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There and Back

Diaries 1999-2009: The brand new volume from the beloved author, TV icon and Monty Python star

Michael Palin author

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Orion Publishing Co

Published:26th Sep '24

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There and Back cover

In There and Back, Michael Palin reflects on personal challenges and global events, offering a heartfelt look at life in the early 21st century.

The fourth volume of Michael Palin's cherished diaries, There and Back, takes readers on a reflective journey through the early 21st century. As a new millennium begins, Michael faces personal challenges, including a travel project inspired by Hemingway that tests his confidence as a writer. The loss of his dear friend George Harrison and the departure of his last child from home add to his contemplative state. This period proves to be a time of introspection as he navigates the complexities of life and loss.

Throughout the next decade, Michael shares his observations on significant global events, such as the September 11 attacks, the 7/7 bombings, and the financial crisis. With his characteristic warmth and empathy, he captures the daily realities of living in a world undergoing tumultuous changes. His writing reflects not only the external chaos but also his internal struggles, making There and Back a deeply personal account.

Despite the challenges, Michael's enduring curiosity and love for adventure shine through. The diaries chronicle his experiences while filming four major travel documentaries: Hemingway Adventure, Sahara, Himalaya, and New Europe. As he embraces a new chapter as a devoted grandfather, this volume offers an intimate glimpse into Michael's life, emphasizing the importance of family, friendships, and the enduring legacy of the Pythons.

True, this evolving series is the ultimate comfort read, but it's also much more than that: a social history of Britain spanning four decades, told with unflagging empathy and wit -- Jonathan Coe * Observer *
Michael Palin knows what makes a good diary . . . it's his attention to the mundane, above all, that makes his diaries so enjoyable to read * Daily Telegraph *
The dynamic [between the Pythons] remains eternally fascinating: there's a permanent tension and endless bickering, but also a huge, unshakeable love . . . [Palin is] less of a national treasure and more of a sacred monument * Waitrose Magazine *
A friend's foolishness, his own fears, the minutiae of preparing for an overseas expedition, Palin writes it all down, so we know what happened and so he does as well . . . Perhaps that's why diaries are such an engaging literary form. Like our own lives they veer between the everyday and the profound * Radio Times *
In the fourth volume of diaries from the Monty Python alumnus, we get to hang out with this thoughtful, amusing, affectionate, intellectually curious man over a decade . . . This is full of friends (numerous, often famous), funerals and fun * Saga Magazine *

ISBN: 9781474612753

Dimensions: 162mm x 236mm x 42mm

Weight: 930g

592 pages