Round Ireland with a Fridge

Tony Hawks (1997)

THE A5 BOOK REVIEW

After a long night of drinking, the English comedian Tony Hawks (not the famous skateboarder Tony Hawk) woke up to a vague recollection of a bet made the night before, confirmed by the signed note he found in his pocket.  “I hereby bet Tony Hawks the sum of One Hundred Pounds that he cannot hitchhike round the circumference of Ireland, with a fridge, within one calendar month.”  And so, with that commitment, his adventure began, starting with a 130 GBP purchase of the actual fridge.  It is a silly book, and while the novelty of the bet does get a little old over time, it is heartening to see how news travels and the people of Ireland warm to the quest.  All in all, Hawks and his traveling fridge do provide a unique and personal view of an amazing country. 
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ABOUT TONY HAWKS

Tony Hawks is a British comedian, author and general entertainer.  His career includes some success as a singer-songwriter, mainly with a parody of a Beastie Boys song, regular appearances on UK television and radio panels, and numerous stand-up comedy appearances.  He is the author of a number of books, most which deal with a quest to follow up on some type of crazy bet made with friends.  Round Ireland with a Fridge is his most popular book, followed by Playing the Moldovans at Tennis (2000).  He is often confused with the famous skateboarder Tony Hawk, and he has a section on his own website with emails he has received from mistaken skateboarding fans.

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GREAT QUOTES FROM ROUND IRELAND WITH A FRIDGE

“I'm not, by nature, a betting man.  However, the pages that follow in this book do not bear testimony to that.  In fact they exist wholly to the existence of a bet.  I'm not by nature a drinking man.  However, the making of the bet which led to this book does not bear testimony to that.  Because I made it when I was pissed.  Everything you read from this moment forth is a tribute to what can be achieved as a result of a shabby night of booze.” 
- Tony Hawks, prologue to Round Ireland with a Fridge

INTERESTING LINKS:

  • Read the nice article written in 2010 by Karen Karbo in the New York Times on travel books, mentioning Round Ireland with a Fridge as a "ridiculous and sublime" example of travel writing.
  • ​In 2010, Hawks produced a movie of the same name, starring Ed Byrne, Josie Lawrence, Sean Hughes, and himself.  See a clip here on the website for the film.

TONY HAWKS' TED TALK