The Story of Monte Python: A Celebration [Hardcover]

Richard Topping (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1999

In May 1969 six young men by the names of John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones, Graham Chapman, Michael Palin and Eric Idle were commissioned by the BBC to produce thirteen episodes of their proposed comedy show, Monty Python's Flying Circus. Over the next five years, 45 episodes were broadcast, and Monty Python became a benchmark of TV comedy They also made four feature films, a number of records and did many live shows, including an historic appearance at the Hollywood Bowl to a capacity crowd.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Richard Topping is a comic writer, broadcaster, and former stand-up comedian. He lives in Oregon.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 180 pages
• Publisher: Virgin Publishing (June 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1852278250
• ISBN-13: 978-1852278250
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,106,940 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars No good reason for this book to exist, September 21, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Story of Monte Python: A Celebration (Hardcover)

It's hard to accept the credibility of a book that's full of either typos or outright errors. Halfway-knowledgable Python fans will spot these immediately: erstwhile Goodie Graeme Garden is repeatedly referred to as Graeme "Gardner", Neil Innes is both a member of the Bonzo Dog Band and the "Bongo" Dog Band, Terry Gilliam's opening sequence in "The Meaning of Life" is referred to as both "The Crimson Permanent Assurance" (its actual title) and "The Crimson Pearl Assurance," and the lyrics to "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" are misquoted... those are the ones _I_ found. The only place this book fills is for Python completists who might want its handful of possibly unique photos. Python fans, either oldtimers or newbies, are advised to stay away from this patent 30th anniversary cash-in project which, stripped of the author's subjective re-hashings of the TV programs and movies, leaves very little that is new or inspired. Instead, pick up a copy of the new and stratospherically superior "Python Speaks" (read the real stories from the Pythons and their associates themselves), and find copies of George Perry's "Life of Python" (even if it is a few years old), both volumes of "All The Words", and perhaps supplement with Robert Hewison's "Monty Python : The Case Against," all cornerstones of a worthy Python history library.

1.0 out of 5 stars Simply inaccurate, February 1, 2009

By 

Groucho M "grouchom" (Reading, PA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Monty Python: From The Flying Circus to Spamalot (Paperback)

Show me where, in the Black Knight scene of Holy Grail, the Black Knight says "I'll bite your ankles" and I'll change my review to five stars. It's been said previously that this book is laced with inaccuracies, and I can only agree; far more egregious is that actual quotes from the Python shows, movies, books are incorrect. There are far better ways to spend ten bucks; I recommend any of the Kim "Howard" Johnson books, although "Python Speaks" is a very good book indeed. The author is guilty of attempting to represent his own silly little remarks as those of the Pythons, which is equivalent to Python blasphemy. Don't buy it.

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Simply Scrummy?, January 21, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Story of Monte Python: A Celebration (Hardcover)

Don't be fooled by "Simply Scrummy" a couple of reviews down. I'll bet it's the author plugging the book. Instead, listen to everything the review directly above "scrummy" has to say, and then I won't have to say it myself.