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  • Windswept & Interesting

  • My Autobiography
  • By: Billy Connolly
  • Narrated by: Billy Connolly
  • Length: 8 hrs and 38 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (2,194 ratings)

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Windswept & Interesting

By: Billy Connolly
Narrated by: Billy Connolly
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Publisher's Summary

 WINNER OF THE 2022 BRITISH BOOK AWARDS AUDIOBOOK OF THE YEAR: NON-FICTION  

The funny, frank and full autobiography of the nation's favourite comedian.

It's the first time I've done this. Other people have written about me - or for me - but this time, it's just my own life in my own words.

In his first full-length autobiography, comedy legend and national treasure Billy Connolly reveals the truth behind his windswept and interesting life.

Born in a tenement flat in Glasgow in 1942, orphaned by the age of four and a survivor of appalling abuse at the hands of his own family, Billy's life is a remarkable story of success against all the odds.

Billy found his escape first as an apprentice welder in the shipyards of the River Clyde. Later he became a folk musician - a 'rambling man' - with a genuine talent for playing the banjo. But it was his ability to spin stories, tell jokes and hold an audience in the palm of his hand that truly set him apart.

As a young comedian, Billy broke all the rules. He was fearless and outspoken - willing to call out hypocrisy wherever he saw it. But his stand-up was full of warmth, humility and silliness, too. His startling hairy 'glam-rock' stage appearance - wearing leotards, scissor suits and banana boots - only added to his appeal.

It was an appearance on Michael Parkinson's chat show in 1975 - and one outrageous story in particular - that catapulted Billy from cult hero to national star. TV shows, documentaries, international fame and award-winning Hollywood movies followed. Billy's pitch-perfect stand-up comedy kept coming, too - for over 50 years, in fact - until a double diagnosis of cancer and Parkinson's disease brought his remarkable live performances to an end. Since then he has continued making TV shows, creating extraordinary drawings...and writing.

Windswept & Interesting is Billy's story in his own words. It is joyfully funny - stuffed full of hard-earned wisdom as well as countless digressions on fishing, farting and the joys of dancing naked. It is an unforgettable, life-affirming story of a true comedy legend.

I didn't know I was windswept and interesting until somebody told me. It was a friend who was startlingly exotic himself. He'd just come back from Kashmir and was all billowy shirt and Indian beads. I had long hair and a beard and was swishing around in electric blue flairs.

He said: 'Look at you - all windswept and interesting!'

I just said: 'Exactly!'

After that, I simply had to maintain my reputation....

©2021 Billy Connolly (P)2021 Hodder & Stoughton Limited

What listeners say about Windswept & Interesting

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Hilarious, Honest and Definitely Interesting

One of the best autobiographies I’ve ever read and even better with the Big Yin telling it in his amazing voice.
The flow perfectly matches his stage style, no overly constructed chapters, more a timeline of individual moments that ebb and flow back and forth to tell the whole story.
Captivating, an open door into Billy’s rise to fame, adversity and honest approach to his life, never compromising and adjusting to all that life has dealt him.
Warning - listen in private or you’ll find yourself laughing out loud in public, and if you find yourself in this situation just smile, knowing it’s exactly what Billy would want to happen.

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7 people found this helpful

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Windswept and Fantastic

A fantastic book to listen to. It had us enthralled from start to finish.

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6 people found this helpful

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Wonderful

Very funny and entertaining. Love that it is read by Billy himself. Although scatty sometimes I love the way he thinks. A life well lived.

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4 people found this helpful

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Laugh?! Pished my pants & filled my wellies

A hilarious and thoughtful recollection of Billy's life. Wonderfully narrated my the man himself.

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4 people found this helpful

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Billy at his best

Loved this book, thoroughly entertaining, laughs and all. Billy’s narrative adds to the experience immensely.

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2 people found this helpful

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Billy at his best!

Books read by the author are great but Billy's telling was brilliant! Very entertaining book.

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1 person found this helpful

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Great Yarn

Billy is an excellent story teller. Terrible childhood but look at how he came through it. He is sounding old and creaky though. Thoroughly recommended listen.

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Amazing life

9 hours of classic tales and stories .
Very interesting but robotic.
Very impersonal ending .
Thanks Billy.

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Perfection

This is such a perfect listen, I love Billy and hearing his life stories in his words and voice has been perfect happy and interesting time. Would recommend to anyone.

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So hard to listen to. So hard to stop.

I really didn’t think I’d make it through his childhood, but it’s worth persevering. For someone who had such a rough start, he’s such a joyous person. Highly recommend listening rather than reading his autobiography.

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