Tall Tales and Wee Stories: The Best of Billy Connolly

Billy Connolly

Oct 2019 · Hachette UK

About this eBook

80TH BIRTHDAY EDITION - NOW WITH 10 NEW TALL TALES!

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

'Connolly's raucous run through his life is as furious, funny and foul-mouthed as you'd expect' Sunday Times

In December 2018, after fifty years of belly-laughs, energy and outrage, Billy Connolly announced his retirement from live stand-up comedy. It had been an extraordinary career.

When he first started out in the late sixties, Billy played the banjo in the folk clubs of Scotland. Between songs, he would improvise a bit, telling anecdotes from the Clyde shipyard where he'd worked. In the process, he made all kinds of discoveries about what audiences found funny, from his own brilliant mimes to the power of speaking irreverently about politics or explicitly about sex. He began to understand the craft of great storytelling. Soon the songs became shorter and the monologues longer, and Billy quickly became recognised as one of the most exciting comedians of his generation.

Tall Tales and Wee Stories brings together the very best of Billy's storytelling for the first time and includes his most famous routines including, The Last Supper, Jojoba Shampoo, Incontinence Pants and Shouting at Wildebeest. With an introduction and original illustrations by Billy throughout, it is an inspirational, energetic and riotously funny read, and a fitting celebration of our greatest ever comedian.

Ratings and reviews

Billy's a proud Scot and I'm a proud Yorkshire man and both of us are from Great Britain, but we both have our own identities. The difference being, I haven't written a book, but Billy has written a few, and this one is a brilliant read of great stories and experiences Billy has gone through. Try and read it in a Scottish accent in your head and you'll see it as Billy describes his experiences, but if you can't do that, don't worry, it's a brilliant read anyway.

Brilliant! You can hear Billy's voice in your head when you're reading through all the wee stories! This book has made me laugh out loud at many moments, would highly recommend as this man is just great! 😊 👍

This feels like it's written by Billy, in his voice, rather than a ghost writer or something. I can hear Billy reading this, as if I've heard it before. It's fantastic.

About the author

Sir William Connolly, CBE is a much-loved Scottish comedian, musician, presenter and actor. He is the recipient of a BAFTA Lifetime Achievement Award and is regularly voted the nation's favourite stand-up comedian. Billy was born and raised in Glasgow and now lives in America. He announced his retirement from live performance in December 2018.