Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Wow. Profound, thought-provoking, honest. This is a really important book and must have taken so much strength to write.

A moving and insightful biography

"If I could just stop falling over, this would be a funnier book. I'm a big man and I'm starting to cause a lot of damage."

Joe Hammond was 48 when I was diagnosed with motor neuron disease, more specifically ALS. At the time, he was living in Portugal with his wife Gill and their two young sons. They soon picked up their lives and went back to England, where Joe tried to make sense of dying by writing a book about it.

"But actually, there wasn't much of an interval between this smile and Doctor Tiago telling me that I had motor neurone disease. Or not that exactly. Not that I had this disease. Just that it would be impossible for it to be anything else. I like that. It's perfect manners when handling bad news. It's not that it's the thing. It's just not all the other things."

I am torn writing this review. I found this book interesting and well written. It is, in a sense, Hammond's biography, or his last letter to his family. I love some of the words and expressions, the candid way Hammond describes how his body slowly changed. I found it interesting how he dealt with becoming dependent on help, something which people would likely struggle with the most when going through something like this. He goes into quite a bit of detail on his childhood and relationship with his parents, which I guess made me understand the author better, but the stories are extensive at times and it often feels like the author is rambling. I appreciate and admire the humor which never leaves Hammond's writing. Overall, this is a moving, insightful and intimate look on coping with a disease that will eventually take your life. I wish all the best to Gill and her kids as they cope with the death of their loved one.

‘A Short History of Falling’ is the memoirs of a writer, father and husband diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (ALS). A mixture of memories, reflections on life and death and the experience of becoming disabled this was an extremely raw, honest and at times moving book. I think for people who have had to face the idea of death as a reality due to illness and disability you experience some universal truths that are mentioned in this book, that are also quite isolating as death is not something we talk about much, so I really appreciated that Hammond crosses this divide and wrote about it. I really think there is something in this book for everyone.

Thank you so much to Net Galley and the publisher for sending me a copy to read in exchange for an honest review.

A truly touching and unforgettable memoir. Thank you Joe Hammond for sharing your experiences so eloquently with us all.

A tough but honest read. It was well written but sadly it did seem to waffle a little for my liking.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

Due to the content of the book it does feel a little harsh to criticise it, but I really didn’t enjoy reading it. The writer didn’t make his story sound particularly interesting and the writing style was flat and unengaging. There was a lot of unnecessary waffle to pad the book out. It wasn’t as infomative as it could have been, and I struggled to finish it.

A sincere thank you to the publisher, author and Netgalley for providing me an ebook copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. I enjoyed this story very much and felt like I knew each character personally due to the description of them. I enjoyed the storyline. This is not my usual genre but in this instance I am extremely pleased and grateful for opening up my mind to something totally different. Thanks again.

An insightful and tough read on love, family, fatherhood and a journey towards death when you know it is coming, through deterioration, feeling everything - and everyone - around you slow down.

How do you cope with a terminal diagnosis? Joe Hammond gave his take on life with motor neurone disease (ALS). In A Short History of Falling, we see life as Hammond experienced it. The falling, yes. But also the living. Heart-wrenching and inspiring, A Short History of Falling is real, honest, and surprisingly inspiring. And it's also the perfect book to give you a glimpse into another life. This isn't always easy to read, but it is definitely worth it. A strongly recommended read.

It's hard to call this lovely, and yet that's exactly what it is. Joe Hammond, diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease and losing his capacity and ability to survive, depicts his process of saying goodbye- to his body, his family, his life. Along with his heartache and anger for the cards he's been dealt, there is joy and love- and this book is a precious look inside the liminal world of waiting for the end when so much else is just beginning.

A touching and beautifully written story of a family pulling together, father-son and partner relationships, and a body in decline. Having lost people in my family to MND this was a tough read at times but he describes it beautifully. Wishing him all the best.

A Short History of Falling by Joe Hammond is a memoir by a man who was disagnosed with the condition motor neurone disease.

Before you even open this book prepare yourself with a box of tissues to hand.
The subject matter is difficult and it is a hard read in parts however in saying that it’s is both beautiful and moving,
A must read.
Thank you to both NetGalley and 4th Estate Books for my eARC of this book in exchange for my honest unbiased review

A brave book telling a brave story but ultimately for me I just couldn't quite click with Hammond's voice or writing style.
I think that others will really like it, and it will fit in well with the current medical memoir genre

Heart wrenching beautiful open a book about life ,living knowing death is looming.Tissues boxes of tissues needed for this moving memoir,#netgalley #4thestatebooks.

Having lost my dad a couple of months ago, this autobiography of Hammond living and dying with motor neurone disease wasn’t an easy read. But it was a beautiful and profound one, that was quite different from other accounts I’ve read.
It focuses very much on the physicality of Hammond and those he loves. It is extraordinary that - as he says - as his body deteriorates, he finds an inner peace.
His relationship with the world changes - one passage shows him dwelling on the unfamiliar sight of the top of his wife Gill’s head as she kneels in front of him to help him with his shoelaces.
He is becoming an observer rather than an active participant.
He reflects on his own life but also on those of others such as his father and his two little boys. His attempts to understand their motivations and response to his life and death from their perspective is very touching.
This is not a long book but it is dense, profound and immensely beautiful and life-affirming. It helped me - as I grieve myself - to see that we are always embodied but our inner lives are so much more than - yet so intrinsic to - our physical selves.

Memoirs about illness aren't something else I would normally read, but this is just the right mix of funny, intensely emotional and literary.

A meditation on life and an account of the day to day feelings and details of facing an inevitable death, this is candid, lyrical and involving.

You get a real sense of Joe and his families life in the way they start to address his death. His decline towards the end is a tragedy for them, but also us as readers, as his writing showed such potential for future projects.