» Book Review: ‘As You Do’

As You Do, by Richard Hammond
Paperback, © 2009 Phoenix, ISBN 9780753825624

The follow up to his best-selling On The Edge (reviewed here), Richard Hammond’s As You Do covers the year following his near-fatal jet car accident that saw him return to Top Gear and get back on the proverbial wagon.

It was a year full of more accidents and drama, although thankfully for him, much of this was confined to the set and stunts of the show, and even more fortunately, without further injury.

One of the first challenges he faced after his recovery was the team’s record-breaking trip to the North Pole, with Hammond co-piloting a dog sled while the show’s co-hosts had the greater pleasure of driving a custom-fitted Toyota Hilux in a head-to-head race.

Add to this his experiences crossing the English Channel in an amphibious car, travelling the width of Botswana in a car named Oliver (a beautifully-written section) and trying to get through seventeen miles of floodwaters to get to his daughter’s birthday party, it is certainly a curious compilation of stories that somehow meshes together very nicely.

The book fundamentally works because of Hammond’s carefree writing style that has the reader engaged from the first page. In an obvious contrast to On The Edge, the book lighter tone make it a much easier read.

It’s perhaps one more for the bona fide fans of Top Gear than a more casual reader, but it’s an interesting book nonetheless.

Using our unique ‘Chequered Flags’ rating system, we award As You Do…