Penguins Stopped Play

It seemed a simple enough idea at the outset: to assemble a team of eleven men to play cricket on each of the seven continents of the globe.

Except - hold on a minute - that's not a simple idea at all. And when you throw in incompetent airline officials, amorous Argentine Colonels' wives, cunning Bajan drug dealers, gay Australian waiters, overzealous American anti-terrorist police, idiot Welshmen dressed as Santa Claus, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and whole armies of pitch-invading Antarctic penguins, you quickly arrive at a whole lot more than you bargained for.

Harry Thompson's hilarious book tells the story of one of those great idiotic enterprises that only an Englishman could have dreamed up, and only a bunch of Englishmen could possibly have wished to carry out.

Short-listed for British Book Awards: Sports Book of the Year 2007

“Praise for Harry Thompson and Penguins Stopped Play: - .Actually completely brilliant - Ian HislopA real gold standard sense of humour - David BaddielRare, clever, creative ... a maverick, pushing boundaries with outrageous jokes - GuardianCrammed with sharp observation, comic and cruel characterisation and a great many very good jokes... Gloriously funny and life-affirming - Daily TelegraphSurely the funniest book ever written about the English addiction to cricket...a beautiful tale of classic British humour, self-deprecation, great courage - Daily MailEven people who despise cricket will adore this - TimesIsn't only a marvellous read but in many ways captures the very essence of the game - Observer”

Praise for Harry Thompson and Penguins Stopped Play: - .

Actually completely brilliant - Ian Hislop

A real gold standard sense of humour - David Baddiel

Rare, clever, creative ... a maverick, pushing boundaries with outrageous jokes - Guardian

Crammed with sharp observation, comic and cruel characterisation and a great many very good jokes... Gloriously funny and life-affirming - Daily Telegraph

Surely the funniest book ever written about the English addiction to cricket...a beautiful tale of classic British humour, self-deprecation, great courage - Daily Mail

Even people who despise cricket will adore this - Times

Isn't only a marvellous read but in many ways captures the very essence of the game - Observer

Harry Thompson (Author)

Harry Thompson is the inventor and editor of many TV comedy series including Have I Got News For You and Never Mind the Buzzcocks. He is the author of acclaimed bestsellers, including Peter Cook: A Biography. His most recent book is a historical novel, This Thing of Darkness. He worked as a producer at Talkback TV and in his spare time ran an infamous cricket team, the Captain Scott XI. He died in November 2005.

Harry Thompson (Author)

Harry Thompson invented many TV comedy hits such as Have I Got News For You and Da Ali G Show. He was the author of several acclaimed bestsellers, including PETER COOK: A BIOGRAPHY and PENGUINS STOPPED PLAY, as well as a historical novel, THIS THING OF DARKNESS which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. He worked as a producer at Talkback TV and in his spare time he ran the infamous cricket team, the Captain Scott XI. Harry Thompson died in 2005.

It seemed a simple enough idea at the outset: to assemble a team of eleven men to play cricket on each of the seven continents of the globe. Except - hold on a minute - that's not a simple idea at all . And when you throw in incompetent airline officials, amorous Argentine Colonels' wives, cunning Bajan drug dealers, gay Australian waiters, overzealous American anti-terrorist police, idiot Welshmen dressed as Santa Claus, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and whole armies of pitch-invading Antarctic penguins, you quickly arrive at a whole lot more than you bargained for.Harry Thompson's hilarious book tells the story of one of those great idiotic enterprises that only an Englishman could have dreamed up, and only a bunch of Englishmen could possibly have wished to carry out.

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