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War Memoirs #5
Where Have All The Bullets Gone
'Back to those haunting days in Italy in 1944, at the foot of Mount Vesuvius, with lava running in great red rivulets down the slope towards us, and Jock taking a drag on his cigarette and saying, "I think we've got grounds for a rent rebate."'
Where Have All the Bullets Gone? sees our hero dispatched from the front line to psychiatric hospital and from there to a rehabilitation camp. Considered loony (and 'unfit to be killed in combat by either side'), he becomes embroiled in his own private battle with melancholy.
But it is music, wit and a little help from his friends - including one Gunner Harry Secombe - that help carry him through to his first stage appearances . . .
Where Have All the Bullets Gone? sees our hero dispatched from the front line to psychiatric hospital and from there to a rehabilitation camp. Considered loony (and 'unfit to be killed in combat by either side'), he becomes embroiled in his own private battle with melancholy.
But it is music, wit and a little help from his friends - including one Gunner Harry Secombe - that help carry him through to his first stage appearances . . .
Unknown Binding
First published January 1, 1985
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About the author
Spike Milligan
288 books297 followersTerence Alan Patrick Seán Milligan, known as Spike, was a comedian, writer and musician. He was of Irish descent, but spent most of his childhood in India and lived most of his later life in England, moving to Australia after retirement. He is famous for his work in The Goon Show, children's poetry and a series of comical autobiographical novels about his experiences serving in the British Army in WWII. Spike Milligan suffered from bipolar disorder, which led to depression and frequent breakdowns, but he will be remembered as a comic genius. His tombstone reads 'I told you I was ill' in Gaelic.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
April 13, 2017
Another hilarious volume of Spike Milligan's war memoirs... In fact, this is the last one that can technically be called a war memoir as this volume covers the end of the war and touches on the very beginnings of his post-war entertainment career.
Milligan also writes more about his depression, which would be with him until the end. One of the saddest moments in the book for me was when Spike sees his parents for the first time after the war and finds he has nothing to say to them, despite all that has happened to them all in the meantime.
Milligan also writes more about his depression, which would be with him until the end. One of the saddest moments in the book for me was when Spike sees his parents for the first time after the war and finds he has nothing to say to them, despite all that has happened to them all in the meantime.
July 10, 2021
My copy of Spike Mulligan’s Where Have All the Bullets Gone? Is a Penguin paperback copyright 1986. It is yellowed and pages are falling out. Somehow that makes sense. This is book five of Milligan Memoirs, AKA Spike Milligan Military Memoirs, AKA Milligan's War and Peace Memoirs, and who know maybe there is also an AKC. This may be one book too many or as likely time for me to go on break from this ongoing biography. Milligan’s sense of humor is always dry, but is beginning to go flat. His word play gets to be one note. I think he intends to be letting us inside as he shares more about coming out of his war and into his future as a musician, writer and performer, but I am missing any sense of urgency or importance in what I am reading. The language can border on edgy but only a minimal case can be made against this as family friendly.
Book four ended with Gunner Mulligan breaking under mortar fire. All of the earlier books are rather cautious about just how bad his war was. He served in an artillery unit. He was in the communications side and was often required to string wire to the Forward Observer’s frequently exposed position and to be in the FO during attacks and bombardments. Between his underplaying his risk and efforts to sanitize his experience, his coming to ‘break”, hospitalized for what we now call PTSD is forgivable even if we were not prepared for it. Mostly he just got happy and weepy and therefore unreliable. This may be how PTSD can express itself.
Having the book end at that moment made it important to find out what came next. What follows is a combination of wasted time in facilities that seemed to serve no purpose. Certainly, no therapeutic ones, bouts of better understood and therefore treatable ailments, and trips into the Italian towns and culture. Milligan would experience a volcanic eruption at unnervingly close range, but without the drama that would make of it compelling reading.
Having been a jazz trumpeter before being drafted, Milligan had, throughout the books been able to participate in many soldier’s musical combo and do back of the battle field gigs. These continue in Where Have All the Bullets Gone as he shifts into what will be his future, a radio performer and comedian.
I only sort of want to know the rest of the story. Not as much as I did after book 4. Maybe the clue is to take a breather.
Book four ended with Gunner Mulligan breaking under mortar fire. All of the earlier books are rather cautious about just how bad his war was. He served in an artillery unit. He was in the communications side and was often required to string wire to the Forward Observer’s frequently exposed position and to be in the FO during attacks and bombardments. Between his underplaying his risk and efforts to sanitize his experience, his coming to ‘break”, hospitalized for what we now call PTSD is forgivable even if we were not prepared for it. Mostly he just got happy and weepy and therefore unreliable. This may be how PTSD can express itself.
Having the book end at that moment made it important to find out what came next. What follows is a combination of wasted time in facilities that seemed to serve no purpose. Certainly, no therapeutic ones, bouts of better understood and therefore treatable ailments, and trips into the Italian towns and culture. Milligan would experience a volcanic eruption at unnervingly close range, but without the drama that would make of it compelling reading.
Having been a jazz trumpeter before being drafted, Milligan had, throughout the books been able to participate in many soldier’s musical combo and do back of the battle field gigs. These continue in Where Have All the Bullets Gone as he shifts into what will be his future, a radio performer and comedian.
I only sort of want to know the rest of the story. Not as much as I did after book 4. Maybe the clue is to take a breather.
May 10, 2014
Book five of Spike's wartime memoirs. This one covers his time in a psychiatric hospital following his mental breakdown. He never returns to the front line and, after a brief break for leave back home in England, Spike is redeployed to the army entertainment group.
The war ends, but the army remain in Italy - chasing after girls called Maria, putting on musical shows and generally larking about. Spike also meets Harry Seacome for the first time - and can barely tolerate his presence, especially as a room mate.
This book very much follows the journey that Spike was on at this point in his life. The early chapters talk a lot about his melancholy - something that was to trouble him for the rest of his life. The later chapters chronicle what he clearly considers to be the best times of his life.
A good read.
The war ends, but the army remain in Italy - chasing after girls called Maria, putting on musical shows and generally larking about. Spike also meets Harry Seacome for the first time - and can barely tolerate his presence, especially as a room mate.
This book very much follows the journey that Spike was on at this point in his life. The early chapters talk a lot about his melancholy - something that was to trouble him for the rest of his life. The later chapters chronicle what he clearly considers to be the best times of his life.
A good read.
January 24, 2021
This is the fifth – and final, as far as I can tell – volume of war memoirs from famous goon Spike Milligan. As usual, it’s an interesting mix of humour and reminiscence, although be warned that there’s also a little casual racism thrown in as well. Unfortunately, Milligan picked up a bunch of terms in his army days that would no longer fly, and which were arguably considered offensive even when the book was published.
But if you can get past that and you don’t mind that the book itself is more about the characters that Milligan met than about what actually happened during the war, you’re in for a good time. This one essentially covers what Milligan got up to at the end of the war, and so it focusses a lot more on what he and his fellow soldiers were doing to pass the time as the war came to an end.
There’s still lots of good stuff here though, and I liked how he also sprinkled in journal entries, letters and other bits and bobs from the people that he talks about. It helps to make sure that we’re not just looking out of Spike’s eyes and hearing his stories, but rather that we’re getting a nice little cross section.
All in all, it’s pretty good and recommended, but watch out for the racism and just skip it entirely if you’re not interested in the Second World War.
But if you can get past that and you don’t mind that the book itself is more about the characters that Milligan met than about what actually happened during the war, you’re in for a good time. This one essentially covers what Milligan got up to at the end of the war, and so it focusses a lot more on what he and his fellow soldiers were doing to pass the time as the war came to an end.
There’s still lots of good stuff here though, and I liked how he also sprinkled in journal entries, letters and other bits and bobs from the people that he talks about. It helps to make sure that we’re not just looking out of Spike’s eyes and hearing his stories, but rather that we’re getting a nice little cross section.
All in all, it’s pretty good and recommended, but watch out for the racism and just skip it entirely if you’re not interested in the Second World War.
February 8, 2021
By day I have quite a lot of time on my hands; I also have it on my legs, elbows and shins.
You either like Spike Milligan's humour or you don't. I like it, but there just wasn't enough of it in this memoir. At this late stage of the war, poor old Spike had PTSD or shell-shock triggering depression (I know - he depressed me!) and was shacked up with The Loonies, freely admitting that he was one also. Frankly, it was 70% boring. If you're looking to dip your toe into the Milligan pool, maybe try Adolf Hitler: My Part in His Downfall or Puckoon
You either like Spike Milligan's humour or you don't. I like it, but there just wasn't enough of it in this memoir. At this late stage of the war, poor old Spike had PTSD or shell-shock triggering depression (I know - he depressed me!) and was shacked up with The Loonies, freely admitting that he was one also. Frankly, it was 70% boring. If you're looking to dip your toe into the Milligan pool, maybe try Adolf Hitler: My Part in His Downfall or Puckoon
February 20, 2019
Nothing much happens in this book and it is full of jokes that are not very funny but I still found it easy to read and not dull. It is interesting for the background of the author and the strange situations that he lived through as an entertainer in Italy at the end of world war 2. The Bill Hall Trio seems like a seminal event in Spike becoming a professional entertainer. It took place in what seems to be a very unique situation, where a group of shell-shocked people were thrown together and organised into entertainment activities.
December 13, 2021
Gets better
May 11, 2014
I wish I could say I enjoyed this book as much as I did the others - but I really didn't.
The soldiers' humour has disappeared. The characters lack zest. The book is maudlin in tone.
In part, this is understandable. Spike was suffering from shell shock and the start of the depression that was to haunt him for the rest of his life. This book reflects that. It also shows quite a callous, selfish and self-regarding side to him which is deeply unattractive, especially when you look at the young man of the earlier books.
The first books in the series were laugh out loud war memoirs, full of rich characters, rich incident and real, salt of the earth characters. The humour was fast and furious and I came to this book expecting more of the same. It isn't the same at all. It is a depressing read and, to be frank, I would rather Spike had not written it at all but had left us earlier in the war.
I can understand why Spike wrote this book. It describes a very unhappy and unsettling period in his life (love life excepted) but, as a reader who was looking for the bawdy humour of his earlier memoirs, this was a massive let down for me.
The soldiers' humour has disappeared. The characters lack zest. The book is maudlin in tone.
In part, this is understandable. Spike was suffering from shell shock and the start of the depression that was to haunt him for the rest of his life. This book reflects that. It also shows quite a callous, selfish and self-regarding side to him which is deeply unattractive, especially when you look at the young man of the earlier books.
The first books in the series were laugh out loud war memoirs, full of rich characters, rich incident and real, salt of the earth characters. The humour was fast and furious and I came to this book expecting more of the same. It isn't the same at all. It is a depressing read and, to be frank, I would rather Spike had not written it at all but had left us earlier in the war.
I can understand why Spike wrote this book. It describes a very unhappy and unsettling period in his life (love life excepted) but, as a reader who was looking for the bawdy humour of his earlier memoirs, this was a massive let down for me.
January 7, 2013
I read a review of this book which said "Spike plays jazz and shags Italian birds". That sums it up. It starts with him recovering in hospital from injuries and shell-shock and ends with him touring Italy entertaining troops. This is still a funny book, the same surreal humour and running gags, but with the horrors of war further away it is less poignant. The woman-chasing gets a bit wearisome (and sexist) which does date the book somewhat, but it is still an enjoyable read.
September 4, 2017
Found at a second hand book sale so I've now read this out of order from the other memoirs. Worked as a standalone book, enjoyable and sometimes poignant reading. I've now got the rest of Spike's war memoirs. Passing this on to my Dad who introduced me to Spike's works.
April 18, 2021
The fifth of Spike's war autobiography trilogy is another example of how wonderful his writing was in this subset of his sizeable corpus of books. 'Where Have All the Bullets Gone' does not have the same unity of narrative that his previous four books in the series had, but this is not his fault. As this volume reviews his first couple of years out of combat, due to his wounding in the battles leading up to Monte Cassino, there is none of the previous insight into front line experiences in World War Two. However, what replaces that preceding autobiographical thread is one where Spike the entertainer becomes more paramount. Milligan's life behind the lines is still filled with the entertaining combination of his own absurd perspectives on life and the world of the military. It is in this volume that Milligan's post-war character begins to assert itself.
Throughout this volume it is readily apparent that Spike was to some extent marking time. During the preceding books there was the omnipresent threat of fighting the war and anything that happened was either about doing so or either preparing for or coming back from combat. Now that this element of his life has been removed he readjust, and as influenced by his battle fatigue, it is not always an easy run. The earlier parts of the book are more focused on his struggles with combat induced depression as well as illness and general military chaos. However once he finds his way to the rear echelon O2E unit his experiences improve. It is obvious that by the end of this autobiography he has found some satisfaction in traversing the previous period in time and become richer from the process.
It must be noted at this point that some of Milligan's language in this volume is offensive and will not be readily appreciated by contemporary readers. Part of this is down to the time of when it was written (i.e. the mid 1980s) and also Milligan's cultural background. However this doesn't excuse the use of the n-word, and I would suspect or hope that more recent editions have made some attempt to adjust the terms used. This is not about censoring Spike; this book has been available for over 30 years. It would however help some members of the book's (potential) audience to be more receptive to it than if the language stays.
There are other qualities to the book that deserve mention. 'Where Have All the Bullets Gone' is a wonderful resource for anyone wanting to understand what life was like in Italy in the Allied area of control. The experience of the civilians is brought out in clear and vivid colour by Milligan's anecdotes, and whilst they may seem to focus on a few themes (women, alcohol, entertainment, money, crime, food) they are still valid both as literary entertainment and also social history. It's intriguing that when Spike returns on leave to Britain his home land is far less pleasant than Italy. Of course this is entirely due to Spike's perspective, tinged perhaps by a dose of nostalgia. Yet one cannot fail to sense Milligan's appreciation of being away from Blighty, being exposed to all that Italy offered.
Perhaps the most rewarding aspect of this book for Spike Milligan fans is that in the closing segments of the book he introduces important people who would figure in his post-war career. The reader learns about Bill Hall and Johnny Mulgrew, Milligan's comrades in the Bill Hall Trio. More significantly is the appearance of Harry Secombe, Spike's Goon Show comrade. It is in this volume that Milligan the surrealist comedian really emerges.
In summary, if you love Spike Milligan this book is a must read. It is an enjoyable, often funny story about a soldier who became one of the comedic icons of the last century. 'Where Have All the Bullets Gone' will also be of interest to WW2 historians. Outside these audiences this book may not appeal, unless one starts with Milligan's first war autobiography and works forward from there.
Throughout this volume it is readily apparent that Spike was to some extent marking time. During the preceding books there was the omnipresent threat of fighting the war and anything that happened was either about doing so or either preparing for or coming back from combat. Now that this element of his life has been removed he readjust, and as influenced by his battle fatigue, it is not always an easy run. The earlier parts of the book are more focused on his struggles with combat induced depression as well as illness and general military chaos. However once he finds his way to the rear echelon O2E unit his experiences improve. It is obvious that by the end of this autobiography he has found some satisfaction in traversing the previous period in time and become richer from the process.
It must be noted at this point that some of Milligan's language in this volume is offensive and will not be readily appreciated by contemporary readers. Part of this is down to the time of when it was written (i.e. the mid 1980s) and also Milligan's cultural background. However this doesn't excuse the use of the n-word, and I would suspect or hope that more recent editions have made some attempt to adjust the terms used. This is not about censoring Spike; this book has been available for over 30 years. It would however help some members of the book's (potential) audience to be more receptive to it than if the language stays.
There are other qualities to the book that deserve mention. 'Where Have All the Bullets Gone' is a wonderful resource for anyone wanting to understand what life was like in Italy in the Allied area of control. The experience of the civilians is brought out in clear and vivid colour by Milligan's anecdotes, and whilst they may seem to focus on a few themes (women, alcohol, entertainment, money, crime, food) they are still valid both as literary entertainment and also social history. It's intriguing that when Spike returns on leave to Britain his home land is far less pleasant than Italy. Of course this is entirely due to Spike's perspective, tinged perhaps by a dose of nostalgia. Yet one cannot fail to sense Milligan's appreciation of being away from Blighty, being exposed to all that Italy offered.
Perhaps the most rewarding aspect of this book for Spike Milligan fans is that in the closing segments of the book he introduces important people who would figure in his post-war career. The reader learns about Bill Hall and Johnny Mulgrew, Milligan's comrades in the Bill Hall Trio. More significantly is the appearance of Harry Secombe, Spike's Goon Show comrade. It is in this volume that Milligan the surrealist comedian really emerges.
In summary, if you love Spike Milligan this book is a must read. It is an enjoyable, often funny story about a soldier who became one of the comedic icons of the last century. 'Where Have All the Bullets Gone' will also be of interest to WW2 historians. Outside these audiences this book may not appeal, unless one starts with Milligan's first war autobiography and works forward from there.
June 24, 2024
A meatier read than the preceeding four in the series, it still carries much of the same eccentricities: sparadic jumping of supject, unusual format and bizarre jokes I'm not sure anyone but Spike gets.
Given it concerns the time from his withdrawal from the front line due to injury, it also has its darker sections, but perhaps due to the distance it isn't quite as bleak as the end of the preceeding book. There are references to his depression but they aren't as prevalent as you'd expect - perhaps this is because he was actually having a wonderful time for a lot of this book, or perhaps it is the clown hiding his tears somewhat. There's still some honesty and given people's attitude to mental health when this was occurring and subsequently written, it's still pretty open.
I think he gave himself more liberty to really write in this book, as opposed to just recount what happens, and as such there's a touch more of the artistic here than we got in the preceeding volumes which is nice. Perhaps this is also due to having a less intense time, being back from the front, and having more time to do things of that ilk - especially the burgeoning musical career.
It's still great to get a real honest account of the war from a regular (of sorts) soldier's perspective, and most of the stories are funny, in a mad-cap way. There's also more appreciation of the country he's in, counterpoised with a truly British nature, and even some shocking scenes.
There's also the inevitable racist tones, which always make me sad to read. I know it's the time etc. but it's not nice to read from someone you admire. The attitude towards women is also questionable - again, it's the time, I know, but still.
The other negative I found was the handwritten letters - perhaps it's just me, but I struggled to read any of them. A small photo and a transcription would've been much better, in my opinion, as I had to just skip over them in the end.
Crazy as ever, but also just as interesting, well worth the read if you like Spike or just want a portrait of the war from a not-so-typical perspective.
Given it concerns the time from his withdrawal from the front line due to injury, it also has its darker sections, but perhaps due to the distance it isn't quite as bleak as the end of the preceeding book. There are references to his depression but they aren't as prevalent as you'd expect - perhaps this is because he was actually having a wonderful time for a lot of this book, or perhaps it is the clown hiding his tears somewhat. There's still some honesty and given people's attitude to mental health when this was occurring and subsequently written, it's still pretty open.
I think he gave himself more liberty to really write in this book, as opposed to just recount what happens, and as such there's a touch more of the artistic here than we got in the preceeding volumes which is nice. Perhaps this is also due to having a less intense time, being back from the front, and having more time to do things of that ilk - especially the burgeoning musical career.
It's still great to get a real honest account of the war from a regular (of sorts) soldier's perspective, and most of the stories are funny, in a mad-cap way. There's also more appreciation of the country he's in, counterpoised with a truly British nature, and even some shocking scenes.
There's also the inevitable racist tones, which always make me sad to read. I know it's the time etc. but it's not nice to read from someone you admire. The attitude towards women is also questionable - again, it's the time, I know, but still.
The other negative I found was the handwritten letters - perhaps it's just me, but I struggled to read any of them. A small photo and a transcription would've been much better, in my opinion, as I had to just skip over them in the end.
Crazy as ever, but also just as interesting, well worth the read if you like Spike or just want a portrait of the war from a not-so-typical perspective.
April 6, 2023
Volume 5 in Milligan's autobiography, and probably the last one I'll read. This one takes him from his treatment for 'shell shock' to his early days working in the entertainment field (or rather, returning to it full-time). I must confess I was reading the earlier volumes because I was looking at how young men, civilians-turned-soldiers, interpreted their experiences in a World War, and this volume rather takes Milligan out of that subset.
The impact of the war on his mental health is clear even if he tends to underplay it, but I really wasn't interested in the concerts/shows in which he played and the groups he joined. OK, there's an element of rehab, and millions coming back from war, whatever their nationality, faced the culture shock of resuming life out of uniform, without orders being barked at them, without wondering if someone would try to kill them in the next few minutes or hours. And it's not an experience which ended in 1945 - there continue to be wars, they all produce their casualties. This is one man's journey back. If you're a Milligan fan (which I am), you'll probably enjoy it, but it just wasn't for me.
A lot of outrageous humour, language which would give your maiden aunt apoplexy, it needs editing - there's a lot of material here which could have been cut but, it's volume 5, he's on a roll, he'll churn out another two volumes after this one and (by the looks of them) they're equally bulky and could probably have been edited.
To sum up, the earlier volumes of Milligan's war experiences are decidedly worth reading, this one probably less so.
The impact of the war on his mental health is clear even if he tends to underplay it, but I really wasn't interested in the concerts/shows in which he played and the groups he joined. OK, there's an element of rehab, and millions coming back from war, whatever their nationality, faced the culture shock of resuming life out of uniform, without orders being barked at them, without wondering if someone would try to kill them in the next few minutes or hours. And it's not an experience which ended in 1945 - there continue to be wars, they all produce their casualties. This is one man's journey back. If you're a Milligan fan (which I am), you'll probably enjoy it, but it just wasn't for me.
A lot of outrageous humour, language which would give your maiden aunt apoplexy, it needs editing - there's a lot of material here which could have been cut but, it's volume 5, he's on a roll, he'll churn out another two volumes after this one and (by the looks of them) they're equally bulky and could probably have been edited.
To sum up, the earlier volumes of Milligan's war experiences are decidedly worth reading, this one probably less so.
May 9, 2021
Volume V
Still in Italy.
…….. We are waving the girls goodbye, when Kerash!! from nowhere, a drunk appears and punches through the taxi window.
‘Attenzione,’ shouts the driver. ‘Coltello,’ (Look out he’s got a knife.) We leap out and set off hot foot. He is shouting something in Italian that sounds like ’My mother keeps legless goats’……that can’t be right. Why are we running away from a man whose mother keeps legless goats? Cowards all!
I suddenly stop, turn, thrust my hand inside my battledress pocket and whip out an imaginary pistol.
‘Attenzione!’ I shout. ‘Pistole!’ He stops in his tracks and runs away………Very good Milligan. The day ended with a pointed finger. It wasn’t the end of a perfect day, but it was an end.
……we, the Bill Hall Trio, are being offered officer status and wages if, when we are demobbed, we sign with the CSE for six months. Hedonists, we all say yes. Officer status? Cor Blimey! All the bloody months in the line and you become a Lance-Bombardier. Play the guitar in perfect safety, you become an officer. If I learned the banjo and the tuba I could become a Field-Marshal!
I wrote home and told my delighted parents. Mother proudly informed the neighbors that her son was a ’Banjo-playing Officer’.
On to Volume VI
Still in Italy.
…….. We are waving the girls goodbye, when Kerash!! from nowhere, a drunk appears and punches through the taxi window.
‘Attenzione,’ shouts the driver. ‘Coltello,’ (Look out he’s got a knife.) We leap out and set off hot foot. He is shouting something in Italian that sounds like ’My mother keeps legless goats’……that can’t be right. Why are we running away from a man whose mother keeps legless goats? Cowards all!
I suddenly stop, turn, thrust my hand inside my battledress pocket and whip out an imaginary pistol.
‘Attenzione!’ I shout. ‘Pistole!’ He stops in his tracks and runs away………Very good Milligan. The day ended with a pointed finger. It wasn’t the end of a perfect day, but it was an end.
……we, the Bill Hall Trio, are being offered officer status and wages if, when we are demobbed, we sign with the CSE for six months. Hedonists, we all say yes. Officer status? Cor Blimey! All the bloody months in the line and you become a Lance-Bombardier. Play the guitar in perfect safety, you become an officer. If I learned the banjo and the tuba I could become a Field-Marshal!
I wrote home and told my delighted parents. Mother proudly informed the neighbors that her son was a ’Banjo-playing Officer’.
On to Volume VI
January 3, 2020
Covering broadly a two year period beginning with Spike Milligan being treated for shell-shock in 1944 through to him choosing to stay on in Italy after the end of the war.
"Where Have All the Bullets Gone?" is a wonderful title, i feel a sense of "what are we going to do now?" all the way through the book. Spike is forever, when not ill, looking for something to do, whether it's visiting the classical sites of Italy or taking every chance to play his trumpet and meet different people, mostly women he's lusting after but not exclusively.
As always with these war memoirs, there are moments of total devastation and horror at what he's seen, i had to put the book down in shock, but many more of incredible humour sometimes in not particularly funny situations - the officer delivering an address to the troops from inside a hut while the troops stood motionless in a sudden almost tropical storm not being able to really hear him - his jokes and his way of telling them which made stop reading because i was laughing and laughing hard.
I did enjoy this book.
"Where Have All the Bullets Gone?" is a wonderful title, i feel a sense of "what are we going to do now?" all the way through the book. Spike is forever, when not ill, looking for something to do, whether it's visiting the classical sites of Italy or taking every chance to play his trumpet and meet different people, mostly women he's lusting after but not exclusively.
As always with these war memoirs, there are moments of total devastation and horror at what he's seen, i had to put the book down in shock, but many more of incredible humour sometimes in not particularly funny situations - the officer delivering an address to the troops from inside a hut while the troops stood motionless in a sudden almost tropical storm not being able to really hear him - his jokes and his way of telling them which made stop reading because i was laughing and laughing hard.
I did enjoy this book.
February 1, 2020
Тут у нас уже война в основном тыловая, потому что под конец 4 тома нашего героя-автора контузило, и он с тех пор стал "бомбосчастлив". Тогда-то и началась у него клиническая депрессия. И тут уже пошла широкая панорама, сопоставимая с "Уловкой-22", а потом он отправился на побывку в Блятьку.
А ценно здесь то, что приводятся документальные подтверждения тому, что собственно "Хмыри" не просто как туманная идея или мировоззренческий подход, а натурально как ощутимая сценическая концепция музыкальной эксцентрики начались именно где-то под Неаполем в начале 1944 года.
А ценно здесь то, что приводятся документальные подтверждения тому, что собственно "Хмыри" не просто как туманная идея или мировоззренческий подход, а натурально как ощутимая сценическая концепция музыкальной эксцентрики начались именно где-то под Неаполем в начале 1944 года.
September 12, 2020
As I have previously said, I am rereading my way through Spike Milligan's war memoirs, which I read many years ago and I'm greatly enjoying the experience. This one touches on the mental problems that Spike eventually encountered late in the war and finished up in rehab and the life changing experiences that put him on a theatrical career for which we should all be thankful. As in the previous volumes, it is also hilarious as Spike outlines their experiences and the exploits that he, and his mates, got up to. As I have now started the next exciting volume, hang about for the next five out of five review.
June 19, 2021
Another great instalment of Spikes war memoirs.
This 1 sees him sent to an army psychiatric hospital and diagnosed as being bomb happy, now referred to as PTSD.
It was here he meets Seacomb and gets off to a rocky start as he seemingly doesn’t like him as a room mate.
After discharge he doesn’t return to his unit and the book covers his time in Italy and on leave in the UK.
Returning from leave he is transferred to the Army Entertainment Group and at this point the book is wrapped up.
Looking forward to the next book in the series.
This 1 sees him sent to an army psychiatric hospital and diagnosed as being bomb happy, now referred to as PTSD.
It was here he meets Seacomb and gets off to a rocky start as he seemingly doesn’t like him as a room mate.
After discharge he doesn’t return to his unit and the book covers his time in Italy and on leave in the UK.
Returning from leave he is transferred to the Army Entertainment Group and at this point the book is wrapped up.
Looking forward to the next book in the series.
May 6, 2022
It seems wrong to put 4 stars on a book containing so much racism and sexism, but it’s something you have to come to terms with when it comes to Milligan. It is a bit weird that one of the UK’s most celebrated comedians is so racist. You’ve gotta take it in context though - if you sling a bunch of horny young white men into foreign territories and expect them to act above their years then you’re mad, and at least this book is honest in its portrayal of men. It’s also very funny with Milligan’s reaction to being groped by a man being a real highlight: “look sir… sorry sir, but fuck off”
January 17, 2025
There were two things that stood out in this volume.
First is that Spike lived through an extraordinary time in history. Including the end of WWII and the eruption of Vesuvius 🌋
Second, that after two years of war that his whole life is turned around and he has the time of his life. You really get a sense of his incredible happiness playing in a band in Italy.
Lovely book
First is that Spike lived through an extraordinary time in history. Including the end of WWII and the eruption of Vesuvius 🌋
Second, that after two years of war that his whole life is turned around and he has the time of his life. You really get a sense of his incredible happiness playing in a band in Italy.
Lovely book
December 26, 2017
Continuing his war diaries, Milligan finds himself in a camp for victims of shell shock. From here he becomes a wine steward, writes the genesis of the Goon show, and finally sees the war draw to a close. Very funny, slightly erratic, and at times moving.
June 6, 2019
Milligan Memoirs
No.5 in the series. Obviously, following on from the events of No.4, still in Italy. Our Bombardier recovers, gets to play music amidst the end of WWII, and the early musings of the Goon Show begin to surface. Plenty of laugh out loud moments, loved it.
No.5 in the series. Obviously, following on from the events of No.4, still in Italy. Our Bombardier recovers, gets to play music amidst the end of WWII, and the early musings of the Goon Show begin to surface. Plenty of laugh out loud moments, loved it.
November 20, 2021
Genius
Reading this book you can hear Spike in all his manic glory. These experiences the obvious precursor to the Almighty Goons. The description of Secombe had me rolling around on the floor, somewhat embarrassing in a Lyons corner house.
Reading this book you can hear Spike in all his manic glory. These experiences the obvious precursor to the Almighty Goons. The description of Secombe had me rolling around on the floor, somewhat embarrassing in a Lyons corner house.
January 16, 2023
This 5th of 7 books continues the hilarity started in “Adolf Hitler: My Part In His Downfall.”
“Where have all the bullets gone?” continues the war memoirs written by Spike Milligan, British comedian and writer. Very funny.
R.I.P. Spike Milligan - you may be gone, but never forgotten!
“Where have all the bullets gone?” continues the war memoirs written by Spike Milligan, British comedian and writer. Very funny.
R.I.P. Spike Milligan - you may be gone, but never forgotten!
October 17, 2023
Funny but dated
As always with Milligan the book is very funny and this one introduces another Goon, Harry Secombe. Some people will find some of the language offensive but it is of its time.
As always with Milligan the book is very funny and this one introduces another Goon, Harry Secombe. Some people will find some of the language offensive but it is of its time.
December 22, 2024
By sheer good luck I found that Spike was doing a book-signing, bought a hardback copy and had a quick chat with him. Not as humorous as the others in the series, but an interesting account of how things shaped up for him at war's end, and how some of his old comrades fared.
June 17, 2025
This is the fifth volume of World War II memoirs written by comedian Spike Milligan. It is irreverent and darkly humorous, like the rest of the series. This one is a little long winded, which is unusual for Milligan.
January 20, 2019
Another tale of debauchery and insanity.
Lots of gratuitous long worms, lots of gratuitous debauchery, lots of tales of disorganised chaos, wht is not to like?
Lots of gratuitous long worms, lots of gratuitous debauchery, lots of tales of disorganised chaos, wht is not to like?
February 8, 2019
Not my type of person old Spike. But interesting to read another perspective of WWII.
April 3, 2019
It all finally his Spike, so hard he becomes a Goon.
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