Diddly Squat: A Year on the Farm
Jeremy Clarkson
Welcome to Jeremy's farm. It's an idyllic spot, offering picturesque views across the Cotswolds, bustling hedgerows, woodlands and natural springs. Jeremy always liked the idea being a farmer. more
208 pages, Hardcover
First published Michael Joseph
4.16
Rating
6861
Ratings
645
Reviews
Jeremy Clarkson
59 books 816 followers
Jeremy Charles Robert Clarkson (born April 11, 1960) is an English broadcaster and writer who specialises in motoring.He writes weekly columns for The Sunday Times and The Sun, but is better known for his role on the BBC television programme Top Gear.
From a career as a local journalist in the north of England, he rose to public prominence as a presenter of the original format of Top Gear in 1988. Since the mid-1990s Clarkson has become a recognised public personality, regularly appearing on British television presenting his own shows and appearing as a guest on other shows. As well as motoring, Clarkson has produced programmes and books on subjects such as history and engineering. From 1998 to 2000 he also hosted his own chat show, Clarkson.
His opinionated but humorous tongue-in-cheek writing and presenting style has often generated much public reaction to his viewpoints. His actions both privately and as a Top Gear presenter have also sometimes resulted in criticism from the media, politicians, pressure groups and the public.
As well as the criticism levelled against him, Clarkson also generated a significant following in the public at large, being credited as a factor in the resurgence of Top Gear to the most popular show on BBC Two, and calls for him to be made Prime Minister. Clarkson himself was keen to downplay his perceived influence on the British public, stating he regularly contradicts himself, and would make a "rubbish" Prime Minister.
Community reviews
Review What I most learned from this book, was that government decisions on the environment can have devastating effects, I had not heard of these examples. They came after major interference on what the author needed to do with a water supply for his crops. He says that when he went to Tierra del Fuego he was staggered by the number of fallen trees - every single one of them for miles on end. This was as a direct result of a 1946 Argentine wilding project that brought ten pairs of beavers to the area from Canada. There are now more than 100,000 animals, and recent research has revealed they’ve been responsible for the biggest landscaping alteration in sub-Antarctic forests in the past 10,000 years. more
This book is classic Clarkson filled with all his wit and humor, but this time about his new, and serious, job. During Covid, Jeremy tries his hand at farming on his land that he has owned for quite a few years after his farm manager retires. What we end up with is someone that really does not know what he is doing, but still tries his best while listening to nobody's advice. The book is made up from his Sunday Times column writings, and it is fabulously funny. On a series note, as a farmer I could relate to all his problems he has on the farm, from the weather to the prices he receives for his hard work with his products, to the trouble he has with regulations to be able to produce these products, and just with his livestock. more
I really enjoyed this one. I watched and loved Clarkson's Farm after being pretty nervous that Jeremy might royally take the biscuit with farming, but in fact, actually took it pretty seriously and managed to bring a lot of attention to the Farming Industry and to Agriculture also. I think what he's done for the industry is fantastic, and I really enjoyed the way this book went into the TV show a little more in depth. The audio book is great, having been narrated by Jeremy himself. I would also like to recommend - if you're looking for more books on Farming - Call me Red by Hannah Jackson. more
So, being utterly and completely uninterested in cars*, I have obviously not a clue of who Jeremy Clarkson is and what makes him famous*** Well, I mean, no-one is completely uninterested in cars, are they. I mean, who's unaffected by the Aston Martin DB5 zooming through the Furka Pass in Goldfinger or the improved Ford Falcon raced across Aussie desert highways by Max Rockatansky. What I mean is that when someone starts talking about torque differences between the new WV Golf 4. 3 and the 4. 33 QUAT and the 4. more
Having loved the series I really wanted to read the book. I’m so glad I did it was so funny and also very interesting I learnt a lot about crops, bees, pigs and sheeps. The book isn’t very long and has short chapters but, it’s so entertaining and enjoyable that it was a pleasure to read. more
Would’ve been an entertaining book if you can ignore the homo/transphobia, the hate towards vegetarians and vegans and the left-wing hate. Unfortunately I cannot ignore that. . more
vabandust, aga mulle Clarksoni farmiseriaal hirmsasti meeldis; ja Clarkson ise, kes enne üldse ei meeldinud, muutus seeläbi kõvasti sümpaatsemaks. nii läheb, kui üks mees lihtsalt ausalt tunnistab, et ta ei saa absoluutselt aru, mida ta teeb, ja et tema obsessioon suurte kallite traktorite ja ekskavaatorite suhtes ei ole kellegi jaoks hästi lõppenud. mõned lambad ja mesilased sinna juurde ei tee ka üldse paha. see audioraamat pole muidugi mingi õige raamat, vaid Clarkson loeb lihtsalt ette oma Timesi kolumne sellest ajaperioodist, ja osasid neist olen lausa enne lugema sattunud. aga mitte kõiki, pluss audioversiooni on ta vürtsitanud mõnede lisakommentaaridega, mida ma eestikeelset paberversiooni poes lapates trükis küll ei näinud. more
Just as I expected, Jeremy telling us about his farming adventures and misfortunes with the eloquence that represents him with the added witty humour. I’m not always keen on him, but his higher level humour is something that keeps me coming back, and this book did not disappoint, other than the fact that it was too short I have nothing to complain about. I got what I was looking for, stories told in a way that would make me laugh out loud. more
Gorgeous, gorgeous girls fancy Jeremy Clarkson over Richard Hammond. All jokes aside, some of this was pretty interesting and will give a nice introduction of biodiversity and the environment to people who would never usually be concerned about it. Miraculously, I thought I’d get through the book without reading anything problematic. However, close to the end you get Clarkson making several snarky comments about transgender issues and pronouns like ‘what the lefties also can’t understand, because they’re too busy deciding whether to go to the women’s lavatory or the men’s’. These comments weren’t related to the subject matter of the book at all, were unnecessary and from as far as I can tell, were made for the sole purpose of shocking people and being controversial. more
For my full review, visit me at https://mrsbrownsbooks. wordpress. com/. Having thoroughly enjoyed the recent television series, I was keen to get my hands on this book. But, I am glad I waited several months before reading as it meant that what I saw on screen was not so familiar and a copy of what I read in the book. more
Had me crying laughing over the sheep. more
I’ve always enjoyed Clarkson’s unabashed commentary on everything from cars to whatever. I might not agree with some of his thoughts, but that’s fine. I still respect his direct approach to life, never afraid to share his views. With Diddly Squat, he takes on the farming community and does justice to it. There are funny moments, but there’s a seriousness to the theme wherein he treats the industry with the kind of respect it deserves. more
After Great Britain is hit by 2 catastrophes: Covid and Brexit, the author-journalist Jeremy Clarkson takes on the challenge of running a farm for a year. He explains his journey as bite-size articles throughout all seasons from tending animals such as vengeful sheep, to cultivating crops that he has never heard anything of. He faces the unpredictable weather with a great sense of humor. This book is absolutely hilarious, and what I find perhaps the best about it, is that the author is mature enough to make jokes at his own expense and at his own foolishness when it comes to farming. He admits, that he is just a rookie and knows nothing about any other topics than cars and engines. more
Diddly Squat: A Year on the Farm by Jeremy Clarkson (2021) 208 pages. Diddly Squat. because that's what his farm produced. I love Jeremy Clarkson. Last year, Ben and I binged on his newest series, “Clarkson Farm”. more
Diddly Squat – A Year on the Farm is the companion book to the first series of Clarkson’s Farm, and like the series, it follows Jeremy Clarkson as he stumbles through learning how to actually be a farmer in his famous, bumbling ‘I’m a complete idiot,’ style. His sheep are trying to kill him. His pigs are re-enacting The Great Escape. He wants a chainsaw but he’s afraid of them, and he constantly worries that he’ll walk home some day with his severed arm in a bag. And, just like the series, the book is brilliant. more
Those who are having The Grand Tour withdrawal symptoms may or may not enjoy Jeremy Clarkson’s life on the farm. If you’ve missed it, Jeremy decided to give farming a go at his home in the Cotswolds and it can be seen as the limited series Clarkson’s Farm on Amazon Prime. This book is a collection of his newspaper columns about life on the farm. Some may have read them already, but I hadn’t. I think I enjoyed them even more than his car columns. more
some of the the book had the classic Clarkson humour as he talks about farming and his attempts at it and the red tape you have to go through and general stuff about farming , it is funny in parts . more
Definitely not one to read if your looking for anything serious, however, as a light hearted read from a grumpy old man who hasn't got a clue its a refreshing read. An insight into an idiot who doesn't know what he is doing but makes it a hilarious journey. Diddly Squat has remade Jeremy into more than the man that was cruising in supercars and blowing up caravans and the book actually praises the beautiful simplicities but brutal hard work in the agricultural sector as well as highlights the hardships faced by the real men and women fighting to keep the country fed. more
25% of the time I don't agree with what Clarkson has to say. 25% of the time I don't even understand what he's talking about. Yet if he's on the telly, I'll watch it. There's something so entertaining and endearing about Clarkson and he never fails to make me laugh. I listened to the audiobook for this which I would 100% recommend. more
Endise Briti huumorisaate Top Gear juht otsustas pärast mitut pööret oma elus teha järgmise järsu kurvi ja hakata farmi pidama. Ta olla selle juba ammu ostnud, kuid selle eest hoolitseja otsustas minna pensionile ning selle asemel, et otsida uus sarnane ametimees, otsustas Clarkson asja ise käsile võtta. Eks aitas kaasa ka Covid-19, mis täpselt siis kõik 6 jala 7 pöidla ja 9 küüne pikkuste impeeriumi mõõduühikute kaugusele karantiini surus. Jeremy kirjeldab, miks põllupidamine pisikesel skaalal on tõsine väljakutse ja kallis hobi. Ning seda kõike kohalikus ajalehes kolumnides, mis nüüd kokku raamatu andsid. more
Diddly Squat: A Year on the Farm is a series of short vignettes about Clarkson’s time as a farmer. If you’ve seen Clarkson's Farm on Amazon you know what to expect. Jeremy is as witty in prose as he is on television. "Back in 2008, I bought a thousand-acre spread in Oxfordshire and employed a local man to do the farming. But last year he decided to retire, so I thought I'd take over myself. more
this was much much better than i expected. it was educating, but funny and he used farming language, but it was still accessible. i think i’d have been bored reading this, but the audiobook was voiced by him & was very well done. it’s made me want to watch his show3 stars because it wasn’t amazing, it was entertaining but just didn’t hit the spots. but again i wasn’t expecting it to. more
This book was a really interesting insight into the world of farming from the perspective of someone who started with absolutely no clue on the business. In classic Clarkson fashion, it was smart and humorous throughout . Would really recommend . 😊. more
Almost like a collection of very short stories. Articles he wrote over a year on the farm. Very enjoyable and full of humour. Amazing insights into the world of farming from a very amateur perspective. If you were a fan of the show you will enjoy this too. more
I loved Clarkson's Farm it was hilarious and also showed how deadly serious farming is. The main problem with this book is that it's made up of Clarkson's newspaper columns. So if you've read those then you've read this already and if you haven't read them then reading them all in one go is weird. The repetition means constant deja vu, the references which may have been topical in a weekly column are lost here. Despite that it's still funny (the sheep) and Clarkson's frustration and love for farming does shine through. more
4. 75/5Quality of writing: 5Pace: 5Enjoyability: 4Ease of reading: 5I needed some giggles and I got some giggles. . more
This was actually an enjoyable read. I loved the tv show and the book was a great way to see more . more
I know I probably shouldn’t but I did really enjoy this book. more
I was a bit worried that I wouldn’t enjoy this book because I’ve not long finished watching the show, but I loved it. It’s one of very few books that have made me actually laugh out loud. It was really easy to read, and I got through it surprisingly fast. There were times when I just didn’t want to put it down because of how much I was enjoying it. I definitely recommend this book and the show, as I loved both. more
4. 5 stars Clarkson’s usual wit and humour is ever-present and while there were a few phrases that had me scrunching my nose, I loved this book. There are some absolute gems of one liners that had me giggling and wondering how a grumpy 60 year old man gets me more than some people in my demographic and to my absolute bewilderment I genuinely think I learned a thing or two about British agriculture. more