Rating: 
Summary: Been there
Review: After living in Moldova, I can tell you I could not put this book down. I laughed out loud at almost every page. Tony's experiences in his short time in Moldova reminded me of my first few weeks there. His description of his relationship with his adopted family especially was touching, since I was fortunate to get past that outer wall Moldovans put up as well. This book is not offensive to Moldovans, at least it wouldn't be to the Moldovans I know who would laugh at Tony's tales and drink some vin. Moldovans have a terrific sense of humor (once they know you) but it has been colored by their hard circumstances. I believe Tony saw so much of the good side of Moldovans, especially their hospitality and their love of foreigners. As a soccer fan, and someone who loves Moldova and their different ways, I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Tony's adventures make me want to head back.
Rating:
Summary: Been there
Review: After living in Moldova, I can tell you I could not put this book down. I laughed out loud at almost every page. Tony's experiences in his short time in Moldova reminded me of my first few weeks there. His description of his relationship with his adopted family especially was touching, since I was fortunate to get past that outer wall Moldovans put up as well. This book is not offensive to Moldovans, at least it wouldn't be to the Moldovans I know who would laugh at Tony's tales and drink some vin. Moldovans have a terrific sense of humor (once they know you) but it has been colored by their hard circumstances. I believe Tony saw so much of the good side of Moldovans, especially their hospitality and their love of foreigners. As a soccer fan, and someone who loves Moldova and their different ways, I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Tony's adventures make me want to head back.
Rating: 
Summary: Connecting with the Moldovan people
Review: An enjoyable book, like a Bill Bryson book with a basic plot and some human relationships. A British comedian bet that he'd play tennis with every member of a Moldovan international foootball/soccer team he saw play in Britain, and win. And why not? He knows nothing about Moldova (it's somewhere between Romania and the Ukraine) but he's an optimist, so he gets the most basic of leads and off he goes on his 6-month quest. It's a mix of an appreciation/travelogue of this emerging, poor country (think Albania with a few nightclubs but no streetlights at night) with a good appreciation of its people (pleasant but whose history has made them fatalistic) and his connection with a generous family who let him in. He can't play against all the footballers there and to complete his bet he needs to visit Northern Ireland for an international football match and a quirky interlude. And then the final footballer has transferred an Israel football club... I enjoyed it. Hawks gives a good account of his own ups and downs on his 6-month mission, and the interactions with the Moldovans and others brighten his tale.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Amazing
Review: Being quite familiar with the country called Moldova, Hawk's book has really struck me as being an integration of reality and fantazy. Only being a Moldovan can you understand the full meaning of this book. Still, for the outsiders, it may be an enjoyable reading that is sometimes hard to believe as it is far away from the reality, but also written with a great humor and even sarcasm... I recommend it to poeple just to expand their horizons and learn some truths and some tales about Moldova.
Rating: 
Summary: Round Moldova with a Tennis Racket
Review: British comedian Tony Hawks doesn't seem to be able to have a conversation without getting into some fantastic bet. His last book recounted his journey, on a dare, to travel "Round Ireland With a Fridge." One of my favorite travel memoirs of the past few years, "Round Ireland" combined outrageous humor with an affectionate portrait of Ireland and her people. His newest, "Playing the Moldovans at Tennis," follows the same path: challenged by his friend Arthur that he can't beat the entire Moldovan national football team at tennis, Tony immediately jets to the tiny Balkan country and is met with frustration at every turn to even get a chance to set foot on a tennis court. Since the loser of the bet strips naked and sings the Moldovan national anthem in public, he doesn't dare lose, but the incredibly different customs of Moldova are against him from Day One. Red tape, diplomacy, and the language barrier rise up to block his success, but for every pushy, arrogant football team manager he comes across there's a dozen friendly, supportive, and helpful journalists, fixers, and everyday folks who are intrigued by and helpful with Tony's seemingly mad quest. While not as fascinating as "Round Ireland," (there's less of travel interest here to the casual reader), Hawks brings his usual humor punctuated by moments of hilarious despair, and the ending even has a twist that couldn't have been written more cleverly if it had been in a Hollywood movie. In the end it's a gentle and affectionate portrait of the Moldovans, a people and country I knew nothing about before this book. More important, Tony himself sums up the real result of his offbeat quest as *not* the chance to avoid singing starkers outside a London pub, but inspiring a young Moldovan man who, pessimistic at the first, comes to realize a silly impossible pursuit is just as worth doing as a dull everyday task.
Rating:
Summary: Round Moldova with a Tennis Racket
Review: British comedian Tony Hawks doesn't seem to be able to have a conversation without getting into some fantastic bet. His last book recounted his journey, on a dare, to travel "Round Ireland With a Fridge." One of my favorite travel memoirs of the past few years, "Round Ireland" combined outrageous humor with an affectionate portrait of Ireland and her people. His newest, "Playing the Moldovans at Tennis," follows the same path: challenged by his friend Arthur that he can't beat the entire Moldovan national football team at tennis, Tony immediately jets to the tiny Balkan country and is met with frustration at every turn to even get a chance to set foot on a tennis court. Since the loser of the bet strips naked and sings the Moldovan national anthem in public, he doesn't dare lose, but the incredibly different customs of Moldova are against him from Day One. Red tape, diplomacy, and the language barrier rise up to block his success, but for every pushy, arrogant football team manager he comes across there's a dozen friendly, supportive, and helpful journalists, fixers, and everyday folks who are intrigued by and helpful with Tony's seemingly mad quest. While not as fascinating as "Round Ireland," (there's less of travel interest here to the casual reader), Hawks brings his usual humor punctuated by moments of hilarious despair, and the ending even has a twist that couldn't have been written more cleverly if it had been in a Hollywood movie. In the end it's a gentle and affectionate portrait of the Moldovans, a people and country I knew nothing about before this book. More important, Tony himself sums up the real result of his offbeat quest as *not* the chance to avoid singing starkers outside a London pub, but inspiring a young Moldovan man who, pessimistic at the first, comes to realize a silly impossible pursuit is just as worth doing as a dull everyday task.
Rating:
Summary: Even better than 'Round Ireland with a Fridge'.
Review: Having read the reviews of this book, and of 'Round Ireland with a Fridge' on the Amazon website, I cannot help but be struck by the level of cynicism among those taking the time to write these reviews. I can't help but imagine them crouching over their keyboards in some gloomy setting, possibly in Milton Keynes, frowning, whinging and generally grousing over what is basically an uplifting, unpretentious and thoroughly enjoyable book. Let me just say that you have totally missed the point of this fine book....oh dear, I seem to be ranting.
Getting on to the book itself. I believe this is a much more realistic and down to earth piece of work than 'Round Ireland with a Fridge', and a far greater achievement at the end of the day, even if the task itself sounds even more ridiculous.
Tony doesn't have the help of Gerry Ryan for example, the Dublin DJ who helped him round Ireland in the last book by announcing his whereabouts on his show every morning, and soon realises he has taken on a much bigger challenge in beating the Moldovan footballers at tennis. He has to face isolation, rejection, incredulity, indifference and apathy, things we can all, cynicism aside, identify with at one level or another. The very fact that Tony is a nobody in Moldova, land of no street lights and open manholes, makes his success all the more worthwhile and inspiring. I particularly liked his description of his relationship with the Moldovan family of Gregori, Dina, Adrian and Elena. He showed in his stay with this family that rare respect for others which is so lacking in today's society, and showed too that he was able to learn from others experiences and identify with them.
Read this book; don't take it too seriously, it's not Nietzche after all, just a slightly silly but funny look at life from a different angle. Get it on tape as well, as I have, but not if you are Irish, as Tony does possibly the worst Irish accent in the civilised world, and this proves to be slightly grating!
Rating:
Summary: FUNNY
Review: I am a moldovan, so I probably got the most laugh out of this book. Me as a Moldovan, I was amazed of where Tony has been, and the people he met. There are places where even i wouldn't dare to got, but I have to give 5 stars to Tony because of the way he formulated his adventure and put it in a book. Sometimes I laughted so hard that tears came from my eyes. Tony made a bet with his friend that he(Tony) would track all the players from the Moldova's national football team and beat them at tennis one by one. And whoever loses the bet will have to strip naked in London and sing the Moldova's national anthem. God, I wished I was in London and see (the one that lost) sing my country's national anthem. It's really fun and entertaining!
Rating:
Summary: I've read it
Review: I am headed for Moldova and read this book in trying to learn as much as I can about the country. I am a big fan of humor and travel writings. I liked the book, but I might have enjoyed it more if I knew something about the author- he strikes me more as a stand-up comedian type than a writer, which I think may be the case. Still, it was an amusing read, and it did teach me a bit about The Republic of Moldova. I was say read it for a laugh. I liked it enough to consider reading his book about Ireland.
Rating:
Summary: I've read it
Review: I am headed for Moldova and read this book in trying to learn as much as I can about the country. I am a big fan of humor and travel writings. I liked the book, but I might have enjoyed it more if I knew something about the author- he strikes me more as a stand-up comedian type than a writer, which I think may be the case. Still, it was an amusing read, and it did teach me a bit about The Republic of Moldova. I was say read it for a laugh. I liked it enough to consider reading his book about Ireland.
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