Robert Ross' Carry On Companion is a different beast to 1996's other Carry On book. Ross has spent years researching this packed volume, and it shows on every page.

The Carry On Companion is a factual account of the story behind the Carry On Films and how they came about. Each film receives a full overview, along with trivia, comments from the stars and statistics. Ross also offers his own personal review of each piece. On average, each film gets 2-4 pages to itself, and those pages are full not of photos, but of facts...in very small print.

For the first time, not only are the films covered; every Carry On TV show, including the Carry On Laughing series and the Christmas episodes, are included along with information just as detailed as the film summaries. Not only that, we also have full breakdowns of all the Carry On stage shows up until 1996; each with a similar level of detail.

There is a staggering amount of information contained in this gem of a book. At times, it seems Ross may be a little too obsessive (we don't really need to know about the references in Ben Elton's 'Thin Blue Line'). Nevertheless, the whole work oozes enthusiasm and, above all, accuracy.

The word "definitive" comes to mind when reviewing The Carry On Companion. Ross has wisely favoured text over pictures, and with text as well researched and laid out as this, it makes the book invaluable to anyone with more than a passing interest in the Carry On series. If you don't own this book yet, drop everything and buy it right now. You'll thank me for it.