'Actually completely brilliant' - Ian Hislop

'Very funny . . .he fills his warm-hearted book with a satisfying selection of tales' - Sunday Times

'A real gold standard sense of humour' - David Baddiel

'Funny and inspiring...Thompson writes with a novelist's sympathy about a wonderfully mixed bunch of characters' - Hugh Massingberd - Literary Review

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

'Isn'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: - .

'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

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

'Even people who despise cricket will adore this' - Times

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.

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.