Non-Fiction Books
[Milligan, Spike] Farnes, Norma. The Spike Milligan Letters. London, M. & J. Hobbs, 1977. Octavo. 159 pages. Original Hardcover with original dustjacket in protective collector's mylar. Excellent condition with only minor signs of external wear.
"Dear Reader, Since the first volume of letters was published in 1977, some years have elapsed. During this time approximately 72,800 letters have been written by Spike Milligan at the approximate rate of 40 per day, 5 days per week, which equals approximately 200 letters per week and approximately 10,400 per annum, which now equals approximately 72,800 letters. Here is a selection. P.S. There are enough left over to produce a further 130 volumes."
In 1982, leading psychiatrist and TV presenter Anthony Clare interviewed Spike Milligan for the radio series In The Psychiatrist's Chair, a show in which Clare led revealing interviews with a range of celebrities. He was so overwhelmed by Milligan's account of his forty years of depressive experiences that he knew he had found the person to help him illuminate and explore the mysterious and sometimes terrifying illness that is clinical depression. Depression and How to Survive It is the result of this collaboration, through which Anthony Clare charts the development of Spike Milligan's illness and the strategies he uses in dealing with the often misunderstood disorder of clinical depression. Drawing inspiration and advice from Spike's experience, Depression and How to Survive It is a book which takes you to the depths of human unhappiness in order to show you the way towards leading a happy life.A unique book about human psychology from one of Britain's most successful psychiatrists, providing a revelatory insight into the mind of Spike Milligan, everyone's favourite goon.
Milligan's Meaning of Life is a glorious celebration of the legendary Spike Milligan. Here you will find his most intimate and hilarious reflections on life. With his lightning-quick wit, unbridled creativity and his ear for the absurd, Milligan revolutionised British comedy. Throughout his life, Milligan also wrote prolifically - scripts, poetry, fiction, as well as several volumes of memoir, in which he took an entirely idiosyncratic approach to the truth. In this ground-breaking work, Norma Farnes, his long-time manager, companion, counsellor and confidante, gathers together the loose threads, reads between the lines and draws on the full breadth of his writing to present his life in his own words: an autobiography - of sorts. From his childhood in India, through his early career as a jazz musician and sketch-show entertainer, his spells in North Africa and Italy with the Royal Artillery, to that fateful first broadcast of The Goon Show and beyond into the annals of comedy history, this is the autobiography Milligan never wrote. 'Milligan is the Great God to all of us' John Cleese 'The Godfather of Alternative Comedy' Eddie Izzard Spike Milligan was one of the greatest and most influential comedians of the twentieth century. Born in India in 1918, he served in the Royal Artillery during WWII in North Africa and Italy. At the end of the war, he forged a career as a jazz musician, sketch-show writer and performer, before joining forces with Peter Sellers and Harry Secombe to form the legendary Goon Show. Until his death in 2002, he had success as on stage and screen and as the author of over eighty books of fiction, memoir, poetry, plays, cartoons and children's stories.
This tribute to one of the world's greatest ever entertainers is a must for all Milligan fans. For the first time, this diverse and thrilling selection of scripts, sketches, poems, prose and nonsense is available in paperback. The combination of quickfire wit and downright silliness is supported by contributions from some of showbusiness' greatest entertainers, including Barry Humphreys and Ronnie Scott.
Spike Milligan has carefully selected scores of very personal photographs to illustrate his intriguing family history, from his birth in India in 1918, his childhood, Army life, and the story of his career to the arrival of his own family, creating a fascinating record of his amazing life.
This collection of Spike Milligan's work is compiled and edited by Norma Farnes, Milligan's manager, biographer and close friend. Drawing on diaries and letters, it consists of the contents of 'Box 18', a file into which the highly prolific Spike would put his writing and drawings as they came to him.