One Hit Wonderland

Tony Hawks' unique assault on the world of music

A wonderful shaggy dog story-all the more wonderful for it actually having happened

A lively, comical read from the master of absurd situations, with plenty of fair comment on the world of music

Tony Hawks lives in London. He leads a diverse life and has various 'jobs', such as performing stand up comedy, appearing as a panellist on TV and radio (Have I Got News For You, Just A Minute, I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue), acting, writing, playing tennis, and making music.

It's 1988 and radios across the land blast out the Top Ten hit 'Stutter Rap' by Morris Minor and the Majors. The man behind the fake moustache is Tony Hawks. 
 
Fast forward to the 21st century and those heady days of pop stardom are a distant memory. That is, until it is suggested that Tony is just another One Hit Wonder. Really? We'll have to see about that ... 
 
For two years Tony struggles to have a hit somewhere, anywhere, in the world, changing acts and styles with a bewildering lack of integrity. From Nashville to Amsterdam, from Eastern Europe to Africa, he travels the globe in search of that elusive hit. 
 
But it's only after a chance encounter with Norman Wisdom that things get really strange. Is it really possible that together they could storm the Albanian charts? 
 
In One Hit Wonderland anything can happen ...

The Ups and Downs of an Englishman in the French Mountains

A Piano In The Pyrenees

A hilarious adventure in France from bestselling author Tony Hawks

Hawks is effortlessly entertaining...a delightful holiday read for anyone

Tony Hawks lives in London. He leads a diverse life and has various 'jobs', such as performing stand-up comedy, appearing as a panellist on TV and radio (Have I Got News For You, Just A Minute, I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue), acting, writing, playing tennis, and making music.

'If you had to pick two things you wanted - if you had to - what would you pick?' 
 
I hesitated. This was a bigger question than usually got asked at these post-match debriefs. 'I suppose the honest answer would be,' I said, still accessing the last pieces of required data from a jumbled mind, 'meeting my soul mate, and finding an idyllic house abroad somewhere.' 
 
Inspired by breathtaking views and romantic dreams of finding love in the mountains, Tony Hawks impulsively buys a house in the French Pyrenees. Here, he plans to finally fulfil his childhood fantasy of mastering the piano, untroubled by the problems of the world. 
 
In reality, the chaotic story of Tony's hopelessly ill-conceived house purchase reads like the definitive guide to how not to buy a house in France. It finds him flirting with the removal business in a disastrous attempt to transport his piano to France in a dodgy white van; foolishly electing to build a swimming pool himself; and expanding his relationship repertoire when he starts co-habiting, not with an exquisite French beauty, but with a middle-aged builder from West London. 
 
As Tony and his friends haplessly attempt to fit into village life, they learn more about themselves and each other than they ever imagined.

Playing the Moldovans at Tennis

The latest and greatest foolhardy attempt to win a bet by Tony Hawks

Even if you hate tennis and couldn't find Moldova on the map, you'll be charmed. Utterly recommended

Surprisingly touching as well as incredibly funny

I expected to find this book funny, which it is; I didn't expect to find it illuminating and rather moving, which it is too

This immensely readable account, enriched with moments of true hilarity is, quite honestly, a bit of a gem

'All I knew about Moldova were the names of eleven men printed on the inside back pages of my newspaper. None of them sounded to me like they were any good at tennis ...' 
 
An eccentric wager finds Tony Hawks, a man who loves an unusual challenge, bound for the little-known Eastern European state of Moldova. His mission: to track down members of the country's football team and persuade them to play him at tennis. The bizarre quest ultimately has little to do with tennis or football, but instead turns into an extraordinary journey involving the Moldovan underworld, gypsies, chronic power shortages, near kidnap, and a surprisingly tender relationship with his host family. 
 
Follow the fortunes of Tony in this hilarious and often moving adventure as it takes him from Moldova, onwards to Northern Ireland, leading to an exciting denouement in Nazareth - and the naked truth of the bet's final outcome ...

Travels in the Heart of Africa

The Weekenders

A wonderful collection of short stories and travel writing from some of Britain's best writers

What would happen if you took some of Britain's best writing talent, put them on a plane and flew them to one of the most extraordinary and inaccessible places on the planet? What would happen if you took Irvine Welsh from the streets of Edinburgh and showed him a remote, dangerous village in Africa? Or if you flew Alex Garland into one of the world's most hazardous war zones? And how would Tony Hawks react if you dragged him away from his tennis and asked him to write a song with a Sudanese tribesman? With Victoria Glendinning, Andrew O'Hagan, Giles Foden and WF Deedes, these writers have experienced for themselves one of the most beautiful and yet troubled lands in the world - Sudan. This remarkable collection of short stories and evocative travel writing is their response - as diverse and unpredictable as the country itself.

Tony Hawks

Not just brilliantly written, but far too hilarious to read alone in a public place

Hawks's account shows the Irish at their whimsical best

Very light-hearted, he captures the generosity, warmth and humour of Ireland

Part autobiography, part travelogue, part insane Guinness-addled ramblings

Absolutely brilliant from start to finish - Tony Hawks is just as funny at the written word as he is on the box

Full of wit, dry self-observation and wonder at the human spirit, Hawks guides us through his inspirational journey with a deft touch. Rarely does a book make me laugh out loud

Round Ireland with a Fridge is an entirely silly, heart-warming tale told in a rollicking funny and refreshing style

'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' 
 
A foolhardy attempt to win a drunken bet led to Tony Hawks having one of the most unforgettable experiences of his life. Joined by his trusty travelling-companion-cum-domestic-appliance, he found himself in the midst of a remarkable, inspirational and, at times, downright silly adventure. 
 
In their month of madness, Tony and his fridge surfed together; entered a batchelor festival; and one of them had sex without the other knowing. The fridge got christened, and they even met the poorest king on Earth. 
 
An absurd story of an extraordinary adventure, Round Ireland with a Fridge follows the fearless pair as they battle towards Dublin and a breathtaking finale that is moving, uplifting, and a fitting conclusion to the whole ridiculous affair.

Tony Hawks

Praise for Round Ireland With A Fridge

Not just brilliantly written, but far too hilarious to read alone in a public place

Hawks's account shows the Irish at their whimsical best

Very light-hearted, he captures the generosity, warmth and humour of Ireland

Not just brilliantly written, but far too hilarious to read alone in a public place

Hawks's account shows the Irish at their whimsical best

Very light-hearted, he captures the generosity, warmth and humour of Ireland

Not just brilliantly written, but far too hilarious to read alone in a public place

Hawks's account shows the Irish at their whimsical best

Very light-hearted, he captures the generosity, warmth and humour of Ireland

Books by Tony Hawks

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