Some people live a life so full, so warm, and so unexpectedly remarkable that their story demands to be told before the world loses it forever. Howard "Howie" Buford was exactly that kind of person. Born in the sunny suburbs of Los Angeles, he grew up a carefree, joke-cracking, convertible-driving young man who never imagined that the frozen forests of Belgium would one day define him. This is his story told with love, humor, and the deep reverence of a friendship that spanned a decade and...

If it can happen in show business, it’s happened to Jon Cryer. Now he’s opening up for the first time and sharing his behind-the-scenes stories in a warmly endearing, sharply observed, and frankly funny look at life in Hollywood.In 1986, Jon Cryer won over America as Molly Ringwald’s loyal and lovable best friend, Duckie, in the cult classic Pretty in Pink in a role that set the tone for his three-decade-long career in Hollywood. He went on to establish hi...

Barry Cryer is one of the great comedians of the last 50 years. This is a sparkling series of hilarious and true anecdotes, almost all of which have never been told before!Barry Cryer has collaborated with all the greats from Max Miller to Tony Hancock, Bob Hope, Peter Cook and Dudley Moore, John Cleese, Frankie Howerd, Kenny Everett, Spike Milligan, Eric Sykes, Dave Allen, Richard Pryor, Tommy Cooper, Les Dawson, Graham Chapman, the Two Ronnies, Morecambe and Wise...

In day-to-day speech we use words and phrases without a passing thought as to why we use them or where they come from. Max Cryer changes all that by showing how fascinating the English language really is. Did you know that the former host of Today, Jane Pauley, claims to have coined the term “bad hair day,” or that a CBS engineer named Charley Douglass invented the name and use of “canned laughter” for television, or that “cold turkey” as a term for quitting something immediately ...

A collection of hilarious stories and eye-popping anecdotes from the nation's best-loved comedianBarry Cryer is one of the most respected and admired writers and performers of his time. In a career spanning forty years, Barry has worked alongside the greatest producers and performers in show business: Tommy Cooper, Humphrey Lyttelton, Morecambe and Wise, Willie Rushton, Peter Cook, Kenny Everett, Rory Bremner to name but a few - this book is a veritable Who's Who o...

Foreword by Sandi Toksvig | WATERSTONES' BEST BOOKS OF 2023: ENTERTAINMENT'Give this book to everyone you know - NOW!' Miriam Margolyes'This is a joyous, uplifting book' Observer'He was so funny and such fun and here he is again in all his rib-tickling glory' Gyles Brandreth'I don't know how long I've got left … I don't even buy green bananas anymore'...

We cannot get enough of cats: from ancient times they have occupied a special place in many different cultures around the world. They have also generated a fascinating array of words, expressions and observations, as well as poems, books, movies, cartoons and artworks. In this witty and entertaining book, Max Cryer celebrates cats and all they have given to us. He describes the many words and expressions they have inspired, from ‘catnip’ and ‘catwalk’ to ‘the cat’s whiskers’ and ‘raining c...

If it can happen in show business, it’s happened to Jon Cryer. Now he’s opening up for the first time and sharing his behind-the-scenes stories in a warmly endearing, sharply observed, and frankly funny look at life in Hollywood.In 1986, Jon Cryer won over America as Molly Ringwald’s loyal and lovable best friend, Duckie, in the cult classic Pretty in Pink in a role that set the tone for his three-decade-long career in Hollywood. He went on to establish hi...

Have you ever wondered where terms like ‘end of your tether’, ‘gets my goat’ or ‘letting ones hair down’ come from? Or why we call some people ‘geezers’, ‘sugar daddies’ or ‘lounge lizards’? Or where the words ‘eavesdropping’, ‘nickname’ and ‘D-Day’ come from? They are just a few of the many words and phrases that language expert Max Cryer examines in this fact-filled and fun new book. Max explains where these curious expressions come from, what they mean and how they are used. Along the w...

Proverbs ... weve all grown up with them and we probably repeat them without much thought. Yes, a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush and absence makes the heart grow fonder, but these sayings have almost become clichés and it is the same in every country and culture. Such pearls of wisdom play a key role in the moral guidance of societies everywhere. Sometimes the wisdom is distinctly odd, sometimes it has become outdated and sometimes it is simply contradictory. After all, do many ...

Barry Cryer has collaborated with all the greats from Max Miller to Tony Hancock, Bob Hope, Peter Cook and Dudley Moore, John Cleese, Frankie Howerd, Kenny Everett, Spike Milligan, Eric Sykes, Dave Allen, Richard Prior, Tommy Cooper, Les Dawson, Graham Chapman, the Two Ronnies, Morecambe and Wise - in fact, almost all the great comedians and comic writers since the mid 1950s.This audio book is packed with jokes, fascinating asides, a huge range of real-life incidents and riveting b...

The first in what will become the quintessential list of the best of live British comedy, AN AUDIENCE WITH BARRY CRYER brings you up close and personal with one of bastions of British comedy in this live recording of his sellout comedy tour.Available for the first time as a downloadable audio file.The AN AUDIENCE WITH… series will bring you a succession of live performances by some of Britain's best-loved comedians, opening with Barry Cryer, one of the stalwarts of Radio 4....