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Richard Ingrams
- GenresBiography
Paperback
First published September 26, 1994
8 people want to read
About the author
Harry Thompson
57 books37 followersHarry William Thompson was an English radio and television producer, comedy writer, novelist and biographer. Early in his career Thompson produced the radio comedy programmes The News Quiz and The Mary Whitehouse Experience. Following his move into television, he produced Newman and Baddiel in Pieces, Harry Enfield and Chums and Monkey Dust, and co-produced Never Mind The Buzzcocks. In 1998 he was part of BBC Radio 4's 5-part political satire programme Cartoons, Lampoons, and Buffoons. During these productions he was able to gain exposure for a very large proportion of those who went on to become prominent figures in contemporary British comedy, including: Sacha Baron Cohen, Angus Deayton, Harry Enfield, Ricky Gervais, Nick Hancock, Ian Hislop, Mark Lamarr, Paul Merton and Paul Whitehouse. He was instrumental in the creation of the comic character Ali G for The 11 O'Clock Show, and as a comedy writer his credits included Da Ali G Show.
Thompson wrote biographies of Peter Cook, Richard Ingrams and Tintin creator Hergé. In June 2005, Thompson's only novel, entitled This Thing Of Darkness (a historical novel chronicling the life of Robert Fitzroy - later published in the United States as To The Edge Of The World), was published and long-listed for the Booker prize. He also wrote Penguins Stopped Play, an account of the attempt by his beloved cricket team, The Captain Scott Invitation XI, to tour all seven continents of the world.
Thompson wrote biographies of Peter Cook, Richard Ingrams and Tintin creator Hergé. In June 2005, Thompson's only novel, entitled This Thing Of Darkness (a historical novel chronicling the life of Robert Fitzroy - later published in the United States as To The Edge Of The World), was published and long-listed for the Booker prize. He also wrote Penguins Stopped Play, an account of the attempt by his beloved cricket team, The Captain Scott Invitation XI, to tour all seven continents of the world.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
April 14, 2022
I had this on a shelf for years before I came across the hilarious "Diaries of Auberon Waugh," learned that Waugh quit Private Eye when Ian Hislop succeeded Ingrams as editor, and got curious about the magazine's office politics. Thompson explains it all, but the surprise was how affecting Ingram's life story is. He's had far more than his share of personal catastrophe, but Private Eye is a monument to his talent and determination.
On the downside, Thompson makes much of Ingrams' charisma, but you pretty much have to imagine it: The anecdotes from colleagues, many of whom were his closest friends, seem to be more about his aloofness, ability to inspire fear, air of gloom and occasional editorial blunder. The worst chapter has Thompson rebutting the charges that Ingrams is snobbish, intolerant and anti-Semitic. He makes a few good points while managing to sound like an Order of the Brown Nose winner.
To sum up: Flawed but mostly great, like Ingrams.
On the downside, Thompson makes much of Ingrams' charisma, but you pretty much have to imagine it: The anecdotes from colleagues, many of whom were his closest friends, seem to be more about his aloofness, ability to inspire fear, air of gloom and occasional editorial blunder. The worst chapter has Thompson rebutting the charges that Ingrams is snobbish, intolerant and anti-Semitic. He makes a few good points while managing to sound like an Order of the Brown Nose winner.
To sum up: Flawed but mostly great, like Ingrams.
Displaying 1 of 1 review