THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER & GUARDIAN AUDIOBOOK OF THE WEEK
The beautifully written, moving and darkly funny memoir about alcohol addiction and the journey to sobriety. Narrated by the author, award-winning comedian John Robins.
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 comedians 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?
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 aged five, spraying aftershave into his mouth at a school play afterparty, and drinking red wine alone at university – to his last drink in 2022, he traces his journey into sobriety.
From hazy memory to sudden clarity, John reflects on mental health, friendship, creativity and the lies we tell ourselves. He asks: are alcoholics born or made? How do we understand 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 honesty and hilarious digressions with the collective wisdom of alcoholics 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?'.
'The funniest book ever written about wanting to drink yourself to death' Lou Sanders
'A triumph, and as powerful a description of alcoholism as I've read' Bryony Gordon
‘Heartfelt [and] darkly funny’ Guardian, Audiobook of the Week
© John Robins 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026
About the Author :
John Robins is a radio presenter (5Live, Radio X), comedian (Taskmaster, Live at the Apollo, Mock The Week) and podcaster (How Do You Cope?, The Elis James and John Robins Show, Beef's Golf Club, The Moon Under Water). Throughout his stand-up and radio career he has gained a reputation for speaking candidly and hilariously about his own mental health. John Robins is a radio presenter (5Live, Radio X), comedian (Taskmaster, Live at the Apollo, Mock The Week) and podcaster (How Do You Cope?, The Elis James and John Robins Show, Beef's Golf Club, The Moon Under Water). Throughout his stand-up and radio career he has gained a reputation for speaking candidly and hilariously about his own mental health.
Review :
The most honest, helpful and perceptive book I've ever read about alcohol, and also the funniest
The funniest book ever written about wanting to drink yourself to death
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.
Insightful and intelligent. Harrowing but hopeful. And, as always, hilarious
A triumph, and as powerful a description of alcoholism as I've read
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
Robins at his finest
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.
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.
