- Paperback: 224 pages
- Publisher: Virgin Books; New edition edition (7 Jun 2001)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0753505290
- ISBN-13: 978-0753505298
- Product Dimensions: 19 x 13 x 2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
686,263 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #48 in Books > Music, Stage & Screen > Radio > History & Criticism
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Product Description
Product Description
The Goons first went on air at the BBC as The Crazy People on 28 May 1951. There then began a terrible rasping, squealing, giggling, snorting period of lunacy which continued unabated until 1960. Fifty years after the first show there is still a huge interest in the Goons, with each new generation dicovering afresh the anarchic humour that has had such a huge influence on so many of today's top comedy performers. This fascination collection of reminscences, photographs and sketches is the definitive story of Eccles, Bluebottle, Neddy, Bloodnok, Grytpype-Thynne, Moriarty, Minnie Bannister, Henry Crun et al from those who know them best. Under the patient guidence of Spike's Manager, Norma Farnes, Spike Milligan and Harry Secombe, along with a select handful of friends including Eric Sykes, delve into their dusty old memories to help piece together the history of the Goons.
From the Back Cover
The Goons first went on air at the BBC as The Crazy People on 28 May 1951. There then began a terrible rasping, squealing, giggling, snorting period of lunacy which continued unabated until 1960. Fifty years after the first show there is still a huge interest in the Goons, with each new generation dicovering afresh the anarchic humour that has had such a huge influence on so many of today's top comedy performers. This fascination collection of reminscences, photographs and sketches is the definitive story of Eccles, Bluebottle, Neddy, Bloodnok, Grytpype-Thynne, Moriarty, Minnie Bannister, Henry Crun et al from those who know them best. Under the patient guidence of Spike's Manager, Norma Farnes, Spike Milligan and Harry Secombe, along with a select handful of friends including Eric Sykes, delve into their dusty old memories to help piece together the history of the Goons.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Norma Farnes introduces this as 'the definitive Goon Show book'. Well, the story of how the Goons met and worked together has been told many times before and that accolade really belongs to Roger Wilmut's excellent "Goon Show companion" of 1976. There is no acknowledgment of Wilmut's book, or indeed any bibliography of previous accounts, and frustratingly, no index. The book includes a list of Goon Show titles but this is not as detailed as Wilmut's "Goonography".
Relying more on interviews with the then surviving Goons (Secombe being still around then), Farnes draws together personal reminiscences and quotes from the great men themselves. However, the book is shamelessly padded out with the full scripts of two of the shows; this is completely gratuitous - the scripts have been published before and the shows are available on audio. No reader is going to be bothered to read through the scripts.
Any serious Goon fan will want to add this to their collection anyway.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
As the most recent publication about The Goon Show, this book covers all the areas you need for a good overview. It contains background information, scripts, photos and an episode list. It also contains memories of the then surviving cast members - Spike Milligan, Harry Secombe, Eric Sykes (who wrote some episodes) and Max Geldray.
It's true that much of the book has been covered in other publications, but I think this is the most readable and if you are new to the Goons I would say this is the book for you. If you want a more indepth appraisal of The Goon Show and it's development you may want to consider 'The Goon Show Companion' instead.
It's true that much of the book has been covered in other publications, but I think this is the most readable and if you are new to the Goons I would say this is the book for you. If you want a more indepth appraisal of The Goon Show and it's development you may want to consider 'The Goon Show Companion' instead.
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I'm not old enough to remember them the first time round, but i have heard and seen recordings of their antics, - I'm sure they were partly the inspiration behind Monty Python and other comedies, - This book is a great addition to any Goon fan's collection.
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