The Forgotten Heroes of Comedy

In this long overdue and affectionate salute, celebrated comedy historian Robert Ross pays tribute to some of the finest, funniest and most fascinating names in comedy from both sides of the Atlantic.

Delving into the careers of the beguiling Avril Angers, the Clitheroe Kid himself, the forgotten Stooge Shemp Howard, Hollywood golden girl Thelma Todd, Italian film-maker Mario Zampi and many more between, Ross honours these legends of humour who, for a variety of reasons, didn't quite reach the heady heights of stardom - or, once they did, they couldn't cope with the pressures.

Whether it is a favourite from the distant smoke and ale-stained world of the Music Hall like the great Gus Elen, or the downbeat poetry of Hovis Presley, who dropped disenchanted bombs on the late 1990s, the Forgotten Heroes of Comedy will finally elevate them to the Hall of Fame where they belong. Forgotten, no longer.

Publisher: Unbound
ISBN: 9781783529186

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"This is a great work. A Great Work. Authoritative, absorbing, factual and fun. Thick, too! Robert does right by the great, now fading, soldiers of the art. Do, do get this. Nobody does it better."

Danny Baker

"What a tome, it's right up there with Ulbricht's Roman Law. Can't recommend enough."

Alan Coles

"As comedy archaeologists go Robert Ross is the Howard Carter of vintage funsters, and his new book Forgotten Heroes of Comedy is a treasure-chest of finds old and new."

Julian Dutton

"It is utterly magnificent and should have a place on every comedy fan's bookshelf."

Julie Warren

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For UK Press Enquiries related to Forgotten Heroes of Comedy please email Rina Gill, Unbound

For North America Enquiries please contact Emily Cook, Cursor 612.695.0611 / emily@thinkcursor.com