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On the Edge

By: Richard Hammond
Narrated by: Richard Hammond, Mindy Hammond
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Summary

Shortlisted for the British Book Awards, Biography of the Year, 2008.

Richard Hammond describes his childhood and adolescence and the emergence of the adrenalin junkie, the first ridiculous stunts on his tricycle, and an increasing and near-obsessive attraction to speed and the smell of petrol. He finds an attractive girl, Mindy, who shares his interests and helps him organise his high-speed life. For such a lively and intelligent communicator, TV beckons and he becomes one of the daredevil trio, with Jeremy Clarkson and James May, who make such an enormous world-wide success of the revamped BBC-TV programme Top Gear.

He describes the personalities, the camaraderie, and the stunts with which they entertain their weekly audiences until the day of his 300 mph crash that took Top Gear off the air and plunged a nation into mourning. The day of the crash, his rescue and the flight to hospital in a coma are described, and then Mindy recounts the anxious waiting until he finally emerges from his coma to immediately pull out all his life-support equipment.

Richard then pieces together the stages of recovery as his shattered mind slowly reforms. We learn exactly what happened to him and the milestones in his slow recovery to full health. The final chapter recounts the return to Top Gear and the screening of the events of that fateful day.

©2007 Richard Hammond (P)2007 Orion Publishing Group Ltd
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What listeners say about On the Edge

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Touching and Thought-Provoking

This audio book version of On the Edge concentrates mainly on Richard Hammond's rocket-car accident and the impact it had on his life and family in the few months that followed. The opening chapters, read by Richard, are entertaining and provide a good background to his career, although certain elements have obviously been omitted for this abridged version. Richard also reads the closing chapters, but the main focus of the title, his time in hospital and recovery, is read by his wife Mindy (Amanda).

She pours her heart and soul into the book, and its clear that she still finds certain passages deeply upsetting. I was hugely impressed by her love, dedication and commitment to Richard and her family, and the touching way they re-found each other after his accident. It's hard, if not impossible to be anything other than captivated by the story, and I'd recommend it to anyone, not just fans of Top Gear.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

I have read the book so many times...

I have read this more than any other book I own, the audiobook brings all the emotions to life so much more than anyone I read it. Richard is one of my favourite people on TV and I'm glad for his and his family's sake he managed to tell his story.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

very honest and touching book

loved it, very touching and honest. Gave an insight into the hamsters bewildering world post accident,and mindys fears for their future. a true love story really. x

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Moving & Beautiful

So beautifully written and narrated by Richard and Mindy Hammond - I laughed and cried.

Highly recommended

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

A lesson for us all?

The ups & downs the smiles & tears as experienced by so many of us out there in the real world, beautifully narrated by both Richard & Mindy allowing one to share in the emotional rollercoaster hearing the story unfold from both sides of the fence, I am not one normally interested in hearing about the hurt & pain suffered in others life?s but this title had me intrigued from the start, I had to listen right through to the end even though I thought I knew how it ended, the anguish,the desperation of ones life clearly came through, Mindy obviously upset but having the strength for both made me realise how wonderful it was to have the support of loved ones around, sometimes I feel we all take that for granted, I shared in both their pain and thier fear?s as if living it myself eventually pulling through, empathic in Mindy cause, they I think were fortunate that tragedy brought them closer, may be this is a lesson for us all? I bless them both and wish them every success for the future, and I would like to say simply thank you to them for sharing a segment of their lives with me.

The music between chapters was a great choice and added that something special.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Brilliant

Wonderful story going in-depth with Richard Hammonds car crash, a bit short but the three hours of story are excellent.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent

On the edge starts with a brief summary of Richards work history but then goes into detail regarding the accident.
The audio includes his wife talking with feeling about the accident and recovery...very moving.
This is a great audio book to listen too....well worth the purchase...enjoy

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

On the edge

I thought it was really good to hear the story from Richard Hammond him self. It gave it a personal feel. I think it is a good read and amazing story and shows how good the hospitals can be in the uk.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Wished this would have been unabridged

Loved it, wished it was unbridged, finished in one afternoon and evening. I'm reviewing the abridged audible version narrated by Richard and Mindy.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Well worth a listen.

Having been a fan of Richard's since he first appeared on Top Gear I was expecting this book to be both fascinating and funny. What I wasn't expecting was to sit in the waiting room at the railway station with tears in my eyes listening to his wife Mindy read her thoughts and feelings about his accident!

A very moving, frank and amusing autobiography. I would recommend this book to anyone.

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5 people found this helpful