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Loved it! Some Great British writing about a a typical Brits lads holiday! An excellent story which makes you feel like part of the lives of these 4 guys all looking for adventures by the beach. I couldn't put the book down and missed several important appointments whilst enjoying every round and seeing every club, beach and girl with Dave, Gavin and the fellas! Really makes you feel like you are there for this number 1 holiday read. Not just for the guys either...I think this will give an interesting insight into the male mind for the ladies too... Excellent book!

I currently live in NY, however my parents are Greek and my early teens were spent living in Heraklion, Crete.

Having studied psychology at university I found this book absolutely fascinating. The memories of the drunken English reeking havoc around our local bars and restaurants are still with me and I never really understood what the driving force was behind such activity. This book has really given me a snapshot of the other side of the fence and I would recommend it to anyone studying male behavior; or female behavior for that matter. The characters in the book are rich and insightful and by the time you reach the last chapter you almost feel that you've known them for years! Much of the dialogue is UK-centric, however I found this an added bonus which is often missing in "international" type books.

Some of the escapades are a little risqué, but hey this is about as close to the truth as you're going to get.

If this guy writes another book, I'll definitely be queuing up for a copy!

Was not sure about this at first - some of the very British references want way over my head ( TV progs, bands, sport - although I did know David Beckham). Once I'd settled in to it, it was just so cool. The characters are British guys but have all the attributes of American guys on a bachelor party and the women are hot.
Give it a chance like I did and see through all the British jargon and enjoy.
I'm off to trek across Crete on a scooter

I picked this up thinking it would be a guy book but hey it has one of the all time great female characters in Elsie Roundbottom. Yes that is her name and wow what a role model. I love Elsie
PS great to see The Alarm get a reference - loved them in the eighties

This book is many things. On the surface it is a modern soap opera, with tales of girls, music and drinking. Underneath, however, it is a bit of a literary classic. The lives of the protagonists are viewed as a rite of passage with nice contemporary observations linked to some surreal situations. The latter enhances the experience in the same way that modern cinema classics suspend disbelief and thoroughly entertain you. The chracterization is spot on, using every lesson that Charles Dickens could teach from the 'ordinary john doe' central characters to the caricature supporting cast - as with Dickens, you end up remembering a number of characters rather than just a few. The plot is from the Thomas Hardy school, with classical use of coincidence, pathos amd surroundings. The 'risque' scenes are pure DH Lawrence, telling it as it is. Finally it is back to Dickens and the finale full of hope and elation, firmly mapping a bright future. I like it

Loved it...absolutely loved it! This book ought to be required reading for any self-respecting bachelor (or bachelorette, for that matter). The observations, the insights, the realizations, the resolve, and the subsequent decisions reached by each of the British bachelors on holiday is at once poignant, relevant, and comical. Inevitably, you will identify with one -- or all -- of the bachelors in this novel, whether it be Dave's good looks and nonchalance, Phil's gusto and impenetrable optimism, Gavin's sober & routine perspective, or Tony's melancholy & quiet disposition turned iron-clad resolve. In the end, you will find yourself cheering for each character -- as if they have been four of your closest friends for years.

I love British humor, but did struggle with some of the cultural references early on. In the end I just settled for the story and then everything just flowed. The 2 key things that support this book are 1)characters: from the alpha-male, to the 21st century female to the soppy romantic female to the charicature support and the older guy view of the world 2) The situations that are comical, farsical, touching and pathos.
Hope others give it a chance too

Sometimes you read a book and it just breezes - this is just such a book. The characters are well drawn and the plot so lifelike and feelgood. Go Buy!!