Product Description
This story is based on the author's own family experiences. It tells the story of a young couple who go to India with the army. When the father dies and the mother becomes ill the children are taken to an orphanage and have adventures running away to a magic house. ... Read more

Product Description
At last, Spike Milligan's final collection of poems, jokes, doodles, giggles and general hilarity is available in paperback. A medley? Yes indeedley - hilarious poems, a scattering of cartoons and the truth about the Furhrer revealed once and for all in Spike's epic historical tale, 'Adolf Hitler, Dictator and Clown'. Rude, irreverent and riotously funny, this is classic Milligan. ... Read more

Product Description
The Magical World of Milligan is a sparkly new children's compendium that gathers together a grand selection of Milligan favourites, including such delightful poems and stories as 'On the Ning Nang Nong', 'The Terrible Monster Jelly' and lots of Twits. Full colour and complete with Milligan's drawings and sketches, The Magical World also includes poems from Silly Verse for Kids to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of its publication in 1959. This wonderful new book will appeal to the legion of Milligan fans and open the door to new ones, young and old alike. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

The Bay of Algiers by Moonlight
Spike Milligan was born in India, the son of an Irish father who was serving in the British Indian Army. He spent most of his life in England and served in the British Army in World War II - though he took Irish citizenship. Milligan was an undoubted comedy genius and was the principal writer of The Goon Show. He was one of the few people who could get away with referring to a member of the British Royal Family - Prince Charles - as a "little grovelling b@$t@rd" on live television.

"Rommel ? Gunner Who ?" is the second of Spike's war memoirs, and covers January to May 1943. It opens with Spike and his colleagues stationed at X Camp in Algeria, suffering from hot days, freezing cold nights and massive boredom. The lads are very keen to get into Algiers - where they hope to visit the ladies of negotiable affection. (The average gunner is very keen on sex, though rarely gets the chance to do more than talk about it. The closest they get to any action while stationed at X Camp is drooling over the local barmaid). They finally get their wish - but, come the end of the book, they've seen more action than they might have hoped for.

The book was first published in 1974, and there's plenty of typically Spike-like gags. (There are plenty of sketches and photos in the book : I particularly liked the one captioned "Gunner Milligan showing his unflagging belief in his King and Country.") Occasionally, he'll have a little fun lampooning notable characters and playing around with stereotypes. Nothing is sacred with Spike, but neither is there any any intention of causing offence : he'll be as likely to aim a kick at a racist colleague as he is to mock Hitler. (Still, it might be worth noting that the book was set, and written, in different times. Having said that, in today's world Spike could nearly be considered downright progressive : "At sundown the Arabs turned towards Mecca to carry out their devotions, a religious people, more than I could say for our lot, the only time they knelt down was to pick up money.") A very funny book overall.

Hilarious, poignant tale of an extraordinary ordinary guy
You have to start with "Adolf Hitler, My Part in his Downfall" to make the most of this book but it stands well in its own right. Spike put more reflection into this book as this is the account of when he entered battle with the enemy. Friends died, adventures were had and they lived as best they could. Spike's humor comes through well but this is also a great look into the everyday life of the soldiers in the British Army early in the war. The drawings are rough but evocative, with the intensity of the times showing through.

WW2 Memoir by a Goon
A continuation of the biography that started with "Adolf Hitler; my part in his downfall". Spike Milligan brings his sense of the ridiculous to the very serious business of war and his personal experience as a gunner in the British army in the Middle East.

At times hilarious, occasionally tragic, the book portrays ordinary men doing their bit for the war effort.

Spike Milligan's sense of humor permeates the book, and to my mind works really well. However if you don't like the sort of British humor used by the Goons (or their cousins/descendants, Monty Python) then this could be a problem.

In any case, this is a fascinating and very personal account of the wartime experiences of one of the most original British humorists. Especially recommended reading if you have read the first book in the series "Adolf Hitler; my part in his downfall". ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

The Bay of Algiers by Moonlight
Spike Milligan was born in India, the son of an Irish father who was serving in the British Indian Army. He spent most of his life in England and served in the British Army in World War II - though he took Irish citizenship. Milligan was an undoubted comedy genius and was the principal writer of The Goon Show. He was one of the few people who could get away with referring to a member of the British Royal Family - Prince Charles - as a "little grovelling b@$t@rd" on live television.

"Rommel ? Gunner Who ?" is the second of Spike's war memoirs, and covers January to May 1943. It opens with Spike and his colleagues stationed at X Camp in Algeria, suffering from hot days, freezing cold nights and massive boredom. The lads are very keen to get into Algiers - where they hope to visit the ladies of negotiable affection. (The average gunner is very keen on sex, though rarely gets the chance to do more than talk about it. The closest they get to any action while stationed at X Camp is drooling over the local barmaid). They finally get their wish - but, come the end of the book, they've seen more action than they might have hoped for.

The book was first published in 1974, and there's plenty of typically Spike-like gags. (There are plenty of sketches and photos in the book : I particularly liked the one captioned "Gunner Milligan showing his unflagging belief in his King and Country.") Occasionally, he'll have a little fun lampooning notable characters and playing around with stereotypes. Nothing is sacred with Spike, but neither is there any any intention of causing offence : he'll be as likely to aim a kick at a racist colleague as he is to mock Hitler. (Still, it might be worth noting that the book was set, and written, in different times. Having said that, in today's world Spike could nearly be considered downright progressive : "At sundown the Arabs turned towards Mecca to carry out their devotions, a religious people, more than I could say for our lot, the only time they knelt down was to pick up money.") A very funny book overall.

Hilarious, poignant tale of an extraordinary ordinary guy
You have to start with "Adolf Hitler, My Part in his Downfall" to make the most of this book but it stands well in its own right. Spike put more reflection into this book as this is the account of when he entered battle with the enemy. Friends died, adventures were had and they lived as best they could. Spike's humor comes through well but this is also a great look into the everyday life of the soldiers in the British Army early in the war. The drawings are rough but evocative, with the intensity of the times showing through.

WW2 Memoir by a Goon
A continuation of the biography that started with "Adolf Hitler; my part in his downfall". Spike Milligan brings his sense of the ridiculous to the very serious business of war and his personal experience as a gunner in the British army in the Middle East.

At times hilarious, occasionally tragic, the book portrays ordinary men doing their bit for the war effort.

Spike Milligan's sense of humor permeates the book, and to my mind works really well. However if you don't like the sort of British humor used by the Goons (or their cousins/descendants, Monty Python) then this could be a problem.

In any case, this is a fascinating and very personal account of the wartime experiences of one of the most original British humorists. Especially recommended reading if you have read the first book in the series "Adolf Hitler; my part in his downfall". ... Read more

Product Description
A collection of 30 Spike Milligan poems on a range of typically zany and irreverent topics. ... Read more

Product Description
William McGonagall is famed throughout the far-flung reaches of the Empire for his exquisite verses and is a seasoned traveller - from Balmoral to El Alamein, from Istanbul to Lewisham. This is the sequel to "William McGonagall, The Truth at Last" and "William McGonagall Meets George Gershwin". ... Read more

Product Description
One of a series of digitally remastered collections of "Goon Show" episodes, including previously unreleased material. The episodes here are "The White Box of Great Bardfield", "Tales of Montmartre", "The Mystery of the Fake Neddie Seagoons" and "The Great Bank Robbery". ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Stirling early days of British 'anarchy' comedy
Influential to British comedy as the Goon Show was (broadcast from 1952 to 1960 with a couple of specials thrown in later) the BBC radion series suffers from not being chronological order and periodically only seeming to have certain titles availabe in cassette form.

No such problem here, volume 10 being available in CD format with two of the comedy troupes 1/2 hour shows per CD.

The White Box of Great Bardfield is the first episode and for the most part is a good enough example of what these guys were on about, a sort of anarchic style of silliness that given the talent of the performers and their inherent understanding of the material usually ends up landing on it's feet.

Tales of Montmartre is a somewhat anonymous episode, but the third episode on this volume really makes up for it by being a good example of how this style of broadcast comedy could work as a show with a plot yet a plot that could sometimes be bent almost out of recognition. Groovy... as they might of said in London several years AFTER this was first broadcast.

The Great Bank Robbery rounds out this collection and ultimately the idea of a botched robbery is fertile ground for the style of stream of consciousness comedy this group excelled at.

There are so many of these things available it's hard to recommend one beyond another but I'd have to say that volumes 8, 9 and 15 are pretty much my faves.

The Goon Show....
Was the brainchild of Spike Milligan, Peter Sellers and Harry Seacombe, and became the forefather of what we've come to know as modern "British Comedy." The ground-breaking antics of the Goons inspired the Monty Python gang, The Goodies, and down the line to Eddie Izzard and the current crowd. The Goon Show itself was sublimely ridiculous, with people dueling with spoons, seaside towns being terrorized by pie throwing maniacs, and ships disguised as trains (to make the train seaworthy it was done up to look like a boat and painted to appear as a tram...all rather confusing, really...) If you've never heard the shows, give them a try! Hear where it all began- in all its anarchic and surreal glory. It's rather unbelievable that this all began in the 50s, isn't it? ... Read more

Product Description
This collection brings together the most beloved children's poems. Poems such as "The Owl and the Pussycat" to "Us Two" and "Chocolate Cake" should amuse and delight children and adults alike. The collection includes the modern and the classics, from A.A. Milne to Pam Ayres. ... Read more