New Releases by Eric Idle

“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 On 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 Nichols, and stars Hank Azaria, David Hyde Pierce, Sara Ramirez, Tim Curry, and more. But long before the show was the toast of Broadway and the winner of three Tony Awards, it was an idea threatening to fizzle out before it could find its way into existence. Now, in The Spamalot Diaries, Eric Idle shares original journal entries and raw email exchanges—all featuring his whip-smart wit—that reveal the sometimes bumpy, always entertaining path to the show’s unforgettable run. In the months leading up to that opening night, financial anxieties were high with a low-ceiling budget and expectations that it would take two years to break even. Collaborative disputes put decades-long friendships to the test. And the endless process of rewriting was a task as passionate as it was painstaking. Still, there’s nothing Idle would change about that year. Except for the broken ankle. He could do without the broken ankle. Chronicling every minor mishap and triumph along the way, as well as the creative tension that drove the show to new heights, The Spamalot Diaries is an unforgettable look behind the curtain of a beloved musical and inside the wickedly entertaining mind of one of our most treasured comic performers.

Rutles Forever, The Official Rutles Fanzine featured exclusive interviews with Eric Idle, musician and songwriter Neil Innes, and of course Neil''s close friend Ron Nasty. Reprinted here, for the first time ever in a glorious facsimile edition. Extremely rare, with an original run of one hundred copies each. Presented as originally seen, four issues, 1978 to 1980. Making this collection more than compleat is Archeology, selections from what would have been Rutles Forever Issue 5 and choice tidbits from the official RutleManiacs International fan archive. Digitally remastered for your enjoyment.

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 Martin We 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 a remarkable journey from his childhood in an austere boarding school through his successful career in comedy, television, theater, and film. Coming of age as a writer and comedian during the Sixties and Seventies, Eric stumbled into the crossroads of the cultural revolution and found himself rubbing shoulders with the likes of George Harrison, David Bowie, and Robin Williams, all of whom became dear lifelong friends. With anecdotes sprinkled throughout involving other close friends and luminaries such as Mike Nichols, Mick Jagger, Steve Martin, Paul Simon, Lorne Michaels, and many more, as well as John Cleese and the Pythons themselves, Eric captures a time of tremendous creative output with equal parts hilarity and heart. In Always Look on the Bright Side of Life, named for the song he wrote for Life of Brian and which has since become the number one song played at funerals in the UK, he shares the highlights of his life and career with the kind of offbeat humor that has delighted audiences for five decades. 2019 marked the fiftieth anniversary of The Pythons, and Eric commemorated the occasion with this hilarious memoir chock full of behind-the-scenes stories from a high-flying life featuring everyone from Princess Leia to Queen Elizabeth.

From Monty Python legend Eric Idle comes this wicked and enthralling comedy Set 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 in the excitement Stanley falsely confesses that the novel will be a kiss-and-tell (a kiss and sell?) featuring Hollywood’s most famous and glamorous actresses. Before long expectations are going through the roof, Stanley is a celebrity in his own right and he’s living the LA highlife. There’s only one little problem... Funny and pointed, The Writer’s Cut is a manic satirical ride through the booze and sex fuelled world of Tinseltown from our one of the world’s best loved comedians.

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 1969. Its impact has been felt on the world ever since. From its humble beginnings, it blossomed into the most influential movement in modern comedy. THE PYTHONS'' AUTOBIOGRAPHY BY THE PYTHONS is a unique look at arguably the most important comic team of the modern age, with 64 pages of photographs, many culled from the team''s own personal collections, many more seen for the first time. This is the definitive word on all things Pythonesque.

''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.'' - Eric Idle The man who brought you the anthems ''Always Look on the Bright Side of Life'' and ''Sit on my Face'' shows his naughty bits - and much more! As he crossed the US on The Greedy Bastard Tour, Eric Idle kept a diary on the Monty Python website updating fans with his experiences, insights and observations. Inspired by those blogs, THE GREEDY BASTARD DIARY is an honest, hysterical and moving book - part travelogue, part memoir - that chronicles those 80 days on the road, offering Idle''s thoughts on his career, personal life and the country he now calls his home. Reflective, ironic, and stamped with his renowned wit, this illuminating work takes readers on a personal tour with the legendary star and offers an intimate, close-up look inside the man as never before.

Hier kommt die irrwitzige, wahre, surreale, traurige, saukomische, teils erstunken und erlogene Lebensgeschichte des früh verstorbenen Monty Python-Gründungsmitglieds Graham Chapman, dem Brian aus Das Leben des Brian. Aufgeschrieben von ihm selbst, mit Unterstützung von Douglas Adams. Grahams Autobiografie hat alles, was die Bezeichnung pythonesk ausmacht: Schrägen, schwarzen, krassen Humor, absurde Szenen ohne Pointe, grafische Elemente, fantastische Einschübe und gleichzeitig etwas sehr Gebildetes und Britisches. Die Autobiografie eines Lügners erzählt von Chapmans Jugend in der Provinz als Sohn eines einfachen Polizisten, von seinen Jahren in Eton und Cambridge, von seiner Liebe zu den Bergen und seiner fatalen Beziehung zum Alkohol. Von der Arbeit der Pythons auf Tourneen und bei Dreharbeiten. Und von seiner recht spät entdeckten Liebe zum gleichen Geschlecht. Hier treten sie alle auf: Die schrägen Lehrer und verrückten Polizisten, die John Cleeses und Michael Palins, die Oscar Wildes und G.K. Chestertons, die den Python-Kosmos bevölkern. Ein in Deutschland bisher unbekanntes Stück Monty Python eine großartige, längst überfällige Entdeckung. Aufgrund der unzähligen Anspielungen und scheinbar nicht übertragbaren Witze, hat sich seit dem Erscheinen des Buchs in England 1980 ein Jahr, nachdem Das Leben des Brian in die Kinos kam kein deutscher Übersetzer an das Buch gewagt. Harry Rowohlt beweist nun, dass eine Übersetzung sehr wohl möglich ist (wenn man es kann) und damit auch wieder einmal, dass er der beste und komischste Übersetzer und Nachdichter ist und bleibt. Die Autobiografie eines Lügners wird gerade von den restlichen Monty Pythons und mit Hilfe von 15 Trickfilmstudios verfilmt - der erste Film aus dem Umfeld der Pythons seit Ein Fisch namens Wanda. Kinostart: 2012.

Mr Wonka''s inventions are out of this world. He''s thought up every kind of sweet imaginable in his amazing chocolate factory, but no one has ever seen inside, or met Mr Wonka. Charlie Bucket can''t believe his luck when he finds a golden ticket and wins the trip of a lifetime around the famous chocolate factory. He still could never have dreamed what surprises were in store.

Personal ancedotes, humorous reminiscences, and more than 1,000 photographs and illustrations celebrate the comedy troupe''s thirty-fourth anniversary.

Monty Pythoner Idle selects his favorite moments from the world-famous Monty Python films and TV series.

"Can Carlton prevent Alex and Lewis from losing their gigs, help them overcome the love thing, and finally understand the meaning of comedy in the universe?"--BOOK JACKET.

Owl and Pussycat journey to save the famed walking, talking Bong Tree.

***WINNER OF THE 1989 PYTHON PRIZE FOR THEIR OWN BOOKS*** The complete scripts from the four Monty Python series, first shown on BBC television between 1969 and 1974, have been collected in two companion volumes. Characters'' names, often not spoken, are given as in the original scripts, along with the names of the actual performer added on their first appearance in each sketch. This second volume contains twenty-two classic episodes, featuring some of the most entertaining writing to have gone into television anywhere. The minister of silly walks, the dead parrot, banter in a cheese shop - here is every silly, satirical skit, every snide insult, every saucy aside.