Upper Crust! - Rated 
This is an urbane, witty and clever book that explores "Northerness" means ... or rather what "Northern Englishness" means.
I found it fascinating but wished Maconie had hopped north of the border to juxtapose the view of Scots to "oop norf" with those "dan sarf". ( I did at times say "being patronised by the Londoncentric media ... try living in Scotland, pal!" while reading it.)
(I was studying in Glasgow a few years ago and I overheard a middle-class southern girl ask a friend "do THEY like dogs". I resisted the urge to butt in and say "only when there is an "r" in the month." To this girl everything north of Oxford is a suburb of Mordor.)
Maconie's thesis is simple :- regionalism is rife in the worlds of media, politics and business; this leads to a small-minded southern mind-set and a reactionary northern response.
Maconie's most accurate and deservedly cruel lunge is at the media's obsession with London and the Home Counties. He is also commendably and unfashionably unafraid to bring in social class into his discussion.
(Notice how "Q.I." is always at pains not to patronise the developing world but Stephen Fry can label Scots as drunken yobs and Northerners as provincial.)
Some may be dissapointed by its middlebrow muddle:- is this a funny serious book or a serious funny book ? But that is to overlook the book's strength that you learn a lot without feeling you are being lectured at.
It does have its flaws though, primarily a feel of a sense of resentment towards the South rather than a real anger at the North's neglect by Northerners. In addition, while I sung "Ding dong, the Witch is Dead" when Thatcher resigned, I think Maconie's left-wing political views are as carefully though out as and, as predictable, as a reactionary, right-wing retired stockbroker's from Surrey.( Oops, that was a regional stereotype.) Yes, Maconie savages Militant ruled Liverpool but, all too often, north of the Watford gap self-interested, self serving rogues are voted in precisely because they wear a red rosette just as blue rosette wearing clowns like Boris Johnson are in the south. Yes, the Thatcherite era did lead to a savage and deliberate decimation of the British working class but the left showed an unforgivable lack of vision and leadership that made them vulnerable to old "milksnatcher".
But Maconie isn't a sentimentalist:- the North isn't porttrayed as perfect ... just as a neglected part of the UK with its own charm.
But overall, ecky thump! It' s reet champion, ower kid.I'm off to walk my whippet.
(Sorry, lads & lasses!)
Half-hearted research, a dislike of the South and a few nice stories - Rated 
Right, I have just finished the book. I enjoyed parts of it. But there were two elements that annoyed me. First, it didn't seem like he actually bothered to visit some of these places and if he did it was an afternoon here, a morning there. Nice stories about places but they can be easily copied from 'A History of ________'. Second, it seems more like a book about why he doesn't like the South rather than an ode to the North. His constant and bitter moaning about (a) why the South is over-rated and (b) how Southerners are disparaging to Northerns really does grate after a while.
Eeeh, lad, you've made us reet proud - Rated 
Are you from the North? Read this book - you'll recognise snippets from your own life on every single page. Are you from the South? Read this book - it's about time you heard the truth about how equally wonderful we are!
This book is a hilarious, evocative, perceptive love-letter to the North, and a must-read for all who wish to be educated!
Prejudice and Prejudice - Rated 
I'm a Londoner, let's get that out of the way. I'm engaged to an amazing Lancashire girl and have spent a great deal of time in the North and with it's peoples. I purchased this book expecting and hoping to read a witty and well thought out view of perhaps some of the nuances and reasons for those nuances (or not) between Southerners and Northerners. Let's face it, there clearly are some differences. Instead, what I was incensed to discover was that this narrow minded bore is only intent on generalising and slighting all things South of the Midlands and time and time again, criticising anything and everything that is London. I'm seriously confused as to how this little man walks straight with such an enormous chip on his shoulder.
Please, let us not burden you any longer sir, the Norf is calling you back.
Mediocre TV and Radio Star Writes Mediocre Book - Rated
It starts off ok but he just can't get his facts right. The whole thing feels like he hasn't actually visited all the places listed but just done a few internet searches. And did anybody proof read this book? There is no character in Viz called "Big Vern Cockney Wan...", it's two seperate characters! This implies he isn't quite as au fait with Viz as he likes to pretend. The other glaring error is when talking about Liverpool's Champions League final win against Inter Milan - it was AC Milan!!!! Very bad form indeed.
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