NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the ingenious comic performer, founding member of Monty Python, and creator of Spamalot comes an absurdly funny memoir of unparalleled wit and heartfelt candor—now featuring a new afterword.*“A hilarious, charming book by this incredible, i̶n̶s̶u̶f̶f̶e̶r̶a̶b̶l̶e̶ interesting genius.”*—Steve MartinWe know him best for his unforgettable roles on Monty Python—from the Flying Circus t...

**“A rollicking account of the making of [the] Broadway musical Spamalot [and] an irresistible and unfiltered ode to the art of live theater. Fans will love this tantalizing glimpse behind the curtain.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)From comedy legend Eric Idle, the fascinating inside story of bringing Monty Python and the Holy Grail to Broadway as the unlikely theatrical hit Spamalot**ONE OF NPR’S BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR • SEM...

From Monty Python legend Eric Idle comes this wicked and enthralling comedySet during the glorious days of the Bush Empire before they finally invaded and killed irony, The Writer's Cut follows Stanley Hay, a joke writer. He has a girlfriend, a writing partner and a career going nowhere in particular. Wisecracking, ambitious and horny, Stanley decides that he is going to change that by writing a novel. This is where things start to spiral out of control.Caught up i...

From the beloved Python and New York Times-bestselling author, an "insightful and enjoyable" memoir/travelogue from his money-grubbing tour ( The AV Club).A stunningly witty exploration of the American landscape—not to mention a brilliant comic's mind—this diary is chock-full of everything you ever wanted to know about Eric Idle, Monty Python, the United States, and sleeping on a bus. In these pages, the sixth-nicest Python is cheeky, touching, an...

This is the definitive, the official, the most lavish, the completely-different-to-anything-done-before Pythons' autobiography, reissued to coincide with the eagerly-anticipated live shows.Over forty years ago, a group of five Englishmen - and one wayward American - rewrote the rules of comedy. MONTY PYTHON'S FLYING CIRCUS, an unheralded, previously unseen half-hour show of sketches, hilarities, inanities and animations, first appeared on the BBC late one night in ...

In 1971, at the beginning of Monty Python mania, Eric Idle bought a crumbling ruin in the hills of Provence. With no electricity, no water, no road, and no plan, he set out to transform the neglected stone shack into what he lovingly calls a shackeau.Idle in Provence is the story of the transformation of both the place and the man. Against the sun-drenched backdrop of southern France, Idle penned iconic songs and scripts, hosted a revolving door of eccentric and brilliant ...

What makes humans bark?Is the funny bone funny?What is the algebra of comedy?Did the sitcom originate with the ape?Carlton is an android (a 4.5 Bowie Artificial Intelligence Robot) who works for Alex and Lewis, two comedians from the twenty-second century who travel the outer vaudeville circuit of the solar system known ironically as the Road to Mars. His problem is that although as a computer he cannot understand irony, he is attempting to write a thesis about...

From the ingenious comic performer, founding member of Monty Python, and creator of Spamalot, comes an absurdly funny memoir of unparalleled wit and heartfelt candorWe know him best for his unforgettable roles on Monty Python--from the Flying Circus to The Meaning of Life. Now, Eric Idle reflects on the meaning of his own life in this entertaining memoir that takes us on an unforgettable journey from his childhood in an austere boarding s...

A founding member of Monty Python and creator of Spamalot discusses his absurdly funny memoir of his remarkable journey from childhood in an austere boarding school, coming of age as a writer and comedian during the sixties and seventies, and his successful career in comedy, television, theater, and film. In conversation with David Hyde Pierce. (Added bonus: Eric is bringing his guitar, and there just might be a sing-along....)

The Infinite Monkey Cage, the legendary BBC Radio 4 programme, brings you this irreverent celebration of scientific marvels. Join us on a hectic leap through the grand and bizarre ideas conjured up by human imagination, from dark matter to consciousness via neutrinos and earthworms.Professor Brian Cox and Robin Ince muse on multifaceted subjects involved in building a universe, with pearls of wisdom from leading scientists and comedians peppered throughout...

Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Michael Palin, Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones star in this innovative and groundbreaking series which includes 19 of their best sketches. From the memorable 'Nudge Nudge Wink Wink' to the celebrated 'Dead Parrot Sketch', there’s also the hairdresser with a fear of hair who really wanted to be a lumberjack in 'Barber Shop Sketch' and the 'Lumberjack Song'. Also featuring among many timeless classics are leading figures from the Third Reich, who fetch u...

The inside story of what it took to bring Monty Python and the Holy Grail to Broadway as the unlikely theatrical hit Spamalot, told through actual diary entries from the legendary comic performer, founding member of Monty Python, and New York Times bestselling authorOn March 17, 2005, Spamalot debuted on Broadway to rapturous reviews for its star-studded creative team, including creators Eric Idle and John Du Prez, director Mike ...