Rommel (ISIS Large Print) [Large Print] [Hardcover]

Spike Milligan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1997 | Series: ISIS Large Print

This is the second volume of Mr Milligan's reminiscences of World War II.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Spike Milligan was born at Ahmednagar in India in 1918. He received his first education in a tent in the Hyderabad Sindh desert and graduated from there, through a series of Roman Catholic schools in India and England, to the Lewisham Polytechnic. He then plunged into the world of Show Business, seduced by his first stage appearance, at the age of eight, in the nativity play of his Poona convent school. He began his career as a band musician, but has since become famous as a humorous scriptwriter and actor in both films and broadcasting. Spike received an honorary CBE in 1992. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Thomas T Beeler (December 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1856951871
• ISBN-13: 978-1856951876
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #11,185,501 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazingly Funny, March 21, 2002

By 

David Appleby (Northumberland, United Kingdom) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rommel? Gunner Who?: A Confrontation in the Desert (War Biography Vol. 2) (Mass Market Paperback)

This book written by a comedy genius was both marvellously funny and desperately sad at times. I thoroughly enjoyed the bit about the gun going over the edge

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars WW2 Memoir by a Goon, April 15, 2001

By 

Blatter - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rommel?: Gunner Who? (Hardcover)

A continuation of the biography that started with "Adolf Hitler; my part in his downfall". Spike Milligan brings his sense of the ridiculous to the very serious business of war and his personal experience as a gunner in the British army in the Middle East.

At times hilarious, occasionally tragic, the book portrays ordinary men doing their bit for the war effort.

Spike Milligan's sense of humor permeates the book, and to my mind works really well. However if you don't like the sort of British humor used by the Goons (or their cousins/descendants, Monty Python) then this could be a problem.

In any case, this is a fascinating and very personal account of the wartime experiences of one of the most original British humorists. Especially recommended reading if you have read the first book in the series "Adolf Hitler; my part in his downfall".

4.0 out of 5 stars The Bay of Algiers by Moonlight, March 25, 2010

By 

Craobh Rua "Craobh Rua" (N. Ireland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rommel?: Gunner Who? (Hardcover)

Spike Milligan was born in India, the son of an Irish father who was serving in the British Indian Army. He spent most of his life in England and served in the British Army in World War II - though he took Irish citizenship. Milligan was an undoubted comedy genius and was the principal writer of The Goon Show. He was one of the few people who could get away with referring to a member of the British Royal Family - Prince Charles - as a "little grovelling b@$t@rd" on live television.

"Rommel ? Gunner Who ?" is the second of Spike's war memoirs, and covers January to May 1943. It opens with Spike and his colleagues stationed at X Camp in Algeria, suffering from hot days, freezing cold nights and massive boredom. The lads are very keen to get into Algiers - where they hope to visit the ladies of negotiable affection. (The average gunner is very keen on sex, though rarely gets the chance to do more than talk about it. The closest they get to any action while stationed at X Camp is drooling over the local barmaid). They finally get their wish - but, come the end of the book, they've seen more action than they might have hoped for.

The book was first published in 1974, and there's plenty of typically Spike-like gags. (There are plenty of sketches and photos in the book : I particularly liked the one captioned "Gunner Milligan showing his unflagging belief in his King and Country.") Occasionally, he'll have a little fun lampooning notable characters and playing around with stereotypes. Nothing is sacred with Spike, but neither is there any any intention of causing offence : he'll be as likely to aim a kick at a racist colleague as he is to mock Hitler. (Still, it might be worth noting that the book was set, and written, in different times. Having said that, in today's world Spike could nearly be considered downright progressive : "At sundown the Arabs turned towards Mecca to carry out their devotions, a religious people, more than I could say for our lot, the only time they knelt down was to pick up money.") A very funny book overall.