Spike Milligan: Man of Letters

Spike Milligan's letters reveal the private man behind public the mask . . .

As well as being one of the twentieth-century's greatest comics, Spike Milligan was one of its most prolific correspondents, writing tens of thousands of letters over the course of the six decades of his career. Unlike his scripts, poetry, fiction or even his memoirs, these letters show his talent raw and unvarnished - irreverent, often brazen, sometimes cutting, frequently outrageous -- a reflection of his complex personality.

Spike Milligan: Man of Letters presents a rich selection of the funniest and most revealing of his missives - most have never been seen before. Here is correspondence with the most famous politicians, actors, celebrities and rock stars of his day, which takes the reader behind the scenes in his wrangles with producers, publishers, editors and his impervious manager/agent. It also includes letters to a host of unlikely individuals on some surprising subjects: rounded teabags ('what did you do with the corners?'), backless hospital gowns ('beyond my comprehension'), heartfelt apologies ('pardon me for being alive') and the pressing issue of the imbalance of male and female ducks in London's parks.

Here, then, is the real Spike: obsessive, rude, generous and relentlessly witty.