Product Description

This anthology of Spike Milligan's work comprises of favourites from his classic books, (such as "Adolf Hitler: My Part in his Downfall", "Goodbye Soldier" and "Puckoon") as well as scripts from the now-classic Goon show. Interspersing such comic genius is also a collection of letters and his celebrated and liberating writings on depression, demonstrating the diverse talent of a man whose creative output spanned over half a century. A selection of children's poetry and writings ("Unspun Socks for a Chicken's Laundry", "A Book of Milliganimals", "Silly Verse for Kids" and much more) reveals Spike's irresistible connection with the childlike imagination and a brillant sense of the ridiculous.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #401333 in Books
• Published on: 2002-11-04
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 320 pages

Review
George Orwell asserted that 'whatever is funny is subversive', and this was never truer than in the case of Spike Milligan. His absurdist vision was not unique, but with him it perhaps shone the brightest and burnt him the worst, leaving him with a tender mind, often on the cusp of madness, but always brimming with comic, surreal ideas. He was the creative spark of the generation of comics who survived the war and, along with Peter Sellers and Harry Secombe, he created The Goon Show, a mould-breaking radio programme quite unlike anything else austere Britain had heard before. It's often taken as the precursor of Monty Python (and thereby much of post-war British comedy), but a more convincing ancestor would be Milligan's long-running Q TV series or his Running, Jumping, Standing Still film, both of which took his highly skewed world view to new realms of weirdly addictive comedy. As the years took their toll on his mental stability, Milligan's output grew more and more patchy - and elements of casual racism in his later comedies do grate - but his memoirs and children's fiction became more assured instead, and his autobiographies of his war years were especially popular, being comic, poignant and revelatory, and opening his world to a new audience. This marvellous collection is an excellent smorgasbord of the man's prodigious output, with selections and titbits from his prose, his poems and limericks and his scripts. Skilfully gathered together, this is a marvellous testament to a giant of comedy whose brilliance and influence remain with us still. (Kirkus UK)

Chris Power, The Times
Wonderful anthology. A superbly sustained piece of comedy.

From the Publisher
Spike was one of the most loved and influential figures in post war comedy. This collection, compiled by Alexander Games is the essential volume for fans both young and old as well as the perfect introduction for those wishing to get to know him a little better.
Foreward written by Eddie Izard

Customer Reviews

brilliantly childish, genius and silly! I luv ya Spike
Only Spike Milliagan could be so brilliantly childish and observational.... so many try yet cant carry off the innocent yet deep poems and humour in this book.
Although I found reading the Goon show scripts sections a bit hard - and skipped most of them... (they wern't really of my generation, more my dads era....im sure i'll go back and read them later ).... but i really take my time reading the poems and re-reading them as they as genius yet silly and one can get.
A fabulous piece of escapism.... and his biography bits are great too..... a must read! A true eccentric!

The Essential Spike Milligan
This book is a stroll through the work of one of the most productive comic writters of modern times.This book contains extracts from his many books and scripts of some the most memorable Goon Shows.Also interleaved between these gems are poems ,silly verse for kids and letters he sent and recieved when championing his many causes.