Billy Connolly Libri

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 musician - a 'rambling man' - with 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 outspoken - willing 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 appearance - wearing leotards, scissor suits and banana boots - only added to his appeal. It was an appearance on Michael Parkinson's chat show in 1975 - and one outrageous story in particular - that 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 too - for over 50 years, in fact - until 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 funny - stuffed 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 you - all windswept and interesting! I just said: Exactly! After that, I simply had to maintain my reputation...'

And, let me tell you, that question can take you all sorts of strange places...'In Made in Scotland, legendary comic and national treasure Billy Connolly returns to his roots, reflecting on his life, his homeland and what it means - then and now - to be Scottish.

The book features a delightful blend of selected artworks and humorous anecdotes from renowned comedian Billy Connolly, showcasing his artistic journey. Originating from his debut fine art exhibition, "Born on a Rainy Day," the collection highlights Connolly's unique perspective and creativity, offering readers an intimate look at his life and inspirations.

In my fantasy of the Rambling Man who is something of a hobo, walking - or maybe jumping into the car of a moving train - is what he does. He slings his guitar or banjo over his shoulder and strides out along the road to the next town. There he plays a few songs at a local gig and meets a beautiful woman who feeds and shags him. It's a wonderful life, and a million miles better than sitting on your couch watching reality TV.During his lifetime of global adventures, Sir Billy Connolly's genuine curiosity and natural ability to connect with the people he meets on the road has made him a true 'citizen of the world'. A good trip, in my book, should be littered with little detours. Travelling from A to B is all very well, but you risk missing out on so much . . . In RAMBLING MAN, Billy takes us with him on his incredible journeys criss- crossing the world. But this is no conventional travel memoir. From Ireland to India, Australia to the Arctic, we join the Big Yin on an international voyage full of detours, digressions and the most eccentric of characters - all underscored by the chosen soundtrack of the ultimate ramblin' man himself.

A book of global adventures with Billy Connolly - an unconventional travel memoir that crisscrosses the world, encapsulating a lifetime of incredible journeys and hundreds of fascinating encounters.

Outrageously funny story-telling from the nation's favourite comedian: Tall Tales and Wee Stories brings together the 'Best of Billy Connolly'. 'One of stand-up's great naturals. No one told a story better.' Guardian

National treasure Billy Connolly is our personal guide through some of the world's most dramatic landscapes in the vast wilderness of the Arctic

Billy Connolly - raconteur, comedian, and irrepressible wanderer - has spent much of his life in the United States. It's a country he knows and loves a great deal, but even someone as well-travelled as Billy can always discover knew things about such a vast nation. So he's off on the move again, this time via the tracks of the great railroads that helped to build the country. Billy's latest adventure takes him on an epic trip through the backyard of America, tracing the routes taken by the first European settlers westwards from Chicago to California, then back down south and eastwards through Arizona, Texas, Alabama and finally New York, over 6,000 miles and 26 states later. It's a journey through a country you don't get to see from 30,000 feet in the air - the real America of friendly people with fascinating tales to tell which not only give us an insight into their lives, but also into the life of their great homeland. And it's a journey that couldn't be shared with a more entertaining companion. Hope aboard and join Billy on a trip you'll never forget.

Travelling by plane, motorbike, boat and on foot, Billy Connolly tours the length and breadth of Australia with his stage show, and delivers a personal commentary on what he sees. The book encompasses a wide variety of characters, and also excerpts from Connolly's stage act.