Product Description

This guide includes everything you ever wanted to know about the history and stars of the Python comedy team from "And Now For Something Completely Different" to "The Wind In The Willows" via "Dead Parrots", "Twelve Monkeys" and "Basil the Rat".

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #739136 in Books
• Published on: 2001-07-20
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 288 pages

From the Publisher
Everything you need to know about TV's greatest comedy team
Everything you ever wanted to know about the history and stars of the Monty Python comedy team from 'And Now For Something Completely Different' to 'The Wind in the Willows' via dead parrots, twelve monkeys and Basil the Rat.

Major biographies of Chapman, Cleese, Gilliam, Idle, Jones and Palin. All television, stage, publishing, radio and film ventures as a team apart. In-depth study of the comic ideals, essential Python sketches and entries for other key players, notably Spike Milligan, Neil Innes and George Harrison. Further reading, recordings, videos and societies plus a whole lot more.

Customer Reviews

Monty Python Encyclopedia Too Much of a Good Thing
Python fans beware. This is meant to be a celebration of all things Python including an analysis of why they were the greatest comedy team ever. Well, it's certainly detailed, including full descriptions of all 45 episodes, the films, records, books & solo work.
But the point is Python cannot really be analysed on a page. It has to be seen. So Ross is preaching to the converted here & the unconverted will not be impresssed. The book is full of appalling spelling errors & strange choices of words (Contractual Obligation album is not 'emotive' - huh?) as well as some inexcusable misquotes - when Palin arrives in Hong Kong during 80 Days his comment 'sensory deprivation' is given as 'century deprivation'.
A typical example of how Ross attempts to describe Python's off the wall humour concerns the All-England Summarize Proust Competition. The joke is it can't be done. Right. Neither can Python humour be properly described on paper no matter how well-intentioned the effort, and Ross is undeniably a Python fan.
Even more contentious is his opinion of the solo careers. He doesn't know what to make of Palin's travel programmes, virtually dismissing Full Circle for instance while overpraising his (superb) performance in GBH at co-star Robert Lindsay's expense. He doesn't get Jones' historical epic, Crusades & says all the usual things about Gilliam while glossing over the fact that Gilliam has become virtually unemployable.
On the other hand he gushes that Cleese is the funniest man in Britain & then savagely attacks A Fish Called Wanda because it's 'anti-British', ignoring the fact that Cleese, husband to three Americans, has based his entire career on being 'anti-British' to some degree. Saddest of all, he pretends that Idle has actually had a successful career, asserting that Nuns on the Run is the best solo film.
Basically although the book is enjoyable enough fans will learn nothing new and non-fans will remain mystified as to why Python is still worshipped.

the best monty python book ever!
this book tells you everything you want to now from the frost report (before python), monty python and there latest things like michael palins full circle. its got everything!