Happiness and Tears: The Ken Dodd Story

Ken Dodd was a legendary British comedian who adopted his trademark tickling stick in 1956 and enjoyed a sixty-year career. Louis Barfe's book "Happiness and Tears: The Life and Times of Ken Dodd" charts his life and career, revealing him to be the last of the great variety acts and a comic phenomenon who delighted his audiences across seven decades.

Format: Hardback
Length: 336 pages
Publication date: 14 November 2019
Publisher: Head of Zeus

I am afflicted with acute kleptomania, but when it becomes severe, I take medication to manage it. Ken Dodd, a legendary figure in British comedy, embarked on his career in 1954, two years after adopting his trademark tickling stick, and went on to enjoy a remarkable sixty-year career as the nation's jester. Dodd's act was frenzied and zany, capitalizing on his distinctive saucer-eyed, buck-toothed appearance and employing a vast repertoire of one-liners, whimsical and verbal inventions, and liberal doses of saucy but never dirty jokes. Louis Barfe has authored a comprehensive biography that delves into Dodd's life and extraordinary career, unveiling him as the last of the great variety acts and a comedic phenomenon that delighted audiences across seven decades. Reviews for Happiness and Tears: The definitive account. The Times. An industriously thorough, entertaining biography. The Spectator. Sure to delight Dodd's many admirers. TLS. Fascinatingly odd. Daily Express. An absolute joy. Choice.

Weight: 644g
Dimension: 235 x 127 x 33 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781788549530