Product Description
It offers essential advice from gap-year expert Tom Griffiths for anyone contemplating taking time off to travel. New features in this edition include: extra advice for worried parents; new guidelines on luggage post-September 11; updates taking into account the Bali bombing and potential targets; information on currency changes in Europe. Other details include hints and tips on money and finances, packing, safety, going alone (for men and for women), going with a friend, health and emergencies, and masses of checklists and useful contacts. ... Read more

Product Description
Written by acknowledged experts and published by the Brunel Museum in association with the ICE, this new book presents the fascinating story of the first successful tunnel under a river in soft ground. It is illustrated with 55 contemporary paintings, plans, photographs and engravings, which bring the project to life. ... Read more

Product Description
In "Around the World in 80 Days" we join Michael Palin on the first of his great adventures. Following in the footsteps of the fictional Phileas Fogg, he makes real the journey which author Jules Verne imagined more than a century earlier. From the opulence of the "Orient Express" to the lurching progress of an Egyptian camel, from the hot and lively streets of Madras to the lofty heights of a hot-air balloon over Colorado, there is never a dull moment in this hilarious account of a journey full of surprises. "Around the World in 80 Days" is essential reading for every would-be traveller. Writing in his characteristically engaging and witty style, Palin paints a vivid picture of the people and places around him, reinforcing his reputation as one of the world's favourite travel writers. 'His easy-going charm and passion for discovery are captivating.' - "The Daily Express". 'Palin recounts the journey charmingly in daily diary entries. Beautifully illustrated, the book shows the programme's virtues, such as Palin's enthusiasim and naturalness.' - "The Observer". ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

EXCELLENT ENTERTAINMENT AND LEARNING AT THE SAME TIME
All of the Michel Palin books, audio CD's and DVD's are entertaining AND at the same time provide a lot of knowledge for those of us who don't have the opportunity to travel.Mr. Palin includes history, geography, travel experiences along with his charm and human interest with the people he interacts with along the way.In ATW in 80 Days he is trying to pit the modern world with the literary world of Jules Verne.Phileas Fogg never had customs to deal with though. All modes of transportation were used except planes unless that was the only option.Very interesting as a read, a watch or a listen - I have done all three AND bought a large world map to follow along his travels.This is high on my recommendations list for all time. Enjoy!

One of Palin's Earliest Travelogues Rich With Humor While Showcasing the World
If you're a fan of Michael Palin from Python fame and you enjoy interesting travelogues, you may enjoy this companion book to the BBC televised version of his travels. I really enjoyed the video, one of Palin's first with the BBC, and the book obviously cannot effectively capture the physical humor that Palin presents but it still worth while as the pictures and writing are quite interesting as Palin travels the circumference of the globe in 80 days. Great fun as Palin dines on snake in an Asian country (presented live and then sliced and diced for you to see) and his long ride on an ocean cargo ship where he plays charades with a crew with the help of a little alcohol at their small party. Enjoyable book with well written humorous anecdotes but see the film to have a greater appreciation for Palin's encounters with people and places. His innocent humor disarms everyone he meets and provides them and you with a laugh while exploring the world.

A terrific observer of the human condition
A great read , especially when Michael jump's to what he really is thinking , his personal insights into cultures and the differences between them . Though I have to admit his section on India was by far the most intresting read for me as I was familiar with the content he wrote about, therefore it does enhance the read if you have visited or had some experience with some of these cultures.. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Pack this!
Tom Griffith's book is an indispensible guide for all would be back packers. His straight forward and friendly approach in giving hints, tips and sound advice while on long or short term travel makes the bookappealing and engaging to read. Of particular interest are the chapters onhealth and safety, finances, male and female solo travel, making friendsand dealing with unexpected problems. More informal than many other travelbooks and more refreshing by far. ... Read more

Product Description
Includes:
The German Lumberjacks Song
Why Accountancy Is Not Boring
Stan's Right To Have Babies
The Piranha Brothers
What To Do On Meeting The Royal Family
I'm So Worried ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Picked by Terry Gilliam
This whole "Pocketful of Python" series strikes me as just a bit odd. Much of it was released to mark Monty Python's 30th Anniversary, and it seems like something of a cash-in. After all, it's just portions of other Python books crammed into several volumes in a slightly new way.
That said, I have gotten an awful lot of enjoyment from the series (hence the four star rating.) This selection of material edited by Terry Gilliam has some very good material. There are very few copper bottom Python classics in it (other than the Prince in the Tower), there are some of my favorite unappreciated bits, like The Old Storyteller, Adventures of Walter the Wallaby, What to Do When Meeting the Royal Family, and the German Lumberjack Song.
In addition, there is a preface by Eric Idle (at the back of the book) which is probably the funniest of the "Pocketful of Python" series.

not just for brits
since i saw "holy grail" 6 years ago, (i was 10) i have been hell bent on finding everything the pythons ever did. unfortunately most of my friends don't share my enthusiasm for british comedy, but i think it should be known that the occasional american recognizes comedic genius when she sees it. for all those who live in areas where mention of the pythons is scarce, this is a must have. you'll be quoting them in your head at school, at work, on the bus, wherever. just ignore the people who turn and look when you burst out laughing.

This is Abuse....Stupid Git
Well, what CAN be said? It is good to see humour spelled with a pair of U's (per the King's English). Whilst doth contain numerous funny bits, perhaps the American palate is not suited for wit which possesses intellectual subtleties.

For our American friends I recommend Rosanne Arnold, fluorescent plaid sport-coats (with matching white 5cm/2" belt), premium Wisconsin 3 week old processed cheese slices, Napa Valley's finest blush and a domestic rum tipped Colt cigar. ... Read more

Product Description
Over thirty years ago, a group of six Englishmen - well, one was Welsh and another an interloping American - rewrote the rules of comedy.Monty Python's Flying Circus, an unheralded, previously unseen half-hour show of sketches, hilarities, inanities and animations, first appeared on the BBC late one night in 1969. Its impact has been felt the world over ever since. From its humble beginnings, it blossomed into the most influential movement in modern comedy. THE PYTHONS' AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF THE PYTHONS is a unique look at arguably the most important comic team of the modern age, with 64 pages of photographs, many culled from the team's own personal collections, and many more seen for the first time. This is the definitive word on all things Pythonesque. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

And now for something completely not funny, yet indispensible.
...but that's not a bad thing (explanation below).

I got this book for Christmas and was concerned that because of it's size I would probably end up just thumbing through and reading select parts.Not the case.I started reading it and couldn't stop.

It covers the group and individuals from their pre-Python lives through discussions of working together again after The Live at Aspen event - though I won't tell you what conclusion they came to.In between is chock full of every detail about their influences, TV show, the movies, the stage shows and more.And because each member contributes (hence...autobiography) you get a great insider's perspective on the dynamics of the group.You learn first hand who doesn't like who, what they enjoyed and how, at times, they really struggled, and a bunch more behind the scenes insights into their personalities.

I found the book to be fascinating.It is formatted such that each event is discussed by multiple members of the troop.So you get a 360 degree view of their writing sessions, their fights, their good times, their movie productions, their business and artistic relationships.

The only downside (and here is why I titled this as such) is that it was rarely funny.That is by no means a fault, but could come as a surprise (as it did me) to the reader who expects it to be silly and funny like their performances.As a result this book is probably only going to be of interest to a true Python fan.And a true Python fan will find it indispensible.

Wonderful book
The Pythons were like the British Marx Brothers, Anti-authority,
subversive, surreal, and very very funny.Particularly interesting are the Python's accounts of their childhood and pre-fame days.

It seems "A Careful Reader" wasn't so careful after all.The picture of Dudley Moore (and it is most assuredly him) is on page 68 NOT 88.Here's a clue for ACR...he's about 30 years younger than he was when he appeared in the movie "10."Thank you and good night!

A few points about this Monty Python book
On page 88 it says that one of the four men in the photo is Dudley Moore. The fellow in the picture doesn't look at all like Dudley Moore. Furthermore, it says, on another page,that Ian MacNaughton is beseeching Terry Jones. But the man MacNaughton is begging seems to actually be Michael Palin. On a different note, in his autobiography part of the book Eric Idle seems too proud of his anti-authority stances. The 60's are very long gone now. Idle should grow up and not be so flaunting of his anti-societial ways. Being part of society is back in fashion. ... Read more

Product Description
In this rhythmic, rollicking version of Jack and the Beanstalk, the fun begins when Jack climbs up a giant beanstalk, where he meets a scruffy, dim-witted ogre with an appetite for English boys on toast. Edward Sorel's drawings with watercolor washes capture the riotous spirit of one of the most beloved of all British folktales. Music by David A. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

This Jack tops the Beanstalk
When my five-year-old discovered Jack's tale at preschool, we ended up bringing home every version available at our local library.Of course some were much better than others.I soon decided that if I was going to be reading about Jack twelve times a day (my two-year-old by now had capturedhis sister's passion for the tale), I needed to find the best written, mostreadable version available.Having long been a fan of Rabbit Ears Radioand Rabit Ears Publishing, I did a little deeper search and found thisedition.My recommendation?Of the twenty or so Jacks we have read (andread, and read. . . ) in the past few weeks, this is the one I purchasedfor our family's collection.I would highly recommend other books by thispublisher, as well. ... Read more

Product Description
Michael Palin in "Full Circle" brings us his most ambitious expedition to date. Traveling for almost a year through the 18 countries which border the Pacific Ocean, he encounters some of the most politically volatile and physically demanding places on Earth. Palin scales mountains, plunges down gorges, crosses glaciers and dodges icebergs as he ventures around the perimeter of the world's largest ocean in this spectacular journey of contrasts, drama and beauty. "Full Circle" is essential reading for every would-be traveller. Writing in his characteristically engaging and witty style, Palin paints a vivid picture of the people and places around him, reinforcing his reputation as one of the world's favourite travel writers. 'Genial, crinkly-eyed and wearing well, Palin is the Python we all want to go abroad with.' - "The Observer". ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Michael Palin's longest journey of them all
Michael Palin's "Full Circle" trip involved traveling all of the way around the Pacific Ocean. He (and his film crew) started at the Bering Strait in Alaska and then traveled down the Asian side of the Pacific, crossed over to Cape Horn, and traveled up through South and North America, returning to Alaska.

The trip covered 50,000 miles through 17 countries in ten months. Specifically, these countries were visited: USA (Alaska), Russia (Siberia), Japan, S. Korea (entry to N. Korea was denied), China, Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Mexico, USA (California and Washington), Canada (British Columbia) and back to Alaska again.

This trip, like the other ones done by Michael Palin for the BBC, was filmed for viewing as a television mini-series. (This version is available on DVD, at least at Amazon UK.) Afterwards, Michael Palin and Basil Pao (the stills photographer in the filming crew) created this book as an alternative record of the trip.

The book is richly illustrated with Basil Pao's beautiful photographs. Michael Palin's text is wonderful because he has a way of finding interesting places and people and of describing them with warmth and humor.

The diversity of the many countries and places is amazing. Artic wilderness, tropics, deserts, cramped cities, huge rivers, high mountains, etc., etc. There are many high points along the way, the most exciting being when Michael Palin had to lasso a camel while standing in the back of a pickup truck that was going over bumps and around bends at break-neck speed!

At the same time, Michael Palin does not shy back from visiting and describing the thought-provoking places along his journey. The Russian Gulag in Siberia, Hiroshima and the remembrance of the atomic bomb, the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea and the border between Mexico and the United States are all discussed with unusual insight.

This book easily deserves five stars. Except for the audio version, that is.

The nice thing about the audio version is that Michael Palin reads the book himself, and he does a great job as a reader. But the audio version does not include Basil Pao's beautiful photographs, of course, and worst of all, it's abridged. My dislike of abridged audio books results in me giving the audio book version only three stars.

Rennie Petersen

Either spend big bucks and go yourself, or buy this book!
Michael Palin (of Monty Python fame) is more than funny: he's a perceptive and compassionate traveller!I loved his first two BBC travel series and their companion books, so when one day in Seattle, I read in the paper thatthe next evening he would begin a third, I made sure to tune in.I wasn'tdisappointed; from a remote Alaskan island so close to the InternationalDateline that Palin writes: "The Russian soldiers staring at me acrossthe water have already had the day I'm having" to "thesouthernmost place of worship in the world, outside of Antarctica",this one is as good an armchair journey as any the BBC has produced. Something special: the photography is, as usual, superb, and there's anunderwater sequence in the Philipines that has to be seen to be believed. So, either take a year off yourself (that's about what it took Palin), packyour own forty-eight (!) suitcases and spend your own mint to do this tripof a lifetime, or just do it with Mike Palin.After all, that's what booksare for, isn't it? ... Read more

Product Description
ver thirty years ago a group of five Englishmen and one wayward American rewrote the rules of comedy. Monty Python's Flying Circus, an unheralded half-hour of sketches, hilarities, inanities, and animations first appeared on the BBC late one night in 1969. Its impact on the world has been felt ever since. The Pythons is the ultimate word on all things Python-esque. Thirty years of insight, hindsight, and bad sight-now told for the first time. It's full of stuff they're never remembered before alongside stories they'd forgotten to say, coupled with things they couldn't say then and even more things they can't pronounce now (with a healthy dollop of things they would never have said in the first place if any others had been in the room at the time). Here is a unique look at arguably the most important comic team of the modern age. In the style of The Beatles Anthology, it's lavishly illustrated with 1,000 photographs and illustrations, many seen here for the first time. Do you want Spam with that?Amazon.com Review
Python fans will need to clear a large space on their bookshelf or coffee table for The Pythons--a big, vital autobiography of the comedy troupe. This is an oral history by the six members (Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin) from birth to--in the case of Chapman--death. We get reminisces about childhood, university days, early successes, and rich details about the landmark Flying Circus TV series and subsequent films. The voices are fresh (with expectation of Michael Palin's insightful diary entries), not just complied from earlier publications. "Due to his insistence of being inconveniently dead," Chapham's voice is heard through his longtime partner David Sherlock, his brother and sister-in-law (and some archival materials). As a whole, the six impart a refreshing ability to deal honestly with the frustrations that arose over the years and it comes out in the text even when events are recalled differently. The book is not a light read (figuratively and literally), perhaps a smaller size would have been better for the amount of text; a cursory glance at the coffee table is tough. What does fill the book is an abundance of photos (over 1,000), most never published and many from the troupe's private collections. Along with concept sketches, Gilliam's drawings and doodles, and a few correspondences, this is a keepsake memento of the legendary group. --Doug Thomas ... Read more

Customer Reviews (28)

Insert Laugh Here
The Pythons turn the mirror on themselves and try to explain where all of the brilliance came from.Not a book to read in the library!!!

Simply Awesome
This giant photo-riffic book is the Python equivalent of the now-standard Beatles Anthology. No fan of Cleese, Palin, Jones, Idle, Chapman and Gilliam should be without it.

The Pythons
After purchasing the complete set of DVD's and laughing so hard I was sick, I just had to find out out they did it.This book answered my question.I enjoyed it, but it was a bit long and somewhat redundant.

depressing
This is probably the most accurate history of the Monty Python television program and films.

It reveals the impressing background of the players and their problems in working together which resulted in their dispersing and ill will with each other.

Intriguing but flawed like most oral histories-for the true fan
THE PYTHONS is a must for fans of the group but for the more casual reader it probably won't serve a purpose. It is an oral history of the group with contributions by the living members and statements culled from the late Graham Chapman's auto-biography. (A very funny book, but one that needs to be taken with a 16 ton grain of salt)If you are looking for specifics of how any of this marvelous group put together their sketches, look elsewhere; this is not a breakdown of how Monty Python's Flying Circus came to be, rather it is a bunch of reminiscences of early life, working together( and who worked with whom) and some still not quite healed wounds. Chapman comes off poorly, his drinking a constantly mentioned problem, Gilliam's story is so separate from the rest that he really doesn't seem to be a member of the group until The Holy Grail, although his animations were a key to the show's success, and Cleese is often seen here as standoffish, a bit out of the mix with the others. Memories often don't jibe for each member, an example being who chose "The Liberty March" as the theme, Palin lays claim to it as does Gilliam (with Idle agreeing with Gilliam.)But it is interesting to see how the group's personalities come forward as time goes on, and it does give some insight into the creative processes behind the scenes even though it does fall short of offering the aforementioned specifics. there are a number of great stories here and well worth the time (and strength!) to read this book. I did enjoy this slightly askew look at one of comedy's most influential and funniest groups ever; I just have difficulty recommending it to anyone but the converted. ... Read more

Product Description
An illustrated compendium of humorous facts such as the recipe for oxygen tart and an explanation of how man evolved from small rocks. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

A masterpiece
"Dr. Fegg's Nasty Book of Knowledge" is the finest book ever written. I got it in fourth grade and it changed my life.

Lullabye
UNCLE FEGG IS FAR AWAY
DOING THINGS TO SHEEP
HE'LL COME AND DO THINGS TO YOU
IF YOU DON'T GO TO SLEEP

Memorable, Even After 30 Years
I haven't seen a copy of this book in over 30 years, I'm sure.Still, the theme song for the character "Depravo, The Rat" in the Aladdin play still sticks in my mind.Pretty remarkable, considering I'VE NEVER ACTUALLY HEARD THE SONG!So powerful are the lyrics to this nonexistent tune, that they actually suggest their own notes in your head, and they stay there for three decades or longer.

I won't quote the lyrics for copyright reasons, other than to mention that Depravo hasn't changed his underpants in a very, very long time.

There were other things in the book that should be mentioned, but I don't remember any of them, except for the center spread featuring a dragon creature with very sharp talons scratching itself in an inadvisable fashion.

Education with an Angle

The typical encyclopaedia is written without an authorial voice or angle. For example, you can read dozens of entries by the same contributor in Britannica, without discovering anything about his secret lover in Bolton or what he had for breakfast that morning. For followers of FR Leavis, this may be fine. But for many of us, this is not enough, and the eminent Dr Fegg's book fills a big gap in the market.

Dr Fegg's aim was not only to cover his expenses while on the run, but also to educate pre-adolescent children in the essentials of life, as well as proving that he had almost nothing to do with the Bournemouth Axe Murders.

Some people got the wrong idea. In its original 1974 version, it was called THE NASTY BOOK FOR BOYS AND GIRLS. But after many complaints about it being an inappropriate birthday present, and several inquests, and only two Old Bailey trials, the title was changed to the present name.

In the 31 years since its publication, I have tried to live my life according to Feggist principles, barely washing from week to week, and gradually whittling away the stock of relatives. The mandatory life sentences have been a bit of bummer, but you can't have everything. I wish I'd been able to put into practice Dr Fegg's advice about crossing the Andes by frog.

It was, of course, Dr Fegg who ended all chances of a Rutles reunion, and since the disappearance of Ron Nasty, Dr Fegg has had to lie very low indeed. Some say he is in South America. Others say the Himalayas. His only link now to the outside world is Mike Palin, who was only half-responsible for the Skegness Impaling. It is alleged that Mike goes to see him every now and then, under the guise of a new series for the BBC, in order to channel some of the proceeds from the enormously successful (in an in-between-Holy-Grail-and-Tomkinson sort of way) encyclopaedia.

I somehow doubt it. But I enjoyed this book tremendously.

One of the funniest books ever
I got this book in like fifth grade, I don't remember, but I still have my original "Dr. Fegg's Nasty Book Of Knowledge" with tape on the binding because I wore it out.I am holding it now.I remember distinctly when and where I bought it, a now-defunct newsstand in my home town.I remember because I laughed so hard while walking back to my house after I bought it that my stomach hurt and I was crying.

From the Deliferate Mistale to the Creeping Manuria, a great book.

Why No Booker Prize for Dr. Fegg?
While many people claim to know Dr. Fegg personally, I write with complete probity when I state Dr. Fegg is, indeed, a close personal friend of mine.We first became acquainted ten years ago when Dr. Fegg sacked his then-literary agent Ms. Esther Scallop.Amazed by my vast knowledge of the publishing industry, as well as my knowledge as to the whereabouts of Ronald Biggs, Dr. Fegg hired me to promote his work.In this particular tome (don't you just love the word 'tome?'), my favourite bits are "Crossing the Andes By Frog," and the frightfully clever pantomine entitled, "Aladdin and his Terrible Problem."It is astounding that Dr. Fegg has thus far escaped nomination for the Booker Prize.He has more talent in the tip of his pinkie than V.S. Naipul has within his entire being.Please buy this book.Royalty money comes in handy.If you can't buy it, hunt down someone who owns it and steal it from them.Chances are they will not give it up without a fight so it is recommended that you bring a pair of brass knuckles or a can of mace.Good luck! ... Read more