Monty Python’s Flying Circus: Hidden Treasures

Besley (The Biggest Book of YouTube Videos Ever!) provides a brief survey of the TV show Monty Python’s Flying Circus and the British comedy troupe’s subsequent live shows (their movies are mentioned only tangentially). The book is formatted in an interactive coffee-table style, embracing the show’s anarchic spirit. It includes cutouts, pop-outs, thought bubbles, text printed upside down, and QR codes that provide direct links to YouTube clips of the most famous sketches. Aiming at confirmed fans, Besley provides only the most basic of introductions. The biggest draw is likely to be the hidden treasure of the title, removable replicas of archival materials. The book includes 22 items in envelopes interspersed throughout the text; the process of unearthing from the envelope is fun, but the items need more explanation to be truly revelatory for the uninitiated. Interesting tidbits of Monty Python trivia are given throughout, and brief profiles of the creative players provide useful, if cursory, context to readers new to the group. A benefit of the treatment is that the book can be enjoyed by Monty Python fans of all ages, and the oversize format makes it ideal for paging through together. (Apr.)