Round Ireland with a Fridge - Hardcover

Tony Hawks

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0753152088 ISBN 13: 9780753152089

Publisher: ISIS Large Print Books, 2000

Synopsis

Have you ever made a drunken bet? Worse, still, have you ever tried to win one? In attempting to hitchhike round Ireland with a fridge, Tony Hawks did both, and his foolhardiness led him to one of the best experiences of his life. Joined by his trusty traveling companion-cum-domestic appliance, he found himself in the midst of a remarkable adventure, at times, emotional, at times inspirational, but more often than not, downright silly.

Only in the magical land of Ireland could such a notion lead to such fruitful adventure. Here is his record of the unlikely pair's fortunes as they made their way from Dublin to Donegal, from Sligo through Mayo, Galway, Clare, Kerry, Cork, Wexford, Wicklow, and back again to Dublin.

In their month of madness, Tony and his fridge met a real prince and a bogus one; they surfed together and entered a bachelor festival; the fridge was christened; and one of the pair had sex without the other knowing. And unexpectedly, the fridge itself became a momentary focus for the people of Ireland. As in the days rolled by, the fridge grew into a personality in its own right, developing its own identity and bringing people together wherever it went.

Round Ireland with a Fridge is one of the most inspirational stories you will ever read. Join the fearless duo as they battle on relentlessly toward Dublin and a breathtaking finale that is at the same time moving, uplifting, and a fitting conclusion to the whole ridiculous affair.

An international bestseller, Round Ireland with a Fridge is a hilarious travel adventure in the tradition of Bill Bryson with a dash of Dave Barry. Tony Hawks's ready sense of the absurd, his self-deprecatory charm, and his warm appreciation of the Irish and their traditionally immoderate characteristics combine to make this a resoundingly good read, offering a tantalizing glimpse of grassroots Ireland captured in a wonderful blend of perception and humor.

About this title

Review

On his only prior visit to Ireland, English songwriter-comic Tony Hawks had seen a man hitchhiking with a refrigerator. For years, he was wont to tell the tale during late-night drinking matches, and after one particularly heavy-duty night of partying, he awoke to find a bet scrawled pillowside: a friend wagered 100 pounds that Hawks wouldn't travel Ireland for a month with a refrigerator at his side.

Out of this stupid premise, a ridiculously amusing book was born. Quickly discovered by the Irish media, the thumbing Englishman finds that he and his box fridge are elevated to celebrity status, and there's no dearth of rides, places to stay, or goofy people to meet, from kings to spoons players to locals who take his fridge surfing. As insightful about the strange inner workings of Hawk's mind as it is about charming peculiarities of Irishmen--it's doubtful that Hawks would have been similarly embraced by Germans, Italians, or the French--Round Ireland with a Fridge is an entirely silly, heartwarming tale told in a rollicking funny and refreshing style. --Melissa Rossi

From the Publisher

"Part autobiography, part travelogue, part Guinness-addled ramblings." -The Irish Times

About this edition

• Publisher: ISIS Large Print Books
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 0753152088
• ISBN 13: 9780753152089
• Binding: Hardcover