How Did All This Happen? cover art

How Did All This Happen?

Preview

£0.00 for first 30 days

Try for £0.00
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

How Did All This Happen?

By: John Bishop
Narrated by: John Bishop
Try for £0.00

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £12.99

Buy Now for £12.99

Confirm Purchase
Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.
Cancel

About this listen

If you’re a man of a certain age you’ll know there comes a point in life when getting a sports car and over-analysing your contribution to society sounds like a really good idea.

With a good job in sales and marketing and a nice house in Manchester that he shared with his wife and kids, John Bishop was no different when he turned the dreaded 4-0. But instead of spanking a load of cash on a car that would have made him look like a senior stylist at Vidal Sassoon, he stumbled onto a pathway that ultimately lead him to become one of the nation’s best loved comedians. It was a gamble, but boy, did it pay off.

How Did All This Happen? is the story of how a boy who, growing up on a council estate dreaming of ousting Kenny Dalglish from Liverpool FC’s starting line-up, suddenly found himself on stage in front of thousands of people nationwide, at an age when he should have known better.

In his own inimitable style, John guides us through his life from leaving the estate and travelling the globe on a shoe string, to marriage, kids and the split that led him to being on a stage complaining to strangers one night – the night that changed his life and started his journey to stardom.

Wonderfully entertaining and packed with colourful reminiscences and comical anecdotes, this is a heart-warming, life-affirming and ultimately very, very funny memoir from one of the nation’s greatest comedians.

©2013 John Bishop (P)2013 HarperCollins Publishers Limited
Film & TV Performing Arts Comedy Funny Marriage Heartfelt Inspiring Thought-Provoking Witty Feel-Good Celebrity Transportation
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Listeners also enjoyed...

How to Grow Old cover art
We Need to Talk About Kevin Bridges cover art
Rambling Man cover art
John Bishop Live: The Sunshine Tour cover art
Life and Laughing cover art
The Life of Lee cover art
My Lifey cover art
May I Have Your Attention Please? cover art
The Sound of Laughter cover art
Small Man in a Book cover art
Mack the Life cover art
Alanatomy cover art
How to be Champion cover art
David Mitchell: Back Story cover art
David Jason: My Life cover art
Thanks for Nothing cover art

Critic reviews

‘Extremely funny … told with heart-warming honesty’ Mail on Sunday

‘Unlikely – and very moving – life story… Extraordinary.’ Red Magazine

‘Satisfying, enjoyable, funny in moments, sad in the others. The funniest and most moving book I’ve read this year and I plan to give it to everyone I know this Christmas’
James Mullinger, GQ

What listeners say about How Did All This Happen?

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    766
  • 4 Stars
    206
  • 3 Stars
    45
  • 2 Stars
    17
  • 1 Stars
    9
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    645
  • 4 Stars
    206
  • 3 Stars
    65
  • 2 Stars
    14
  • 1 Stars
    14
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    687
  • 4 Stars
    183
  • 3 Stars
    55
  • 2 Stars
    13
  • 1 Stars
    10

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A Rollercoaster read

This is a brilliant book! Of all the audio autobiographies I've enjoyed, this is my favourite.

It contains a lot of emotion, that at times as the listener draws you in so deep, you feel the same feelings and as he does. I lost count of the times I chuckled or laughed out loud, and the amount of times I genuinely welled up and tried not to cry, or the times where I didn't hold back and blubbed like a baby. Not because it's sad but because of the raw emotions you can hear in his voice as he re tells the story.

Listen to it! You will love it!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent

Loved the whole book. Very funny. Such a decent chap too. Can definitely recommend for a road trip read.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

You think you know John Bishop, well be surprised

If you could sum up How Did All This Happen? in three words, what would they be?

Funny, heartfelt uplifting

What did you like best about this story?

You felt the raw emotion of what he went through, his ups and downs in his life to date. His pride about his family, and how his roots are still planted firmly on the ground good all round gentleman, funny guy and proud football fan. Well done John

Which character – as performed by John Bishop – was your favourite?

N/A as life story so all about John Bishop

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, From feeling for him in some of the journeys and wanting to hear what happened next to hoping things worked out. Good all round entertaining book, rather like the man himself.

Any additional comments?

Whether you love, like or unsure about John Bishop I do not think you could read this book and not see a multi faceted family man who wears his heart on his sleeve (although not always a wise thing as you hear as you read) Cannot recommend this audible version enough

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Actually rather touching

A heart felt memoir. His love for his family shines through in a touching way.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant!

Brilliant! ! Warm, interesting and funny. I loved it from start to finish. I only knew of him as a comedian but was intrigued and entertained throughout

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Relatable

I am proud to say John one of my favourite ever comedians, not just because he is actually hilarious! John makes me realise I am not the only one who has to deal with fatherhood in funny and exhausting ways. This book hit home in more ways than one and all I can say is I'm gutted that it ended.
First ever book or audiobook I would sit longer in the car, even if I did already have an hour each way commute.
Thanks John, please write more 😊✌🏻

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Humility

Often, I have found, a biography of someone you admire diminishes them. This is certainly not the case here. I was moved by the compassion for those around, the honesty and the very good humour that made this book so enjoyable. The world could do with more people like this in the limelight

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

You really need to know what happened

What did you like most about How Did All This Happen??

Rarely does a book move me to tears and laughter so easily. This is one of the very few. Quite simply, because I don't want to be responsible for spoilers, if you've watched JB live, on TV or wherever and he's struck a chord, you literally need to read or listen to this book. It's beautifully written, emotionally narrated - entertaining, moving and inspirational all at once. It's one of the best autobios I've read/heard for a long time. I'm 10+ years younger than JB but a lot of his memories and desciptions of his earlie life wrought memories long buried. Enjoy.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Fabulous

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Full of surprises, trials and tribulations and a frankness that will make you laugh and cry.

What other book might you compare How Did All This Happen? to, and why?

None

Which scene did you most enjoy?

All of them

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes definitely. Had no idea that the Bish had done so much!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

brilliant

what a fantastic book John Bishop is an awesome gut and this book tells all no punches pulled

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful