Spike Milligan : The Family Album

For years Spike Milligan has lovingly collected and collated over a dozen volumes of family photographs and memorabilia, stretching from army life in India in 1869, through his birth in 1918 and his childhood, to his career as an entertainer and the arrival of his own family. Spike has carefully selected scores of these delightful photographs to illustrate the story of his life. Notes in diary form are expanded into anecdotes and reminiscences in Spike's inevitably irreverent style, making light of the major emotional hurdle Spike had to overcome in writing this deeply intimate book. At times touching and sincerly personal, The Family Album includes details of how Spike was plagued by manic depression stemming from his war time experiences, his traumatic mental breakdown and the collapse of his first marriage, all of which let him to believe that he could never write an autobiography such as this. Also included, of course, are some of his adventures in showbusiness, from the early days with The Goons and his innovative work on television to his stage appearences and film work. Along the way there are famous friendships with famous friends as diverse as Barry Humphries and the Prince of Wales.