We Had Some Laughs

We Had Some Laughs

by Dan Waddell (Author)

Synopsis

Longlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year 2016 Set in the smoky, boozy world of professional darts tournaments - and their even boozier aftermath - We Had Some Laughs is Dan Waddell's warm, moving and hilarious account of an unconventional childhood and a unique father. His dad Sid's inimitable commentary helped transform darts from an unfashionable pub game into a hugely popular international sport and young Dan had a ringside seat throughout. Away from the oche, Sid's parenting skills were as quirky as his commentary and Dan recounts life with him in affectionate, uproarious detail (can maybe cut there if space doesn't allow). Among the pearls of fatherly advice Sid passed on to his son included: `Never, ever trust a man who doesn't drink' - Dan was nine years old... Dan's book is a celebration of people, places and times now gone or changed for ever. But, most of all, it is a story about fathers and sons, and the unshakeable bond between them.

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More Information

Format: Hardcover
Pages: 288
Publisher: Bantam Press
Published: 19 May 2016

ISBN 10: 0593076028
ISBN 13: 9780593076026
Book Overview: A warm, funny, sad memoir about the darts commentator Sid Waddell by his son, Dan.

Media Reviews
Hootingly funny, deftly structured, a joy to read and highly recommended -- Marcus Berkmann * The Spectator *
A touching, funny, warm and readable tribute to a funny, warm and unreadable man! * Stephen Fry *
Warm, moving and humorous.... a paean to a way of life that has slowly slipped from view and people and places that linger now only as memories * Yorkshire Post *
A touching tribute to a man who transcended his sport * Sunday Times, Sports Books of the Year *
Raise a glass to Sid Waddell's wit and warmth! ... An engaging biography of a much-loved tv voice ... packed throughout with little gems about Sid * Telegraph *
Touching * The Times *
Affectionate, funny * Mail on Sunday, Books of the Year *
A touching and laugh-out-loud tribute to the father he adored -- Eithne Farry * Express *
Extremely funny... Brilliant. * Birmingham Post *
I adored this treble-top memoir of coal miner's son, Cambridge graduate and inimitable darts commentator Sid Waddell by his sportswriter son. By turns fruity, funny and deeply touching, it teems with larger-than-life characters - and I don't just mean the darts players. At its heart it's a celebration of a vanished era, from the pits of County Durham and the early Wild West days of Yorkshire Television, to the boozy, smoky pre-arena spectacle that was darts. But most of all it's a story about a father and a son, and the often tested but never broken bond between them. -- Caroline Sanderson * Bookseller *
An ESSENTIAL book for any fan of darts or, more specifically, the voice of darts, Sid Waddell... reading Dan's book felt like an old friend was being brought to life again in my hands. -- Krispy * pdc-darts.co.uk *
Author Bio
Dan Waddell is a journalist, novelist and author. He covered two seasons of county cricket for the Daily Telegraph and his books include Who Do You Think You Are? and Field of Shadows: The Remarkable True Story of the English Cricket Tour of Nazi Germany, 1937. He captains Acton 2nd XI in the Middlesex County League where he tries and fails to pass on sage advice to young players.