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There and Back

Diaries 1999-2009

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There and Back

By: Michael Palin
Narrated by: Michael Palin
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About this listen

THE FOURTH VOLUME OF MICHAEL PALIN'S BESTSELLING DIARIES

A new millennium, and a new chapter for Michael Palin unfolds. With a Hemingway travel project testing his confidence, doubts creeping in about his abilities as a writer, the death of his great friend George Harrison and the last of his children leaving home, the dawn of the twenty-first century sees Michael at his most reflective yet.  

Over the next ten years, we watch through Michael's eyes as the world reels from the successive shocks of September 11, the 7/7 bombings and the global financial crash. With the warmth and gentle empathy that have endeared him to millions of fans over the decades, Michael documents the day-to-day detail of living in a world buffeted by such powerful winds of change.

Amidst this turbulence, one thing remains constant: Michael's irrepressible curiosity and thirst for adventure. These diaries follow his life as he comes and goes through the filming of four blockbuster travel documentaries - Hemingway Adventure, Sahara, Himalaya and New Europe - and reaches the peak of his fame as a beloved TV traveller. And five years on from the last of his children flying the nest, Michael embarks on his greatest adventure yet: becoming a besotted grandfather.

There and Back is a new window into the world of Michael Palin, one that reveals more than ever the strength and succour he draws from those constant supporting structures in his life: his family, his friendships and, of course, the Pythons.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2024 Michael Palin (P)2024 Orion Publishing Group Limited
Diaries & Journals Entertainment & Celebrities Adventure

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What listeners say about There and Back

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A further fascinating installment of Michael Palin's life.

I have enjoyed all the Diaries, which seem to me to reveal him as a rare creature, a man who is content.

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It’s MIchael Palin , what’s not to like !

Detailed , honest and warm . And if you’ve heard the other ones , it picks straight up ( eerr, of course ) . He’s such an interesting fellow and writes so well. And although having the paper version , it’s lovely to hear him tell it to you

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Another intriguing insight into this ordinary, extraordinary man

Well read diaries Michael Palins life between 99 and 2009. Nothing outrageous is revealed it just puts you candidly into his incredible life.

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Michael Palin the 👌 best

another great volume of diaries. Michael Palin is the best narrater. an enjoyable listen

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The real Palin

Palin is very open and honest as you would expect from diary entries. The listener is invited into his world between his travels and a very charmed life it is too. Palin is a thoughtful and intelligent man with typical Yorkshire stubbornness that he can’t shake off. There is humour and joy with some sadness too. A beautiful read or listen- all 27 hours of it - great value for money too!

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sense of the ridiculous

the thoroughness of his recollections and his retrospective interpretations never failed to amuse, intrigue and enlighten.

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Voice

Love Michael palin
This was ace but then I would also avidly listen to him reading the shopping list to me

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Palin: The awards dinner years

Summary: Mr Palin’s decision to omit any mention of his travels in these diaries significantly diminishes their appeal.

I enjoyed the first two volumes of Mr Palin’s diaries, which provided a compelling mix of his personal and professional life alongside key events of the time. His rise to fame through Monty Python, his films, and other works were explored in detail, making them rich and engaging accounts. Excluding these elements would have reduced them to unremarkable accounts of someone simply navigating the 1970s, 80s and 90s.

In this latest volume, Mr Palin has chosen to exclude any reference to his travels, arguably the aspect for which he is now best known. This decision seems intended to preserve the exclusivity of his travel books, though earlier diaries successfully balanced personal reflections with selective insights into his journeys without becoming travelogues.

As a result, this instalment is left with accounts of public appearances, award ceremonies, and personal milestones like the birth of a grandson. While these moments may hold significance for Mr Palin, they fail to resonate with readers who are drawn to the aspects of his life that made him extraordinary. What remains is a detached and occasionally interesting listen, but it lacks the substance and relatability that made the earlier diaries so compelling.

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