parts on it. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
December 24, 2021
4 Stars
If you know of Jack Whitehall—comedian, actor, and all-around cheeky Brit—you probably know what kind of tales will be served in this holiday-themed, family-told memoir.
If you’re a Jack Whitehall super-fan, you’ll likely also have spent a lot of time (A LOT) laughing over and adoring Jack’s parents, Michael and Hilary. Bless.
Here, the three of them collaborate to share their family holiday memories, many sentimental and charming in their telling, and some downright laugh-out-loud funny.
There’s good advice within too, about the dos and don’ts of travelling with your family, but mostly I just enjoyed the overall relatability of the family dynamics and amusing anecdotes shared.
At this point, if it’s got the Whitehall name attached, whether it's a stand-up show, a TV series, a film or a book, I’m going to be there and willing in a hot minute.
***************************
Audio Edition:
Why read the book when the actual authors are narrating? That’s my rule of thumb, where applicable, when dealing with celebrities and their memoirs. In this particular case, listening to Jack, Michael and Hilary, take turns telling stories and commentating on each other’s memories and advice, was well worth the audible credit.
If you know of Jack Whitehall—comedian, actor, and all-around cheeky Brit—you probably know what kind of tales will be served in this holiday-themed, family-told memoir.
If you’re a Jack Whitehall super-fan, you’ll likely also have spent a lot of time (A LOT) laughing over and adoring Jack’s parents, Michael and Hilary. Bless.
Here, the three of them collaborate to share their family holiday memories, many sentimental and charming in their telling, and some downright laugh-out-loud funny.
There’s good advice within too, about the dos and don’ts of travelling with your family, but mostly I just enjoyed the overall relatability of the family dynamics and amusing anecdotes shared.
At this point, if it’s got the Whitehall name attached, whether it's a stand-up show, a TV series, a film or a book, I’m going to be there and willing in a hot minute.
***************************
Audio Edition:
Why read the book when the actual authors are narrating? That’s my rule of thumb, where applicable, when dealing with celebrities and their memoirs. In this particular case, listening to Jack, Michael and Hilary, take turns telling stories and commentating on each other’s memories and advice, was well worth the audible credit.
April 24, 2023
I've been a massive fan of Jack Whitehall's comedy for as long as I can remember. His TV shows are pretty epic - as well! So, when I saw a signed copy of this book in the bookstore, I jumped at the chance to read it!
What can I say? It's hilarious from start to finish. I loved Jack's sense of humor, Michael's wit, and Hilary's no-nonsense approach to family holidays. Although it's not the type of book I normally read, it was enjoyable and definitely worth five stars!
What can I say? It's hilarious from start to finish. I loved Jack's sense of humor, Michael's wit, and Hilary's no-nonsense approach to family holidays. Although it's not the type of book I normally read, it was enjoyable and definitely worth five stars!
October 24, 2021
Finished this in a day whilst doing a bit of long driving, can honestly say I was in absolute stitches!! I love these 3 and really hoping they do a podcast sometime in the future, I reckon it would be a BIG hit🤩👏🏼
March 11, 2023
"Tis the season to be jolly lucky you have that bunch of weirdos in your life, even Filomena."
October 24, 2021
Hilarious! Word to the wise - don't listen to the audiobook whilst driving...I was crying with laughter and could barely see at one point...
January 12, 2023
A companion book to the Netflix show Travels With my Father. As a big fan of Jack and Michael Whitehall I really enjoyed this book. Filled with funny anecdotes about their family holidays and some trips from the show, this is a light hearted, entertaining, easy read! Definitely recommend it if you like the show!
December 16, 2021
3.5*
Now don’t get me wrong - I love the Whitehalls, especially Hillary, who I love and adore - but I just didn’t take to this autobiographical book, which really disappoints me. Perhaps it was my mood? Perhaps it was the time of year, i.e. the darkness and the cold? Who knows. The one thing I do wish that Hillary featured a bit more in this.
Now don’t get me wrong - I love the Whitehalls, especially Hillary, who I love and adore - but I just didn’t take to this autobiographical book, which really disappoints me. Perhaps it was my mood? Perhaps it was the time of year, i.e. the darkness and the cold? Who knows. The one thing I do wish that Hillary featured a bit more in this.
April 28, 2023
Auch wenn ich Teile davon bereits als Bühnenversion gesehen habe und auch lustig fand - ich bin hier sehr gespalten. Ich wundere mich ehrlich, warum die Eltern Jack noch nicht enterbt haben.
Er beschwert sich immer über die biederen Ansichten seines ältlichen Vaters - dabei ist er kein Stück besser was Vorurteile und unlustige Kommentare über andere Menschen betrifft.
Einzig seine Mutter ist mir hier sehr sympathisch - ich glaube, mit der Frau und ihren Neurosen würde ich mich super verstehen. Wäre Jack ein Typ in meinem Bekanntenkreis würde ich ihn jetzt blocken.
Er beschwert sich immer über die biederen Ansichten seines ältlichen Vaters - dabei ist er kein Stück besser was Vorurteile und unlustige Kommentare über andere Menschen betrifft.
Einzig seine Mutter ist mir hier sehr sympathisch - ich glaube, mit der Frau und ihren Neurosen würde ich mich super verstehen. Wäre Jack ein Typ in meinem Bekanntenkreis würde ich ihn jetzt blocken.
March 8, 2022
3.5 stars 🌟
October 25, 2021
Audiobook is wonderful if you are familiar with this comedian and his family! His parents read their own chapters and there is section of “b roll” throughout and at the end that will have you rolling with laughter. Another win from the Whitehall’s.
January 10, 2022
I love Jack Whitehall, so I wish I could’ve rated this higher. And don’t get me wrong, the book had some absolutely hilarious moments peppered throughout. But, far too many times, I did find myself feeling the book drag on and was completely ready to start skimming if it kept up too much.
Let’s just say…not every topic needed to be that long and, though I’m sure it was rather fun for the family, I did not particularly care much for all the additives of Michael and Hillary.
Let’s just say…not every topic needed to be that long and, though I’m sure it was rather fun for the family, I did not particularly care much for all the additives of Michael and Hillary.
March 15, 2022
4 Amusing Stars
How to Survive Family Holidays by Jack Whitehall, Michael Whitehall & Hilary Whitehall is collaborate book to share their family holiday memories and some laugh-out-loud funny moments along the way.
Jack and Michael are well known from their hit TV series on Netflix "Travels with my Father. This TV series is a LOL must watch and I highly recommend you give it a go. With both of there different styles of humour they complement each other really well.
This book is a touch on that really and has some really funny moments within. I did think at times it was dragged along but really if your looking for a funny, relaaxing, light red this is for you.
How to Survive Family Holidays by Jack Whitehall, Michael Whitehall & Hilary Whitehall is collaborate book to share their family holiday memories and some laugh-out-loud funny moments along the way.
Jack and Michael are well known from their hit TV series on Netflix "Travels with my Father. This TV series is a LOL must watch and I highly recommend you give it a go. With both of there different styles of humour they complement each other really well.
This book is a touch on that really and has some really funny moments within. I did think at times it was dragged along but really if your looking for a funny, relaaxing, light red this is for you.
January 12, 2023
Listened on Audible.
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Performance: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Stories: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The dynamics between Jack and his parents are hilarious. I loved the stories, especially ones from Travels with my Father as I had seen it.
I did find the first half hard to get into, but after halfway, it was gold.
I highly recommend the audiobook as Jack, Hilary and Michael Whitehall are fantastic!
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Performance: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Stories: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The dynamics between Jack and his parents are hilarious. I loved the stories, especially ones from Travels with my Father as I had seen it.
I did find the first half hard to get into, but after halfway, it was gold.
I highly recommend the audiobook as Jack, Hilary and Michael Whitehall are fantastic!
August 3, 2022
Hilarious
January 5, 2025
Received as a gift years ago and thought I’d pick it up as a light read. Was good and funny but repetitive and seemed to go on forever!
October 22, 2021
Listened to the audiobook and what a treat! Actually had me laughing out loud. The anecdotes from Michael and Hilary were definitely the highlights. Loved it!
May 27, 2024
Actually found myself laughing at bits who knew
October 31, 2021
Opt for the audiobook version. I have never laughed harder.
October 30, 2021
Michael Whitehall is a national treasure 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
January 27, 2022
Tej audible version is excellent! Really enjoyed this one. Good laugh
December 26, 2021
On first pass it seemed a poor adaptation of his stand-up routine and I didn’t enjoy the joint narration of Jack Whitehall, Michael and Hillary. I gave up about a quarter of the way through. I’m glad I picked it up again. It literally had me laughing out loud. A lovely funny book to end the year.
March 4, 2022
Comedian Jack Whitehall, along with his parents Hilary and Michael, share some, let's say, interesting insights in this laugh-a-minute guide to travelling with those closest to you: your family.
You might already know this famous family from the hit Netflix show 'Travels With My Father'. If you haven't already watched it, I strongly recommend that you give it a try. Jack and Michael have very different styles of humour that complement each other incredibly well.
Whether you've watched the show or not, this book is just as funny and paints a terrific picture of the pros and pitfalls of travelling with your parents, or other close family members.
I hope my child has some truly hilarious stories from our travels when he's older. You know the ones, those embarrassing, nothing-could-possibly-go-any-more-wrong stories. But, somehow, things often do go wrong. And even when they go swimmingly, even the best plans can still turn into a comedy of errors somewhere along the way.
I recommend keeping a copy of this book to hand to dip into every time you dive into the treacherous waters of travelling with relatives. It's a useful guide for everything from why you should, actually, never pack your own towel (sorry, Douglas Adams) to avoiding buying souvenirs that could get you cancelled and the perils of introducing Scrabble into the family dynamic.
It covers pretty much every step of the journey, including the good, the bad and the downright embarrassing.
When is it appropriate to drink in an airport? What phrases should you absolutely learn in any language? Why should you never accept live animals from strangers? How do you keep everyone entertained on a long trip? Whatever it is, the Whitehalls have you covered. In fact, why not just throw a copy of this book in your hand luggage for that last one.
You might already know this famous family from the hit Netflix show 'Travels With My Father'. If you haven't already watched it, I strongly recommend that you give it a try. Jack and Michael have very different styles of humour that complement each other incredibly well.
Whether you've watched the show or not, this book is just as funny and paints a terrific picture of the pros and pitfalls of travelling with your parents, or other close family members.
I hope my child has some truly hilarious stories from our travels when he's older. You know the ones, those embarrassing, nothing-could-possibly-go-any-more-wrong stories. But, somehow, things often do go wrong. And even when they go swimmingly, even the best plans can still turn into a comedy of errors somewhere along the way.
I recommend keeping a copy of this book to hand to dip into every time you dive into the treacherous waters of travelling with relatives. It's a useful guide for everything from why you should, actually, never pack your own towel (sorry, Douglas Adams) to avoiding buying souvenirs that could get you cancelled and the perils of introducing Scrabble into the family dynamic.
It covers pretty much every step of the journey, including the good, the bad and the downright embarrassing.
When is it appropriate to drink in an airport? What phrases should you absolutely learn in any language? Why should you never accept live animals from strangers? How do you keep everyone entertained on a long trip? Whatever it is, the Whitehalls have you covered. In fact, why not just throw a copy of this book in your hand luggage for that last one.
December 22, 2021
This was as the title suggests really! Jack Whitehall's answer to surviving family holidays basically, and it was very witty but truthful never the less!
If you have enjoyed watching Travels with My Father with Jack and his dad, then there are some scenes from those series mentioned in this book, but most of the book is his do's and don'ts of family holidays, from packing before leaving to actually going on holiday. There are bits in between from both his Mum and his Dad which are equally as funny. It's a good light hearted read and there are some helpful tips along the way!
I enjoyed this book except for one niggle :
I think it’s worth a mention, there are some errors in the proof reading of this book and there are quite a few. In the inserts of the book where we hear from Michael on pages 130-133 and also during the inserts on pages 184-191 where we hear from Hilary, for some reason wherever the letters “fi” or “fl” appear in a word, it has added some random foreign? Letter to the word, which makes the words absolutely unreadable and it made it difficult to read as it took me a few seconds on each word to figure out what the word was supposed to be! This is a classic proof read issue and surely should have been picked up on a book which will no doubt be quite popular. That being said it doesn’t detract from what is being written on the pages, it just can be off putting having to try to figure out what the words are supposed to say, as how they appear is not English, and there were quite a lot throughout the mentioned pages!
If you have enjoyed watching Travels with My Father with Jack and his dad, then there are some scenes from those series mentioned in this book, but most of the book is his do's and don'ts of family holidays, from packing before leaving to actually going on holiday. There are bits in between from both his Mum and his Dad which are equally as funny. It's a good light hearted read and there are some helpful tips along the way!
I enjoyed this book except for one niggle :
I think it’s worth a mention, there are some errors in the proof reading of this book and there are quite a few. In the inserts of the book where we hear from Michael on pages 130-133 and also during the inserts on pages 184-191 where we hear from Hilary, for some reason wherever the letters “fi” or “fl” appear in a word, it has added some random foreign? Letter to the word, which makes the words absolutely unreadable and it made it difficult to read as it took me a few seconds on each word to figure out what the word was supposed to be! This is a classic proof read issue and surely should have been picked up on a book which will no doubt be quite popular. That being said it doesn’t detract from what is being written on the pages, it just can be off putting having to try to figure out what the words are supposed to say, as how they appear is not English, and there were quite a lot throughout the mentioned pages!
January 5, 2022
It’s very fair I find a book that makes me laugh out loud but this book certainly did just that! I wasn’t expecting it to be this good as I read his previous book before and thought it was a good read but not one I would read again. However this had the complete opposite effect!
Not only did he make me laugh out loud I must say the conclusion really made me love this book all the more and made you realise how much you could be missing.
All in all a very good read for funny stories and a feel good book!
Not only did he make me laugh out loud I must say the conclusion really made me love this book all the more and made you realise how much you could be missing.
All in all a very good read for funny stories and a feel good book!
August 14, 2023
Read 2023 (Audiobook): ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Narrated by Jack Whitehall, Hilary Whitehall, and Michael Whitehall. I’m so glad I listened to the audiobook for this; it showed such a fun dynamic between Jack and his parents and really have an insight into their personalities and relationship with each other. Especially the outtakes at the end - I’m so glad they included those outtakes and tangents because they were hilarious! It’s probably a 3.5 or 4 star book, but the narration absolutely makes it a 5 star read (or listen) for me.
Narrated by Jack Whitehall, Hilary Whitehall, and Michael Whitehall. I’m so glad I listened to the audiobook for this; it showed such a fun dynamic between Jack and his parents and really have an insight into their personalities and relationship with each other. Especially the outtakes at the end - I’m so glad they included those outtakes and tangents because they were hilarious! It’s probably a 3.5 or 4 star book, but the narration absolutely makes it a 5 star read (or listen) for me.
August 29, 2024
This book is a good laugh, with some witty anecdotes about Jack Whitehall's holidays with his parents. Particular highlights include telling of how Hilary Whitehall likes to double check her house is locked up before leaving, and Michael Whitehall's toilet troubles in Chernobyl.
I can't believe how annoying it must be to have Michael Whitehall make everyone stand up for the Queen's Speech* at Christmas. I love the Monarchy, but that seems a step too far.
*The book was written before the Queen passed away, so they don't mention Charles being the King.
I can't believe how annoying it must be to have Michael Whitehall make everyone stand up for the Queen's Speech* at Christmas. I love the Monarchy, but that seems a step too far.
*The book was written before the Queen passed away, so they don't mention Charles being the King.
March 4, 2022
The family banter throughout this book allows the listener to feel part of the group. It’s funny, maybe a bit predictable if you have watched “Travels with my Family” but still very amusing. Michael’s cringeworthy comments would be unacceptable but for Hilary and Jack interjecting. I’m sure we all have one of those family members who can easily “put their foot in it” making it relevant for all who listen. I thoroughly enjoyed the audiobook, unsure how it would come across in print.
February 13, 2023
Very average.
Jack's last book (with Michael) was much better.
This book has a few funny stories but it's mostly very basically travel observations that have been joked about and discussed to death by pretty much everyone you know.
Was expecting this to be more original than it turned out to be, which is a shame as Jack and Michael have the potential to be funny, but sadly this book felt like a quick cash grab from the popularity of their last book.
Jack's last book (with Michael) was much better.
This book has a few funny stories but it's mostly very basically travel observations that have been joked about and discussed to death by pretty much everyone you know.
Was expecting this to be more original than it turned out to be, which is a shame as Jack and Michael have the potential to be funny, but sadly this book felt like a quick cash grab from the popularity of their last book.
July 6, 2022
If you enjoyed Jack Whitehall’s Netflix show Travels with my Father, this is a spin-off literary version of the show. With the same cheeky humor you’ve come to expect from Jack.
He talks about vacations with his parents including many humorous anecdotes. Even with parts where both his father Michael and mother Hilary chime in with their own commentary.
He talks about vacations with his parents including many humorous anecdotes. Even with parts where both his father Michael and mother Hilary chime in with their own commentary.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews