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Windswept & Interesting
My Autobiography
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Windswept & Interesting
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The funny, frank and full autobiography of the nation's favourite comedian.
'It's the first time I've done this. Other people have written about me - or for me - but this time it's just my own life in my own words'
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Description
In his first full-length autobiography, comedy legend and national treasure Billy Connolly reveals the truth behind his windswept and interesting life.
Born in a tenement flat in Glasgow in 1942, orphaned by the age of 4, and a survivor of appalling abuse at the hands of his own family, Billy's life is a remarkable story of success against all the odds.
Billy found his escape first as an apprentice welder in the shipyards of the River Clyde. Later he became a folk musicianβa 'rambling man'βwith a genuine talent for playing the banjo. But it was his ability to spin stories, tell jokes, and hold an audience in the palm of his hand that truly set him apart.
As a young comedian, Billy broke all the rules. He was fearless and outspokenβwilling to call out hypocrisy wherever he saw it. But his stand-up was full of warmth, humility, and silliness too. His startling, hairy 'glam-rock' stage appearanceβwearing leotards, scissor suits, and banana bootsβonly added to his appeal.
It was an appearance on Michael Parkinson's chat show in 1975βand one outrageous story in particularβthat catapulted Billy from cult hero to national star. TV shows, documentaries, international fame, and award-winning Hollywood movies followed. Billy's pitch-perfect stand-up comedy kept coming tooβfor over 50 years, in factβuntil a double diagnosis of cancer and Parkinson's Disease brought his remarkable live performances to an end. Since then, he has continued making TV shows, creating extraordinary drawings... and writing.
Windswept and Interesting is Billy's story in his own words. It is joyfully funnyβstuffed full of hard-earned wisdom as well as countless digressions on fishing, farting, and the joys of dancing naked. It is an unforgettable, life-affirming story of a true comedy legend.
"I didn't know I was windswept and interesting until somebody told me. It was a friend who was startlingly exotic himself. He'd just come back from Kashmir and was all billowy shirt and Indian beads. I had long hair and a beard and was swishing around in electric blue flairs. He said: 'Look at youβall windswept and interesting!' I just said: 'Exactly!' After that, I simply had to maintain my reputation..."
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
Windswept & Interesting by Billy Connolly is praised as a joyous memoir that captures the vividness of his life. It offers a balance of laughs and love alongside some grim aspects. Reviewers describe it as a standout example of a celebrity autobiography.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781529318272
Publisher: John Murray Press
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 21 July 2022
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: John Murray Publishers Ltd
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 34.0mm
Width: 128.0mm
Height: 196.0mm
Weight: 342g
Pages: 400
About the Author
Sir William Connolly, CBE is a much-loved Scottish comedian, musician, TV presenter, actor, and artist. Now a 'welder statesman', he is the recipient of a BAFTA Lifetime Achievement Award and is regularly voted the nation's favourite stand-up comedian. His collected stand-up routines, TALL TALES & WEE STORIES, was a No.1 bestseller and spent over a year in the Sunday Times' charts. Billy was born and raised in Glasgow and now lives in America.
Also by Billy Connolly
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The Accidental Artist
PRE-ORDER now to secure your special edition with Billy's signature sprayed edge - available only while stock lasts and EXCLUSIVE to the first print run 'My drawings started by accident. I was on tour in Montreal a few years ago and found myself sheltering from the pishing rain in an art store. I went in to get dry and came...Hardback$5100Elsewhere:$6000Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Rambling Man
THE NUMBER ONE BESTSELLING HILARIOUS NEW BOOK FROM THE NATION'S FAVOURITE COMEDIAN, BILLY CONNOLLY Being a Rambling Man was what I always wanted to be, to live the way I damn well pleased. I've met the weirdest and most wonderful people who walk the Earth, seen the most bizarre and the most fantastic sights - and I've rarely come across...Hardback$5500Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday -
Rambling Man
THE NUMBER ONE BESTSELLING HILARIOUS NEW BOOK FROM THE NATION'S FAVOURITE COMEDIAN, BILLY CONNOLLY "Being a Rambling Man was what I always wanted to be, to live the way I damn well pleased. I've met the weirdest and most wonderful people who walk the Earth, seen the most bizarre and the most fantastic sights - and I've rarely come across...Paperback$2299Elsewhere:$2799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday -
Tall Tales and Wee Stories
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...Paperback$1999Elsewhere:$2799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday -
Made In Scotland
The Sunday Times Bestseller Legendary comic and national treasure Billy Connolly returns to his roots, reflecting on his life, his homeland and what it meansβthen and nowβto be Scottish. The Sunday Times Bestseller 'Where do you come from? It's one of the most basic human questions of all. But there is another question, which might sound a wee bit similar...Paperback$2600Elsewhere:$2800Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Journey to the Edge of the World
Billy tells us the gripping story of his adventures in some of the remotest parts of the world. In the summer of 2008, Billy Connolly set sail on a ten-week journey from ocean to ocean: from the Atlantic to the Pacific, by way of the North West Passageβa fabled route deep within the Arctic Circle that has thwarted explorers and...PaperbackSold Out
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