louisadassow's review against another edition
3.0
My love of Spike Milligan is historic. My childhood can be marked in pages of his nonsense poetry treasuries, which frankly I still adore. These are characterful memoirs, they bounce with humour and youth through the subjects of wartime Britain. It revels in the masculine camaraderie and Milligan and pals' punny retorts. There are moments where this bright comedic retelling is punctured by its actual content. Especially when modern-day Milligan interjects, it undercuts the bawdy laughter in a way that I found uncomfortably revealing and important. It carries through its time with some blatant objectivism and poorly aged comments carried off with a gleeful smirk.
It is not fiction, nonetheless the skill of the poet crafts comedy throughout his tales.
It is not fiction, nonetheless the skill of the poet crafts comedy throughout his tales.
8797999's review against another edition
4.0
A very amusing read, lots of funny passages and as well some poignant moments. Very fun and one day I'll give the rest of the series a try.
sleepyboi2988's review against another edition
5.0
Abolutely hilarious and well written memoirs of Spike Milligan's time in the service (Part 1 at least). I love it, cannot wait to read more, he certainly has a talent for painting a vivid and often funny picture with his words.
nottheprofileyourelookingfor's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
lokster71's review against another edition
4.0
I read this a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away aka c/o Gerrards Cross library. I enjoyed it then for the jokes and silliness. I still like those moments but I noticed the serious stuff more this time. The last page for example when he talks about two tragedies, lightens it with the story of the Burnt Bum Affair before hitting you with the final line.
It tells the story of Spike Milligan’s war experience. Or at least the early parts of it. The not joining up, the joining up, the band, the chaos of training and preparation, the sex and the boredom. Milligan’s book is one of the few war memoirs to make clear how much sex was going on then. Like now I suppose but with the added knowledge that the person you were shagging might be dead tomorrow. Which is also true if today if you choose to think about. Which you don’t because that way lies melancholy and poetry.
Anyway I recommend this book. There are moments of what might be called political correctness but this is Spike Milligan. A man of his time and not.
Read it.
It tells the story of Spike Milligan’s war experience. Or at least the early parts of it. The not joining up, the joining up, the band, the chaos of training and preparation, the sex and the boredom. Milligan’s book is one of the few war memoirs to make clear how much sex was going on then. Like now I suppose but with the added knowledge that the person you were shagging might be dead tomorrow. Which is also true if today if you choose to think about. Which you don’t because that way lies melancholy and poetry.
Anyway I recommend this book. There are moments of what might be called political correctness but this is Spike Milligan. A man of his time and not.
Read it.
kmg365's review against another edition
3.0
I do wonder what made Milligan hate the Warsaw Concerto so deeply.