"A sunny celebration of a life well lived in the South of France—except for the bloody plumbing." —KIRKUS REVIEWSIn 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 m...

'Enchanting and hilarious' Stephen FryIn 1971, two years after the launch of Monty Python’s Flying Circus made his comedy troupe global superstars - and made all their lives a little more complicated - Eric Idle decided to buy a ramshackle property in the south of France.In search of a simpler, quieter life, what followed was a story akin to A Year in Provence, but with more disaster, more heartbreak, more laughs - and much more s...

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...

Best known for his unforgettable roles in Monty Python, from the Flying Circus to The Meaning of Life, Eric Idle reflects on the meaning of his own life in this brilliantly entertaining memoir that takes us on an unforgettable journey from his childhood in an austere boarding school through his successful career in comedy, television, theatre and film.Coming of age as a writer and comedian during the Sixties and Seventies, Eric stumbled into the crossroads of the ...

**“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...

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...

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 ...

Eric Idle, the legendary star of Monty Python fame, takes fans on a deeply personal and hilarious whirlwind tour around America.'I still feel somewhat nervous encroaching on the Palin territory of writing a travel diary based on a journey ... though it is true, I reason, that all the Pythons have been involved in documentaries. So this must be a Python thing. What is this urge to probe and examine by ex-comedians? Are they tired of dressing up as women? Surely not....

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, and...

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...

Read by the author."A sunny celebration of a life well lived in the South of France—except for the bloody plumbing." —KIRKUS REVIEWSIn 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 ...

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...