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  • Nov 10, 2013
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Jeremy Clarkson

Jeremy Clarkson: ‘I Know You Got Soul’Book Review

Jeremy Clarkson is a man, much like X-Factor boss Simon Cowell, you either enjoy or despise. Being a person who falls into the former category, I find it astonishing how many books Clarkson has released in the last few years. Alongside his annual complication of articles and reviews for The Sunday Times, Clarkson released a small book in 2004: “I Know You Got Soul.” The novel focuses on machines of various sizes that have, in Clarkson’s words, “a soul,” or a base flaw that makes them human. This ranges from large Trans-Atlantic cruise ships, satellite networks, assault rifles or even fighter jets. The pacing is a notable problem- due to Clarkson’s sheer love of machinery, this results in him giving a detailed background history of the topic at hand (Such as going into detail over how difficult Concorde’s development was), which can be taxing to go through at times when you wish to just read about why he loves the machine.

So why would I recommend this next time you are bored in an airport lobby or need something to kill time? There is no subterfuge here, it’s not stuff Clarkson just had to get off his chest, it’s just him blathering on in his overblown and somewhat comical style about the kind of machines that have an “X” factor. So we get him chatting away about B-52s, the Hoover Dam, the Spitfire, the Yamato, the space shuttle, the Flying Scotsman and the Millennium Falcon among others. Each machine gets a few pages of hyperbole and an explanation of why they were the bee’s knees. And to tell the truth it’s hard to argue with the stuff he considers worthy of the accolade of inclusion.