Idle In Provence: A Brief History of Thyme

In 1971, two years after the launch of Monty Python’s Flying Circus made his comedy troupe global superstars - and made all their lives a little more complicated - Eric Idle decided to buy a ramshackle property in the south of France.

In search of a simpler, quieter life, what followed was a story akin to A Year in Provence, but with more disaster, more heartbreak, more laughs - and much more spam.

A tale spanning a fifty-year quest of home-building, friendship-making and bad-French-learning, Idle in Provence is a hilarious, tender and unforgettable memoir of Eric Idle's very own escape to the country.

'Enchanting and hilarious' Stephen Fry

© Eric Idle 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026