Monty Python Speaks!

The definitive account of the first thirty years of Monty Python, in the words of the Pythons themselves – John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin.

‘Some people think it’s very clever and intelligent, and some people say it’s extremely silly and inconsequential, but not many people ignore it’ Michael Palin

With their dead parrots, holy grails and spam, Monty Python revolutionised comedy for the rest of the world. They paved the way for everything from Saturday Night Live to The Young Ones and The Simpsons, ushering in a new brand of surrealist comedy: a stream-of-consciousness sketch show that pushed the boundaries of format, style and content. Its legacy is not only important; it’s monumental.

In Monty Python Speaks!, David Morgan has extensively interviewed the entire world of Python – from producers and collaborators like Douglas Adams and Hank Azaria to the founding members themselves – to create the ultimate record of Britain’s most rebellious and successful comedy act. Packed with rare and never-before-seen photographs, and told with the group’s customary wit and irreverence, this newly updated edition, published to coincide with the 50th anniversary of their first appearance on the BBC, is the inside story of a comedy phenomenon.