In this long overdue and affectionate salute, celebrated comedy historian Robert Ross pays tribute to some of the finest, funniest and most fascinating names in comedy from both sides of the Atlantic. Monty Python's Terry Jones wrote the foreword.

With the passionate input of such comics as Tim Brooke-Taylor, Hattie Hayridge, Roy Hudd, Michael Palin, Ross Noble, Chris Addison and Bernard Cribbins, Ross honours these legends of humor who, for a variety of reasons, didn't quite reach the heady heights of stardom or, once they had, couldn't cope with the pressures.

Whether it is a favorite from the distant smoke- and ale-stained world of the Music Hall like the great George Robey, or the downbeat poetry of Hovis Presley, who dropped disenchanted bombs on the late 1990s, Forgotten Heroes of Comedy will finally elevate them to the Hall of Fame where they belong. Forgotten, no longer.

• Joe Baker UK
• Eric Barker UK
• Alfie Bass UK
• Michael Bates India (to English parents)
• David Battley UK
• Michael Bentine UK
• Harold Berens UK
• Wilie Best USA
• Alec Bregonzi UK
• Michael Ward UK
• Douglas Byng UK
• Marti Caine UK
• Esma Cannon Australia (but moved to UK)
• Patrick Cargill UK
• Jimmy Clitheroe UK
• Danny Ross UK
• Billy Dainty UK
• Janet Davies UK
• Florence Desmond UK
• Jerry Desmonde UK
• Eddie Leslie UK
• Maidie Dickson UK
• Charlie Drake UK
• Jimmy Edwards UK
• Gus Elen UK
• Ray Ellington UK
• Dick Emery UK
• Pierre Etaix France
• Barry Evans UK
• Mario Fabrizi UK
• Doug Fisher UK
• Ronald Frankau UK
• Leslie Fuller UK
• Dustin Gee UK
• Peter Glaze UK
• Tommy Godfrey UK
• Harry Locke UK
• Ken Goodwin UK
• Bernard Gorcey Russia (died USA)
• Bert Gordon USA
• Monsewer' Eddie Gray UK
• Raymond Griffith USA
• Deryck Guyler UK
• Brian Hall UK
• Lloyd Hamilton USA
• Arthur Haynes UK
• Richard Hearne UK
• Dickie Henderson UK
• Gerard Hoffnung Germany (died UK)
• Shemp Howard USA
• Nat Jackley UK
• Rex Jameson UK
• Spike Jones USA
• John Junkin UK
• Dave King UK
• Roy Kinnear UK
• Dennis Kirkland UK
• Patsy Knox USA
• Debbie Linden UK
• Hugh Lloyd UK
• Malcolm McFee UK
• Moore Marriott UK
• Graham Moffatt UK
• Ray Martine UK
• Zeppo Marx USA
• Glenn Melvyn UK
• Eric Merriman UK
• Christopher Mitchell UK
• Albert Modley UK
• Robert Moreton UK
• Gladys Morgan UK
• Lily Morris UK
• Richard Murdoch UK
• Tom E. Murray USA
• David Nixon UK
• Larry Noble UK
• Ole Olsen USA
• Chic Johnson USA
• Ken Platt UK
• Sandy Powell UK
• Vince Powell UK
• Hovis Presley UK
• Cardew Robinson UK
• Joe E. Ross USA
• Patsy Rowlands UK
• Derek Roy UK
• Derek Royle UK
• Leslie Sarony UK
• Larry Semon USA
• Ronald Shiner UK
• Johnnie Silver USA
• Dennis Spicer UK
• Larry Stephens UK
• Jake Thackray UK
• Thelma Todd USA
• Jack Train UK
• Karl Valentin Germany
• Liesl Karlstadt Germany
• Norman Vaughan UK
• Tom Walls UK
• Ralph Lynn UK
• Elsie and Doris Waters UK
• Rita Webb UK
• John Wells UK
• George and Kenneth Western UK
• Gordon Wharmby UK
• Bert Wheeler USA
• Robert Woolsey USA
• Albert Whelan Australia (died UK)
• Robb Wilton UK
• Mike and Bernie Winters UK
• Georgie Wood UK
• Dolly Harmer UK
• Harry Worth UK
• Mario Zampi Italy (died UK)