Product Description

Expanded from Kenneth Williams' original notes, this is a new edition of his best-selling book of wicked, witty conversation stoppers. This edition features an introduction by long-time friends Gyles Brandreth and Barbara Windsor.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #615225 in Books
• Published on: 2000-10-05
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 208 pages

Review
Williams (brightly described in a forward by Gyles Brandreth, who helped him to write this book) was a distinct pain to all who knew him - but was also brilliantly and unforgettably funny as a raconteur. In this memoir he set down the funniest of his anecdotes, and this reprint reminds one that the book is one of the best of its kind of the past 20 years - difficult to imagine any human being for whom it wouldn't provide at least one belly-laugh per page. (Kirkus UK)

About the Author
Gyles Brandreth is a former Oxford Scholar and President of the Oxford Union and worked in theatre, television and publishing before becoming MP for the City of Chester in 1992.

Customer Reviews

The A-Z of put-downs
Kenneth Williams recalls some of the funniest put-downs/one liners in history.

Woody Allen: "I don't want to achieve immortality through my work, I want to achieve it through not dying"

There are countless funny quotes here, my only dissappointment given the incredible wit that he was, was that Kenneth Williams should have recalled some more of his own hilarious experiences.

A Good Short Read.

pretty good
Don't be put off by the terribly cheesy cover! Inside this book is some hilarious stories of the rich and famous surprisingly showing some ounces of wit, and in some cases unbelievable stupidity. the stories range from winston churchill to lord byron. The sections are: acrimony, bitchery, carping, devilry, epigram, feuding, gamesmanship, humiliation, invective, jibing, knock-out, lampoon, malice, nemesis, obloquy, pique, quip, ridicule, scorn, terseness, upstaging, vitriol, wordplay, xenophobia, yahoo and zany

some sections are more funny than others. theres a good range of one liners and some fondly remembered anecdotes from williams. i just wish i could find the perfect situation for astounding my friends with a one liner or story. examples of what you will find (short examples as i dont have all day):

1st century BC by poet Catullus: 'Complete indifference to your welfare, Caeser, is matched only by ignorance of who you are.'

Cab driver to TS Elliot: 'i have 'em all in my cab. who'd you think i had in yesterday, eh? Bertrand russel, greatest philosipher in the western world, right?' 'Yes, I suppose so.' 'I said to him, bertie, whats it all about then? And do you know, the twit couldn't tell me'

Meekness: Uncommon paitence in planning a revenge that is worthwhile

Heaven; A place where the wicked cease from troubling you with talk of their personal affairs, and the good liten with attention while you expound your own.

Essential Collection Of Wit & Humour
This was a really enjoyable book that covers the A-Z of put downs. Concisely chaptered from Acrimony to Zany it was also very funny and had a great tribute to Kenneth Williams by Gyles Brandreth too.

Too good to miss!