Rating: 
Summary: "Well,At Least It's Fresh Puke"
Review: ( mind you,I am reviewing the AUDIO CD not The Book,but there still seems to be book reviews written below. )Well....the Audio CD,leaves much to be desired. I'd recommend it for the extreme Python fan,who must absolutely have EVERYTHING Python. Why? Because a lot of the interviews are badly recorded! For example:every interview snippet of John Cleese,sounds like it was recorded in a railroad tunnel. The Michael Palin interviews are done in someone's office,presumably Michael's since every time the phone rings,the interview is cut short,and the audio fades away. A lot of the interviews get snipped short,just as the interesting bits are getting under way. Eric Idle gets distracted and drowned out a few times due to outside noises. Granted,these are all problems of interviewing in general,but it makes for a boring listen.The bits from the television show and the general Python ouvere,are never let run completely,never a whole sketch or song,just sound bytes. Terry Gilliam & Michael Palin do a few playful things with Bob,at the begining and end of the CD's,which there isn't enough of. ( The Python's all should've conspired to add a few little special bits,to entice buying.). Not an absolute waste of your money,but be sure you really really really really really must have it.
Rating: 
Summary: After a short time with this tome...
Review: ...I can already tell you it's amazing and worth every penny. As a lifelong fan of Python, I know the skits, have read the scripts, seen the flicks, watched the specials. But this book brings so much never-before-seen, heard, or read information that any true fan of the boys will practically cry with happiness. However, as another reviewer said, this is NOT a "Monty Python Book" per se, full of skits or songs. It's a book about the boys: growing up, meeting each other, and being Python. But this doesn't mean it's not highly entertaining! Just the jacket notes had me laughing out loud. There are plenty of serious moments but they are rendered with the remarkable wit of very funny people. Even the sort of bits that should be dull in a biography are worthwhile and interesting.
Rating: 
Summary: 380 pages ... but still not enough!
Review: A great read and remarkable to see how honest the Pythons are (especially when criticising each other). Sadly, it doesn't present much hope for further movie or stage productions, given the way they slam each other so openly! The book loses one star for not having detailed analysis/memories of specific sketches. I would have enjoyed sketch by sketch notes by the relevant writers. The superior versions of the Python movie DVDs provide this through commentary tracks, but not so the "Flying Circus" DVDs. Volume two (and a further 380 pages) please!!
Rating:
Summary: 380 pages ... but still not enough!
Review: A great read and remarkable to see how honest the Pythons are (especially when criticising each other). Sadly, it doesn't present much hope for further movie or stage productions, given the way they slam each other so openly! The book loses one star for not having detailed analysis/memories of specific sketches. I would have enjoyed sketch by sketch notes by the relevant writers. The superior versions of the Python movie DVDs provide this through commentary tracks, but not so the "Flying Circus" DVDs. Volume two (and a further 380 pages) please!!
Rating:
Summary: Finally a book truely captures the Pythons
Review: A wonderful book that truely captures the Pythons.
A great coffee table book.
The Pythons goes through everything from The
flying circus to the three moives.
A great book.
Rating:
Summary: One of the GOOD books on Python!
Review: At this point, there have been many, many tomes written on the now-legendary British comedy troupe Monty Python. The best of them are: George Melly's "The Life of Python" (one of the few written before member Graham Chapman's death); Kim Howard Johnson's two titles, "First 20 Years of Monty Python" and "Life Before and After Monty Python"; and David Morgan's "Monty Python Speaks." This 16 ton autobiography is quite good but, if you've read any or all of the aforementioned books, there will be far fewer suprises here. The way in which this book stands out from the rest is the increased detail of many of the oft-told tales and a handful of newer (if somewhat trivial) revelations. The larger reveals seem to take place during their individual childhoods and events which took place near the end of their partnership, with much detail given involving the writing of "Meaning of Life" and the proposed '90s reunion which never materialized. Also welcome are the comments of Chapman's brother John who provides a new perspective on the most conflicted Python. If you do not own or have never read any of the other finer titles, this could very well be considered the one stop shop for all Monty knowledge. There is NO editorializing in this book, simply anecdote after anecdote from those involved. This, and the other titles, are probably of most interest to those interested in the art of comedy writing in that they are largely accounts of the creation of the material and group dynamic. A great book!
Rating:
Summary: One of the GOOD books on Python!
Review: At this point, there have been many, many tomes written on the now-legendary British comedy troupe Monty Python. The best of them are: George Melly's "The Life of Python" (one of the few written before member Graham Chapman's death); Kim Howard Johnson's two titles, "First 20 Years of Monty Python" and "Life Before and After Monty Python"; and David Morgan's "Monty Python Speaks." This 16 ton autobiography is quite good but, if you've read any or all of the aforementioned books, there will be far fewer suprises here. The way in which this book stands out from the rest is the increased detail of many of the oft-told tales and a handful of newer (if somewhat trivial) revelations. The larger reveals seem to take place during their individual childhoods and events which took place near the end of their partnership, with much detail given involving the writing of "Meaning of Life" and the proposed '90s reunion which never materialized. Also welcome are the comments of Chapman's brother John who provides a new perspective on the most conflicted Python. If you do not own or have never read any of the other finer titles, this could very well be considered the one stop shop for all Monty knowledge. There is NO editorializing in this book, simply anecdote after anecdote from those involved. This, and the other titles, are probably of most interest to those interested in the art of comedy writing in that they are largely accounts of the creation of the material and group dynamic. A great book!
Rating:
Summary: Big and Heavy
Review: Best you knew: It's about 12.5" high and 10.5" deep, and weighs like a couple of bricks. The pages are an unusually heavy stock. It also tends to be rather dry in spots; at least I found it so. It seems to be especially for fans who are ready for absolutely anything Python; it's not as snappy as their films and shows. But don't ignore the other reviews.
Rating:
Summary: "A Dead Crab?",She said",She said!
Review: Bittersweet,would best describe this book.If it were anymore so,it would be put out by Nestle/Tollhouse Books.....oh wait,that's chocolate....nevermind... This book,which is a brilliant parody of "The Beatles:Gynecology",is absolutely THE book for Pytho-philes. Lavishly smeared with Photographs,and photographs of personal Python memorobilia,various type fonts,and eventual death dates,it is the way Python should be: BY THE PYTHONS! ( oh,and some little bits by some "professional" writer weed,who organized it all.)( No not Johnson,or Yoakum or any of that lot...some other weed. )( And don't write to me asking who,because I won't tell you.) This book focuses only on the actual Python days ( none of your "Fawlty Towers" or "Ripping Yarns" or "The Rutles" here!). And a the days leading up to Python....erm....and about their upbringings. Some of the quoted bits,you may have read before,but it is mostly NEW.( Except for the quotes by Doc Chapman,whom still remains dead,even for this book.).The family photos of the Pythons are also VERY cool.Young Eric Idle and his RAF Father....you can just see a future Python character.( As with many of the other Python Parrots....er...PARENTS,es well.) The only sad part....is it does feel like the Pythons saying,this is IT,all you need to know,thank you for your patronage,this was the week that was.But,it's a very nice farewell,and a nice commemorative of a very funny group. Although,eventually....I predict a 2nd Volume "The Pythons by NOT The Pythons" will be released,and will only feature the thoughts,quotes,photos,and memorobilia of Carol Cleveland,Neil Innes,Connie Booth,Fred Tomlinson,Hazel Pethig,Donna Reading,and all the other "associated members".( I'm compiling it as fast as I can! )
Rating:
Summary: Weighs a ton, but that's half the fun! (what an awful joke!)
Review: But it's my only line!..... I recieved this recently as a "early Christmas" present, and have gotten about 140 pages into it. I can't sleep, I haven't left the house in days, the book is keeping me from escaping, I must continue reading.... Okay, maybe not, but I am quite into the book as of this posting, and I can safely say that this is ESSENTIAL for any Python nut. The mere collection of photos alone is worth it. And the interviews are well-done (though some of it seems lifted almost directly from the "Monty Python Speaks" book of a few years back, I imagine they just haven't thought of any different ways to tell certain stories). This is the Pythons themselves, telling their story from birth to death (and yes, Python without Graham Chapman is not Python). This is the "Holy Grail" of Python collectibles, and you won't find a better documentation of the group's history (George Perry's "Life of Python" is also good for those not willing to invest so much in this book, though it's much harder to find). Excellent book, from an excellent bunch of guys (one of whom has ceased to be). Five stars!
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