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Thirst

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What to expect

Brought to you by Penguin.

This audiobook includes two pieces of bonus material including a podcast episode of John Robins on The Allender Calendar, as well as an exclusive conversation with Elis James and Dave Masterman.


John Robins is a critically acclaimed stand-up comedian, Taskmaster champion, and an award-winning broadcaster. He is also an alcoholic.

But what does that mean? What is an alcoholic?

In Thirst, John tells the story of his life through the lens of alcohol, the drinks that made him, and those that broke him. From his earliest drinking experiences – pretending to be drunk after a sip of champagne aged five, spraying aftershave into his mouth at the school play afterparty, and university nights spent downing red wine alone in his room – to his last drink in 2022 and the journey into sobriety that followed, John explores our relationship with alcohol through reflections on decades of his own drinking.

From hazy memory to sudden clarity he sheds light on subjects from mental health to friendship, from creativity to the lies we tell ourselves, and answers questions such as: are alcoholics born or made? How can we make sense of youthful missteps? And can Buddhism provide relief when dealing with haemorrhoids?

Filled with insights and epiphanies from the world of addiction and recovery, Thirst blends John’s trademark raw honesty and hilarious digressions with the collective wisdom of alcoholics and those around them to offer a compelling, powerful and morbidly funny narrative for anyone who has ever asked 'why do we drink?', 'why do I drink?' or 'do I drink too much?'.

© John Robins 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026

Critics Review

The most honest, helpful and perceptive book I've ever read about alcohol, and also the funniest
Josh Widdicombe
The funniest book ever written about wanting to drink yourself to death
Lou Sanders
Thirst is a rigorous and courageous look at the making and unmaking of an alcoholic that also often made me laugh aloud. Reading as a fellow addict, I found helpful insight for my own recovery and moments of connection that sometimes made me cry. There is also quite a long section comparing the benefits of different capacity of tea mugs, which was unexpected.
Amy Liptrot, author of THE OUTRUN
Insightful and intelligent. Harrowing but hopeful. And, as always, hilarious
Adrian Chiles
A triumph, and as powerful a description of alcoholism as I've read
Bryony Gordon
I loved this book. Unflinching, poetic, funny and beautiful, yet still somehow so needlessly pedantic and silly. It’s a rich and generous enquiry into how to be a human
Josie Long
Robins at his finest
Pierre Novellie
John Robins's Thirst is funny and true. Packed full of excruciating, hilarious stories, about his school days, fashion choices, friendships and comedy adventures, it's also sprinkled with genuinely revelatory life advice, mostly told via his fuck-ups with alcohol. These fuck-ups are - yep - funny, but it's the truth inside that resonates. He understands the spell of the perfect drink and also how far we can fall when that magic stops working. Kind and coruscating, peculiar and universal, I found myself reading bits of Thirst out to people I love.
Miranda Sawyer
Having admired John’s warmth and wit onstage for years it is wonderful to see his wise, humorous mind at work in this book. He has laid himself bare in a way that is sure to help others.
Alan Davies, author of JUST IGNORE HIM

User Reviews

Book 5.0
Narration 5.0
Author John Robins
Narrator John Robins
Duration 11 hours and 36 minutes
Release Date
ISBN 9781405982092
Format Audiobook
Publisher Penguin Books Ltd
Genre Autobiography: arts and entertainment, Comedy and stand-up, Coping with drug and alcohol problems, Health, illness and addiction: social aspects, Memoirs
Availability AU, GB, IE
Rating
5.0 (1 review)
Narration
5.0 (1 review)

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