Essential Spike Milligan

When Spike Milligan died in 2002, he left behind one of the most diverse legacies in British entertainment history - as well as a legion of devoted fans and admirers. Milligan's themes ranged from environmental issues to the war, from nostalgia to depression, and his prolific output covers some of the most evocative events of the twentieth century, in a style both twistedly comic and harrowingly honest. From the pioneering lunacy of The Goon Show through his first novel Puckoon to the mould-breaking war memoirs that began with Adolf Hitler: My Part in his Downfall, Milligan wrote with a passionate honesty that combined lyricism with all-out lunacy. His love of children also produced some of the most popular kids' verse ever written. This, the first posthumous anthology of his work, compiled with the co-operation of his closest circle, provides a comprehensive guide to Milligan's work, as well as shedding light on some less familiar areas, from pre-Goon Show days and Telegoons to his Q series for TV. An essential read for devotees of Spike, young and old, as well as the perfect introduction for those wishing to get to know him a little better.

'Wonderful anthology. A superbly sustained piece of comedy. Like so mush else in this collection, these excerpts inspire a return to the source.' Chris Power, The Times

'A joyous and wondrous thing…Alex Games has done a fine job…A sound and neatly timed volume and perfect for filling a Milligan-shaped gap in anyone's life' Marcus Berkmann, Literary Review