Michael Palin je známy britský komik, herec a spisovateľ, ktorý sa preslávil ako člen legendárnej komediálnej skupiny Monty Python. Po úspešnej kariére v oblasti komédie sa vrhol na písanie cestopisov a dokumentárnu tvorbu. Jeho pútavé správy z ciest po celom svete, od polárnych oblastí po púšte, odhaľujú nielen geografickú rozmanitosť, ale aj ľudské príbehy. Palinův jedinečný štýl kombinuje humor, postrehy a hlboký záujem o svet, čo z neho robí nezabudnuteľného rozprávača.
Loď Jejího Veličenstva Erebus byla jednou z prvních velkých průzkumných lodí, veteránka z přelomových plaveb na kraj světa. V roce 1848 zmizela v Arktidě a její osud se stal záhadou. V roce 2014 byla nalezena. Toto je její příběh. Michael Palin – hvězda skupiny Monty Python a televizní cestovatel – vdechuje pozoruhodné Erebus opět život. Sleduje ji od jejího vyplutí roku 1826, velkolepých výprav, které vedly ke slávě v Antarktidě, až po její konečnou zkázu v Arktidě.
In this captivating journey, Michael Palin embarks on an epic adventure from the North Pole to the South Pole, traversing 17 countries through diverse modes of transport including trains, trucks, and bicycles. Along the way, he encounters a myriad of fascinating characters and breathtaking landscapes, all while pushing his endurance to the limit. His adventure begins with a surreal initiation into the Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society, leading him through the Arctic's chilling embrace and snowstorms in Spitsbergen. As he navigates friendly locals, dodges occasional gunfire, and grapples with an unruly digestive system, he ultimately stands in Scott's footsteps at the South Pole, in the Land of the Midnight Sun. This journey is a must-read for aspiring travelers, showcasing Palin's engaging and witty writing style that vividly captures the essence of the people and places he encounters. The updated edition features double the number of location photographs, blending classic travel writing with insightful observations. Critics praise Palin as a delightful companion, noting his humor, keen observation, and unforced wit, making every page a pleasure to read.
The first of Palin's highly acclaimed travel trilogy, Around the World in 80 Days finds the former Monty Python comic swapping his dead parrot for his rucksack, and setting off in the footsteps of Jules Verne's intrepid traveller, Phileas Fogg. In 1872 Fogg set off from The Reform Club in London on an 80-day journey around the globe which took him through southern Europe, the Middle East, China and the USA. Palin's journey is no less hectic and incident-packed than his illustrious predecessor, as he pursues Fogg in an increasingly frenetic attempt to get back to the Reform Club within the allotted 80 days. Along the way we are treated to Palin's trademark traveller's tales and bizarre journeys, from the idyllic but at times traumatic medieval boat journey across the Indian Ocean, to dog-sledding and ballooning across the USA. Some of the finest sections come with Palin's often hilarious accounts of cultural confusion encountered throughout India and the Far East. Around the World in 80 Days is full of what has made Palin such a popular and enjoyable travel writer: wry, humorous, but ultimately humane observations on the world's foibles, and the pleasure and pains of travelling. --Jerry Brotton
Michael Palin's epic voyages have seen him circumnavigate the globe, travel from the North to the South Pole and circle the countries of the Pacific Ocean, but this was perhaps the greatest challenge yet: to cross the vast and merciless Sahara desert. As the journey unfolds, the Sahara reveals not the emptiness of endless sand dunes, but a huge and diverse range of cultures and landscapes and a long history of commerce and conquest stretching from the time of the ancient Egyptians to the oil-rich Islamic republics of today. On his way, he encounters dangers such as camel stew, being run over by the Paris-Dakar rally and Dakar nightlife, as well as returning to the original spot where THE LIFE OF BRIAN was fimed. This is travel writing at its very best.
THE BOOK BEHIND THE HIT DOCUMENTARY A glimpse of life inside the world's most secretive country, as told by Britain's best-loved travel writer. In May 2018, former Monty Python stalwart and intrepid globetrotter Michael Palin spent two weeks in the notoriously secretive Democratic People's Republic of Korea, a cut-off land without internet or phone signal, where the countryside has barely moved beyond a centuries-old peasant economy but where the cities have gleaming skyscrapers and luxurious underground train stations. His resulting documentary for Channel 5 was widely acclaimed. Now he shares his day-by-day diary of his visit, in which he describes not only what he saw - and his fleeting views of what the authorities didn't want him to see - but recounts the conversations he had with the country's inhabitants, talks candidly about his encounters with officialdom, and records his musings about a land wholly unlike any other he has ever visited - one that inspires fascination and fear in equal measure. Written with Palin's trademark warmth and wit, and illustrated with beautiful colour photographs throughout, the journal offers a rare insight into the North Korea behind the headlines.
From the inimitable Michael Palin comes the warm and witty story of an everyman, a tantalising offer, a journey to India and the search for the truth. Includes Reading Group Notes.
Intrepid voyager, writer, and comedian Michael Palin explores the expeditions of the Royal Navy's HMS Erebus, which ventured to the world's extremes. The narrative begins post-Waterloo when Britain had more bomb ships than enemies. HMS Erebus, with its reinforced hull, was selected for an 1839 expedition to Antarctica, led by James Clark Ross. Despite sailing further south than anyone before, Antarctica failed to capture public interest. The British navy sought to assert its dominance by finding a route through the North-West Passage, leading to Sir John Franklin's ill-fated 1845 mission. At 59, deemed too old for such a perilous journey, Franklin and his crew set off, provisioned for three Arctic winters. They were last seen by whalers in July, and no one ever saw them again. Subsequent searches revealed the tragic fate of the explorers, who succumbed to hunger and scurvy after abandoning their ships in the ice. The mystery endured until HMS Erebus was discovered in 2014, thirty feet below Arctic waters. Palin examines the contrasting motives of the two expeditions—one scientific, the other nationalistic—through historical records and modern travels to key locations, capturing the haunting echoes of Erebus and the secrets that still lie beneath the waters of Nunavut's Queen Maud Gulf.
The diaries offer an intimate glimpse into Michael Palin's life during the 1980s, capturing his experiences while filming iconic projects like "The Meaning of Life" and "A Fish Called Wanda." Through humorous anecdotes and personal reflections, Palin shares behind-the-scenes stories, insights into his creative process, and interactions with fellow cast members. This candid account not only highlights his career but also reveals the cultural landscape of the time, making it a compelling read for fans of film and comedy.
This is the script of the film which looks at what life is really all about, which featured the whole Monty Python team and was directed by Terry Jones This is a fully illustrated edition of the hilarious Python classic, which takes a pop at almost every single sacred cow of culture and includes the famous tune "Every Sperm is Sacred." Although primarily aimed at an audience of fish, Monty Python's film, The Meaning of Life, spans the whole range of human experience. It starts with the birth of a seemingly insignificant human being (especially from a haddock's point of view) who, sure enough turns out to play no further part in the film.
Michael Palin - Monty Python star and television globetrotter - brings the remarkable Erebus back to life, following it from its launch in 1826 to the epic voyages of discovery that led to glory in the Antarctic and to ultimate catastrophe in the Arctic. The ship was filled with fascinating people: the dashing and popular James Clark Ross, who charted much of the 'Great Southern Barrier'; the troubled John Franklin, whose chequered career culminated in the Erebus's final, disastrous expedition; and the eager Joseph Dalton Hooker, a brilliant naturalist - when he wasn't shooting the local wildlife dead. Vividly recounting the experiences of the men who first set foot on Antarctica's Victoria Land, and those who, just a few years later, froze to death one by one in the Arctic ice, beyond the reach of desperate rescue missions, Erebus is a wonderfully evocative account of a truly extraordinary adventure, brought to life by a master explorer and storyteller
