The Glasgow Smile by Allan Brown

The Glasgow Smile by Allan Brown

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Summary

From the gladiatorial atmosphere of the old Empire Theatre,dubbed the 'graveyard of English comics', to the front-page controversies of Frankie Boyle today, the city and its citizens have trademarked their own two-fisted brand of confrontational, but always hilarious, comedy.

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The Glasgow Smile by Allan Brown

Few cities can rival Glasgow for their contribution to the history of British humour. From the gladiatorial atmosphere of the old Empire Theatre,dubbed the 'graveyard of English comics', to the front-page controversies of Frankie Boyle today, the city and its citizens have trademarked their own two-fisted brand of confrontational, but always hilarious, comedy. In this, the first dedicated overview, Allan Brown gives a historical,kaleidoscopic and encyclopedic account of the people, places, performers and procedures that have made Glasgow a by-word for a certain kind of rough, tough quick-wittedness. Every facet of Glaswegian life is considered, viewed through the prism of the city's sense of humour; from the showbiz renown of Billy Connolly and Chic Murray, Kevin Bridges and Boyle, to the occasions the lighter side was seen in Glasgow's history of television, film, literature, football,law, science, academe, crime and art. Through profiles, criticism, tales and anecdotes, The Glasgow Smile - fittingly also the term for infamous Glasgow gang punishment - is a treasury of the city's past and present, and of its own very particular approach to the absurd.

'I laughed so hard my head nearly fell off.. the funniest read of the year'

* Scottish Daily Express *

'A great read to dip in and out of ... a must-read for any Glaswegians with comedic aspirations'

* Scottish Field *

'There's many a chuckle, and a smile of recognition, to be had from this wide-ranging view'

* Herald *

'The Glasgow Smile sees Brown attempt (and succeed) in defining the key elements in Glasgow humour: the wryness, the aggression' 

* Sunday Herald *

'[A] book for the comedy aficionado'

* Scottish Home and Country *

Allan Brown was a writer and critic with the Scottish edition of The Sunday Times and author of Inside the Wicker Man, an acclaimed study of the cult British horror classic The Wicker Man. He lives in Glasgow.

SKU Unavailable
ISBN 13 9781780270623
ISBN 10 1780270623
Title The Glasgow Smile
Author Allan Brown
Condition Unavailable
Binding Type Paperback
Publisher Birlinn General
Year published 2013-10-03
Number of pages 240
Cover note Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.