The Best of British Comedy - Dad's Army Book

On the basis that it is possible to have too much of a good thing, this book may well be dangerous to Dad's Army fans of a nervous disposition. Richard Webber's absorbing and affectionate tribute to the hugely popular sit-com features more information than you could possibly need. Yet to its huge credit it still manages to steer a path round getting bogged down in anorak-level detail. Of course there are biographies of all the stars and the plot lines of every episode. Nothing surprising in that. But there are also short pieces on the minor actors--did you know that the man who played the obsequious verger also played a taxi driver in the film version of No Sex Please We're British--and astonishingly a round-up of the 21 "silent soldiers"; actors who made up the rest of the platoon and never uttered a single line between them. There's details of the Dad's Army film, the stage play and the radio show as well as a terrific forward by Michael Palin who, rightly, points out what a fine ensemble piece the show was. You probably need to be a fan to buy this book but if you are it is a genuine treat. --Nick WroeRead More