The definitive history of Carry On, Britain's largest film franchise, including exclusive interviews with stars including Bernard Cribbins, Angela Douglas and Kenneth Cope.

For the first time, loved ones of some of the films' biggest names on and off screen share their personal memories from this unique filmmaking era - from the gentle capers of the 1950s, through the glorious golden age of the 1960s, to the creative challenges in the years that followed.

This book takes you on a happy walk down memory lane to enjoy Sid James's conspiratorial chuckle, Kenneth Williams' elongated vowels, Charles Hawtrey's bespectacled bashfulness and Barbara Windsor's naughty wiggle, as writer Caroline Frost explores the different ingredients behind their huge appeal.

It all seemed effortless, but Frost sheds new light on just how much talent and hard work went into creating the laughs - and she examines the real-life struggles of the stars who found solace in their tight companionship at Pinewood Studios.

She asks, was Carry On really as sexist, racist and bigoted as critics claim? Three of the female stars explain why they never felt remotely exploited. Plus Frost takes a fresh look at some of the series' biggest titles and argues that, in reality, they were far more progressive than their detractors would have you believe.

Finally, with constant talk about new films, fresh productions and renewed speculation about a brand new era of Carry On, Frost asks - does this ever-popular series still have legs?