Books by Michael Palin

If you've ever wondered what happened to the young fellow from Malta who bought his grandfather an altar... If you're concerned about the camper called Jack who found a huge snake in his pack... And if you suspect that an eccentric landowner called Grey spent Christmas a very strange way. This book has all the answers.

In March 2022, Michael Palin travelled the length of the River Tigris through Iraq to get a sense of what life is like in a region of the world that once formed the cradle of civilisation, but that in recent times has witnessed turmoil and appalling bloodshed. In the journal he kept during his trip he describes the war-ravaged city of Mosul and the children he encounters growing up amid its ruins. He contemplates the graffiti-strewn ruins of Saddam Hussein's former palaces, and he notes the constant presence of armed guards. But there are patches of light amid the dark: boisterous New Year celebrations in Akre, the friendliness of generals and colonels at 'Checkpoint Cheerful', and public poetry readings in Baghdad. People getting on with their lives.At the same time, Michael charts the course of one of the great rivers of the world, showing how the water that gave life to such ancient settlements as Babylon and Ur is now becoming a scarce and hotly contested resource. And he considers the role that Iraq's other great natural resource - oil - plays in both providing wealth and threatening political stability.Illustrated throughout with colour photographs taken on the trip, and permeated with his warmth and humour, this is a vivid and varied portrait of a complex country.

This beautifully produced volume - colour plates, outstanding maps - is a landmark achievement.' - Ken McGoogan, author of Fatal Passage`I absolutely loved it: I had to read it at one sitting .

10 years in different directions. The third volume of Michael Palin's celebrated diaries.

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.

Michael Palin's hilarious novel, a "New York Times" Notable Book, is a tale of a man learning to stand up for what he believes in--just like Ernest Hemingway.

In his first stage play, Palin takes a look at family values, which is not only funny but also has its darker side. Palin was a founder member of the Monty Python team.