And on That Bombshell: Basically Top Gear Behind the Scene

"And on that bombshell, we'll see you next week!" said Jeremy Clarkson, or something like that. It took me months to finish the book, And on That Bombshell: Inside the Madness and Genius of Top Gear. Not because of boring content, but I cheated on novels that I faithfully read every day before sleep for graphic novels and a certain Youtube channel. 

A quick nostalgic recap of how I know Top Gear and what the show meant for me. 

In Indonesia we would watch them on BBC Earth on cable, or some people would download them illegally, as Indonesia doesn't have strict policy on piracies, it was very easy. The author mentioned that they didn't know how big exactly Top Gear was because they couldn't know the numbers. It was partly (major) Asia's faults. But, yes, many of us do know Top Gear. First time I took interest was not because I'm a car geek or I love British shows, in fact Top Gear was the first British show I have ever watched and liked, followed by Graham Norton. I watched a section of the show on Youtube where they tried to destroy a Hilux. It was hilarious. The episode came out years before I knew the show, which was 4 years ago, so I was very late. And then I watched the giant cars belonged to someone rich from middle east which made Richard Hammond looked like a flea, and then the limousine challenge, and then the races, I couldn't stop. I started to watch full episodes and caught it again on cable whenever I was home. It entertained my college life which was rather boring, and I haven't gone to UK, so it was a better understanding of British sense of humour, how they deliver their statements, answers and arguments, and closer look to Britain's engineering, how can a non fiction show would become interesting. All with subtitles. It was a form of my escape from Indonesia to England. 

Now the book...

Book Cover

The author of the book is Richard Porter who was a script editor of Top Gear. The book was about the production of Top Gear mostly from baby to teenagers and few of the author's background and some behind the scene photos. It took us to how the author got the job as a Top Gear's writer, the remake of Top Gear, Richard Hammond's crash, Argentina, what happened on the last season and so much more, that people (at least I) were curious about. 

What I like about the book,

The book almost answered all my questions, it describes the process of the show almost in detail, that I genuinely am interested, from the meetings with the presenters, their research team and searched and bought their cars, their grimy office, their relationships with the Beebs and how they said Jaaaag. Furthermore it taught me that nothing comes easy, even a huge show like Top Gear wasn't started out great, that people had left out of doubt. It was very successful because of years of hard work, reckless, creative ideas and the team that supported them. Then, the Argentina ending was meant to be epic, but something that was purposefully to be beautiful was halted with violence which was created by easily provoked angry mobs over some theories on the internet, i mean, where have we heard that before. Plus the friendship between the author and Jeremy Clarkson, how they weren't talking about emotions over tea but somehow managed to reconcile. And then there's the fact that James May is actually a great person off screen and likes curry.

Funny how the author said on the book that Richard Hammond used to attract women audience more but I personally like James May from the start.

Yep.

Overall,

I don't think it is a very famous non-fiction book internationally, I don't know in UK, but if you're a Top Gear fan or curious of the process of making of the show, I would recommend this book. It is a great closure to a great show. I'm saying this as if Top Gear is not on anymore, it still is, but, yknow. yeah.

I personally love this book, the ending was sort of heart warming. I would hope that someday I too will find a job I love so much I would spend 13 years doing with the same flare, with the team I don't mind sharing my 18 hours a day with.