Ramble Book

Musings on Childhood, Friendship, Family and 80s Pop Culture

By: Adam Buxton

Narrated by: Adam Buxton

Length: 10 hrs and 50 mins

Publisher's Summary

Includes an exclusive bonus podcast with Joe Cornish.

The long-awaited, rambling, tender and very funny memoir from Adam Buxton.

Ramble

/ˈramb(ə)l/

Verb

1. walk for pleasure in the countryside.

‘Dr Buckles and Rosie the dog love rambling in the countryside.’

2. talk or write at length in a confused or inconsequential way.

‘Adam rambles on about lots of consequential, compelling and personal matters in his tender, insightful, hilarious and totally unconfused memoir, Ramble Book.’

Ramble Book is about parenthood, boarding-school trauma, arguing with your partner, bad parties, confrontations on trains, friendship, wanting to fit in, growing up in the '80s, dead dads, teenage sexual anxiety, failed artistic endeavours, being a David Bowie fan and how everything you read, watch and listen to as a child forms a part of the adult you become. 

It’s also an audiobook about the joys of going off topic and letting your mind wander.

And it’s about a short, hairy, frequently confused man called Adam Buxton.     

©2020 Adam Buxton (P)2020 HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Critic Reviews

"I recommend Ramble Book. There are wonderful, melancholy passages about his father, and Bowie, and 80s nostalgia, perfect for those of us who get teary-eyed remembering the first time we heard Dexys Midnight Runners or whatever. He writes jingles for the start of each chapter. He takes us on lovely, audio-only tangents. There used to be a solemnity to audiobook recording. Diverging from the set text was considered heretical. Adam’s book is full of the joys of doing the opposite.’ (Jon Ronson) 

Probably the best book of the year so far.

It’s impossible to be subjective here when my youth and adult life has been enhanced by Adam Buxton in so many ways. I knew i’d like it, but I didn’t think i’d love it quite as much as i did. There’s a very Bill Bryson/David Sedaris quality to the story telling which I enjoyed a great deal and took everything in a direction I wasn’t expecting. I think if you’re a newcomer to Adam Buxton there’s more than enough to entertain and leave you wanting more and to a longtime fan it’s a touching, funny and expertly written memoir.

love me some buckles

I laughed, I teared up - it's all the Adam-y goodness one could want.

What a charming delightful book

I loved this. I used to love the Adam & Joe Show, and this didn't disappoint. Adam's frank recollections and descriptions of his relationship with his father, even at his death, were joyous in their honesty.it's funny and heartwarming and raw and evolved. Loved it, didn't want it to finish and will insist my 4 sons listen to it. If they turn out like Adam I will know I've done a great job. Loved the argument tally 😂. Thank you

a jolly entertaining read.

have listened to dr buckles since 6 music. a really fun, well written book. cheers

Authentic, warm and honest.

Adam’s book is a must for fans (and he has many) who have grown up with his work. His early life and family experiences will resonate with anyone growing up in the 80s. His superpower (although he doesn’t seem to notice this himself) is how natural and unique he is at connecting with the people he interviews and how he brings light and warmth to his ramble chats. You will always be lifted by reading or listening to him. I hope that he focuses on writing more.

Loses one star for dismissing the music of Tin Machine

Less an autobiography, more like spending a pleasant day with Mr Buxton. Warm, charming, funny and tender. Strikes a nostalgic chord with all those of our generation who experienced the thrill of setting up an Atari 2600 or scared ourselves half to death in a darkened room trying to watch Alien on TV.

Special and unique

This book is something special - Adam has a way of story telling that is so simple and compelling. I have recommended it to everyone I know and will continue to do so. Thank you.

Loved it

Thank you Adam, funny, from the heart, authentic. I nyomped this down in the last week, carving out time to listen because I was enjoying it so much. Looking forward to part two 😉

Perfect for any Adam and Joe fans.

Really enjoyed this audiobook but didn't expect anything else. Adam is hilarious as usual and I found myself tearing up a bit as i heard of the final few days of Bad Dad.

Thought Joe's appearance at the end was the perfect end to a great listen, and I would pay money to hear those two regularly again in a podcast.

A must for all fans of the podcast and Buckles

Funny, personal, honest, full of new info, an excellent bonus podcast and of course, jingles.

I could not have loved this more.....

Am a massive fan of the podcast so have been waiting for this for aggggeeeeees.
Now that it's here I promised myself that I would ration it to an hour a day, well that went shits up because I bought it yesterday and I have finished it already....do yourself a favour just buy it, it's wonderful.

5 stars for Buckles before I’ve even listened

I’m going to savour his long awaited audiobook delight just like Charlie savours his birthday chocolate bar in Charlie and the Chocolate factory.

Love you
BYEEEEEEEEE

Adam at his true best

I love this. If you love the podcast you’ll love this. Well done Adam! Brilliant

Wonderful! Funny, easy going, heartfelt, genuine

What a great book - well done Adam!

A delightful walk through Adam’s life being his usual honest and reflective self, with some interesting stories and observations. Unlike most autobiographies the stories aren’t so much the point of Adams book so much as how they made him feel and his inquisitive, genuine desire to understand and report them. Without wanting to be too mean, it’s everything that Louis’s book lacked for me.

Lots of heartfelt stuff in here, which Adam brilliantly lightens with a bit of perspective and good humour.

I loved the mixed format too - the interludes and jungles really worked for me (I was nervous hearing him talk about working on them!)... I feel that as a podcast king and audible super fan, he’s about as qualified to play with the format as anyone... and I think he’s done it proud.

Superb

Couldn't stop listening and finished it in record time. Brilliantly narrated. Mainly funny and interesting but also sensitive and thought provoking.

A Bit Disappointing

I had high hopes for this book and awaited it with great exciting. I’m a big fan of Adam Buxton, love his podcasts, loved the Adam and joe stuff and his comedy in general.

This book feels like a David Bowie album review, I get that he’s a big fan and it’s a big part of his life but it’s too much, I wanted to hear about Adams life and not Bowie’s albums. There’s also very little about the time around Adam and joe and his later career, in fact there’s practically nothing about his later career. Some funny bits and the stuff with his dad is very touching but overall a bit boring and I’d never thought I’d say that about something by Adam.

A tonic

Funny but not distracted with trying to be, thought provoking but not heavy, personal but not stalker-fan levels. The last chapter made me done a cry-cry.

I'm more of a ramble chat, philosophical, comedy leaning podcast listener, so while there is a lot of music and, of course, Bowie talk the themes are well interlaced with personal experiences and I didn't feel lectured to or sidelined.

The usual ear tonic that I crave from Mr Buckles - delivered (left at a safe distance on my earstep).

Ungrateful

For a man whose career would certainly not have happened if he hadn't attended public school, he's incredibly ungrateful to his father, who went through financial ruin to make it possible. Publishing his dads begging letters for our amusement?? Didn't sit well with me...

Buckles, you make my heart sing

You make everything groovy. Buckles, I think I love you.

Then
Another
Five
More
Words

A total joy!

From start to finish this is quite wonderful, I didn’t mean to listen to it all in a few days but here we are. Although listeners to Adam’s podcast will enjoy this as much as I have, anyone who isn’t already a fan of the podcast will most likely enjoy this as it’s fun, sad and more than a touch wonderfully daft in many places! 10 Rosie’s out of 10 would listen again!