Product Description

In "Goodbye Soldier" the central pool of artists, now rechristened the combined services entertainment, complete with Gunner Miligan, now rechristened Lance-Bambardier, makes its way across Europe, via romantic Rome and verneral Venice, to Vienna where Spike continues to demoralize the troops from the stage despite frenzied protests from Eisenhower, Churchill and Stalin. Hastily discharged from the army in Austria, he returnes to naughty Naples for an interval of connubial bliss on Capri with Balerina Maria Antoinette Fontana: 'All except for Eva Maria who I was keeping in reserve.' Finally, farewell to Rome, goodbye soldier and the prospect of return to dreary deptford where 'fortune, overdraft, income tax, mortgages, accounts, solicitors, house agents' awaited.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #83196 in Books
• Published on: 1987-10-29
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 288 pages

About the Author
Spike Milligan was born at Ahmednagar in India in 1918. He received his first education in a tent in the Hyderabad Sindh desert and graduated from there, through a series of Roman Catholic schools in India and England, to the Lewisham Polytechnic. He then plunged into the world of Show Business, seduced by his first stage appearance, at the age of eight, in the nativity play of his Poona convent school. He began his career as a band musician, but has since become famous as a humorous scriptwriter and actor in both films and broadcasting. Spike received an honorary CBE in 1992.

Customer Reviews

Nostalgia Romance Humour - what are we doing to the world?
This is my favourite of Spike's Memoirs and tells of his romance with a lovely Italian ballerina. This book changed my life - because of it I visited Capri, and begun a lifelong love of Italy. The saddest thing is that the place he describes has gone now. The book is full of life and colour, and is such a great read that you don't want it to end...I - extraordinary man and talent - this book will be a real delight for all new readers.

More of Milligan's Memoirs...
This is the 6th in Spike Milligan's war memoirs, and really it focusses on the immediate post war period, when he was being de-mobbed and working his way up Italy to Austria. All this is happenning amidst his great love affair with Toni, a petit Italian woman who travels with him most of the journey, until their final break-up. It is also the time that Spike can begin his entertainment career for which has has become so well-known and influencial. The man is truly unique, and here you can see his wit and Goon sided view of the world developing as he works. It may surprise some that Spikes first ventures in the entertainment world where musical, as an accomplished trumpet player. In this period the comedy starts taking over, alongside the music and emerges to the fore in hios stage acts.

However, this is Spike writing what seems to be form a crystal clear memory, as the details are so precise that it seems hard to believe he could remember so much. Whether that is true or not does not affect the enjoyment of this book. Spike Milligan can only bear his soul, with all its totured views on life, God, love and war. For those, like me, who are confirmed "Goonatics" it will delight as all Spike's work does. For those with a passing interest it will introduce the foundation of the mans talent which later produced a revolution in comedy that the world has never recovered from. Basically, you will laugh!

Spike Revisited
A return to reading the collected memoirs of Spike at War. This is probably the third time I have read them since they came out and I got the first volume for my Dad ( Also from Catford with a similar career pattern to Milligan) Spike's books reflect his manic personality; sometimes they make you cry but usually they make you laugh out loud. His obsessive attention to detail( such as clothing) and his amazing recall( of smells and tastes as well as sights and sounds ) is amazing. The books can be disjointed and repetitive at times but as a viewpoint from a lowly placed individual in one of the great events of the 20th century,reflecting all the vices prejudices yet lust for life and freedom from dominating parents of someone from that generation, they are hard to resist!