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The Blurb On The Back:
For his many friends and fans, Peter Cook was quite simply the funniest man they'd ever met. Cook's unique gift for laughter and the way he changed the British sense of humour forever has been celebrated in several posthumous biographies, but until now there's been no book by Cook himself. This is it.
Despite the image he liked to affect, Cook was a prolific writer who penned countless outrageous sketches, plus heaps of hilarious articles. Some of these pieces have never been published before and many have only ever been seen or heard, rather than read.
This collection gathers together the treasures of Cook's comic career, from school and university via Beyond the Fringe, alongside Alan Bennett, Jonathan Miller and Dudley Moore, to his surreal, satirical journalism for Private Eye. Illustrated with his own drawings, Tragically I was an Only Twin is the definitive collection of the wit, humour and genius of Peter Cook.
( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )
The Verdict:
Something for dedicated comedy fans more than it is for those interested in knowing precisely who Peter Cook was, there are some interesting nuggets in this book and I did learn more about what Cook's work was all about. This is most definitely not for everyone though, and be warned that the Derek and Clive transcripts have some very unpleasant moments. It is also, by William Cook's own admission, most definitely not the complete Peter Cook as some of his work has been omitted.
For his many friends and fans, Peter Cook was quite simply the funniest man they'd ever met. Cook's unique gift for laughter and the way he changed the British sense of humour forever has been celebrated in several posthumous biographies, but until now there's been no book by Cook himself. This is it.
Despite the image he liked to affect, Cook was a prolific writer who penned countless outrageous sketches, plus heaps of hilarious articles. Some of these pieces have never been published before and many have only ever been seen or heard, rather than read.
This collection gathers together the treasures of Cook's comic career, from school and university via Beyond the Fringe, alongside Alan Bennett, Jonathan Miller and Dudley Moore, to his surreal, satirical journalism for Private Eye. Illustrated with his own drawings, Tragically I was an Only Twin is the definitive collection of the wit, humour and genius of Peter Cook.
( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )
The Verdict:
Something for dedicated comedy fans more than it is for those interested in knowing precisely who Peter Cook was, there are some interesting nuggets in this book and I did learn more about what Cook's work was all about. This is most definitely not for everyone though, and be warned that the Derek and Clive transcripts have some very unpleasant moments. It is also, by William Cook's own admission, most definitely not the complete Peter Cook as some of his work has been omitted.
