Customer Reviews

I Know You Got Soul

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

We've all had those moments in our life where we just can't read another 'serious' book or article and even the newspaper probably has depressing gunk in it. Well for the moments in your life where your brain is in a stupor and can honestly fit in no more there are books like this.

Is it well written? Well, it's OK.
Is it side splittingly funny? Deliberately overstated in parts to humorous effect sometimes.
Is it insightful? Sometimes.

So why have I given it four stars and why would I recommend this next time you are bored in an airport lobby or some similar situation? Well because by the very lightweight nature of the book it just works well in those situations. This fairly small book has British journalist and TV personality Jeremy Clarkson waxing (and waning) lyrical about cool stuff. That's it. Nothing grander than the fact that one day he and his editor sat down and thought that cool machines would a cool subject for a book that would make them a cool buck. There is no subterfuge here, it's not stuff the guy just had to get off his chest, it's just him blathering on in his overblown and somewhat comical style about the kinds of machines that have an 'X' factor. So we get him chatting away about B-52s, the Hoover Dam, the Spitfire, the Yamato, the space shuttle, the Flying Scotsman and the Millenium Falcon among others. Each machine gets a few pages of hyperbole and an explanation of why they were cool. And to tell the truth it is hard to argue with the stuff he thinks is worthy of the accolade of inclusion.

Look, now you know that it is you should know whether to pick this up next time you have a long haul flight, bus ride or the like to look forward to or when you just can't stomach another 'serious' book.

I have read all of the books here by Jeremy Clarkson and I like this title the best. I share the belief that machines have a soul and being a commercial pilot, the chapter on Concorde was especially good. Mr. Clarksons style and beliefs are not for everyone, but he does make some good arguments now and then. The articles in this book are about 10 years old or so, so some passages are dated, but not nearly as much as the "Clarkson on Cars" book.

This is an OK book about various machines and the impact they've had on Jeremy Clarkson and to a certain extent on the rest of the world as well. Any book of this type will have a lot of personal interpretation and choice in it and may miss many machines you may feel are more worthy of inclusion. Never the less there are a wide variety of machines and it is interesting to learn a little about each of them, in Clarksons slightly sarcastic, humorous way. This book doesn't have too much depth to it, but if you're looking for an easy, interesting, quick read, you've found it right here.

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An entertaining read, but not laugh out loud, sniggeringly funny like "The World According to Clarkson", which I am currently reading, and savouring slowly, because I don't want to run out of chapters.

In "I Know You Got Soul", Mr Clarkson makes some interesting analogies, man to machine, machine to history, and some typically pointed jabbing funny barbs.

He basically takes what he considers to be the most beautiful, impressive, or powerful machines of the last century, and gives his take on how they did (or should) have affected the world and citizenry around them.

For all the ribbing he gives James May, he himself reveals a lively appreciation of history, but don't expect anything particularly introspective.

But overall a fun read, and I do not regret the time spent quaffing milk and cookies glued to the book over a couple of nights (not a particularly challenging read, I might add). I would sincerely like to sit down to dinner with Jeremy Clarkson and listen to him run on.

Next on your agenda, go buy "The World According to Clarkson". Now THAT's a good book.

Jeremy Clarkson is a perfect example of the type of Brit that makes people think Brits are snobs, and makes an American want to say "OY!! You'd be speaking German if...". I'm not going to say that, since by & large I heartily the Brits, and this lightweight tome is an almost interesting book where Clarkson looks at mechanized items he admires: a boat, some aircraft, and of course, cars. Actually, some things are actually from the US, but most are from the UK, although how he can omit the Avro Lancaster, DeHavilland Mosquito, and Morgan Plus 4 is beyond me. Can he actually say a fighter-bomber made of plywood, and a wood-framed sports car don't have soul?
I almost got to the end of this book when I misplaced it. I don't miss it, & won't replace it. It could have been worse: he could have co-wrote it with Jay Leno...what twats they be!!

I'm not much of a motor enthusiasts. I don't even know how to drive so what do I know about engines? But I'm reading his book because of his literary genius. His combination of humor, sarcastic and sentimental notations brought those otherwise boring old machines into life. Hence, the machines with souls. No, I still am not interested if the spark plug in one car is different than the other.. but this book sure is keeping me occupied during those long transits.

To those who is not familiar with JC, he is BBC's host for Top Gear a motoring TV show, since 2002 ([...]). He is what I would say the original Simon Cowell (of Pop Idol/American Idol); direct, brute, no-added-sweeteners critiques, witty, & entertaining (as long as you are not the subject matter).

In this book he listed down 20 man made machines (1 of which was the fictional Millennium Falcon) in which he thought had their own individual souls. Why? What's the purpose? I guess simply because he could, I don't see any other reason for him writing this book. Really what is the point of discussing the individuality of a B-52 or the Hoover Dam. I can just imagine him narrating the words of the book while I read it.

For me it helped to kill time at the airport, and keeping me company while having lunch alone. It's entertaining in JC's own sort of way. Anyone finds Simon `entertaining' may enjoy this book.

I give it 4/5 just because I like it.

It just doesn't get much better than Clarkson. PC? The only PC in his day was Dixon of Dock Green. Says what most of Britain thinks but is getting increasingly badgered out of saying. Dave Armitage's Born to be Mild is the only thing which comes close - a novel which could have been written by Clarkson. It's uncanny.