Arthur Smith

Advantages: Very Funny
Disadvantages: Drags slightly in places

...I saw "Playing the Moldovans at Tennis" at the airport and I had seen a report on it on Grandstand or some other such sports show and I tohught it looked quite funny. I bought it and proceede to read it an I must say it really is very funny. The scenario is incredible when you stop and think about it. Two guys(who both happen to be fairly famous comedians) are sitting and watching England v. Moldova and since England are cruising to an easy victory they start to have an argument as to whether Tony Hawks can beat them all at tennis. He argues he can and his friend Arthur Smith argues he can't. Arthur Smith then bets Tony Hawks he can't do it and Tony sets out torove him wrong, with the loser having to strip off naked and sing the moldovan national anthem on the high street. This is the whole premise and the book charts Tony Hawks... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Very funny and easy to read., Many pictures of the people he met,
Disadvantages: The book would have benefited from being a bit longer

...The forfeit involves the loser singing the Moldavian national anthem whilst dancing naked on Balham High Road, something that both Arthur and Tony are keen to avoid. Playing the Moldovans at Tennis was written as the result of an extremely drunken bet, made with his friend, Arthur Smith after watching the England Vs Moldova World Cup qualifier. Arthur thinks he is bound to win because out of 11 footballers at least 1 must be some good. Tony, who was a talented amateur tennis player, bet his friend that he could beat the entire Moldovan football team at tennis and the ensuing story is about how he sets about trying to do it. After collecting the names of the footballers you would think it easy to find the team and then play them but this does not turn out to be the case. To begin with it is doubt-full that Tony will even get... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Some real gems
Disadvantages: Some dross

...The book, The Mammoth Book of 20th Century Science Fiction is edited by David G. Hartwell. It boasts on the front cover: that it is: "The biggest and best science Fiction Anthology Ever Published". And there, as they say, is the rub. Is it? Although I acknowledge that there are a great many good science fiction stories in this anthology, I would have to argue against it being the best. And as for the biggest? Well, Asimov's Before the Golden Age (volumes 1 to 4) is a worthy contender for this title, I would have thought. And the best? It cannot be. Why? Because as Hartwell states in the introduction: "I would like to acknowledge the significant presence of John W. Campbell, Isaac Asimov, Robert A. Heinlein and Arthur C. Clarke and all the other science fiction writers who are not reprinted in this book." Therefore the correct title... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful