Showing results by publisher "BBC Audio" in Biographies & Memoirs

Since winning the Perrier Best Newcomer Award at the Edinburgh Festival in 1993, Dominic Holland has gone on to become one of the UK’s best loved comedians. He’s worked with Armando Iannucci, Rob Brydon and supported Eddie Izzard on tour. He is also the father of Tom Holland (best known for starring in the blockbuster Spider-man movies) and made the brilliant 2017 Dominic Holland Eclipsed Edinburgh Fringe show out of the experience of being a superhero’s dad.

Meet Anne Lister, the 18th-century landowner, industrialist, explorer, lesbian and feminist icon. This is her story.... Anne was different from society’s expectations of a woman at the time: she not only did not wish to marry, but she also did not want to conform. Anne was interested only in women and had ‘marriage’ ceremonies with Mariana Lawton and later Ann Walker. She spent a great deal of time studying, managed her own estates, sought business opportunities, travelled widely and climbed mountains.

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss 25 scientific pioneers who have shaped the development of science over 500 years.

In this fascinating collection of interviews from the BBC radio and TV archive, John Betjeman (Poet Laureate 1972) talks about his life and career as one of the foremost poets of the 20th century.

In The People's War, John Willis unearths untold stories of everyday bravery, moments of terror, and tales of life-affirming community, that guide us through the years of the Second World War. From soldiers in North Africa and prisoners of war in East Asia, to evacuees in the British countryside and women in the factories, The People's War is a truly ambitious and comprehensive journey through a devastating and pivotal period of our history, as you've never read before.

A special compilation of highlights from cuddly Ken’s television and radio shows.

Kenny Everett was one of radio’s great innovators, the funniest DJ of our time and a one-off whose madcap comedy burst the boundaries of broadcasting. Introduced and presented by Barry Cryer, this recording features the definitive Kenny Everett: the jokes, the jingles and the high-jinks, the interviews, the comic characters – and some naughty bits.

John Peel Remembered includes the Radio 4 Book of the Week serialisation of Margrave of the Marshes, Peel's part-written autobiography completed by his wife, Sheila Ravenscroft. Also included is a Home Truths Special programme to mark the anniversary of John Peel's death, in which Tom Robinson visits Peel Acres to meet John's wife and their four children.

In more than 500 episodes of Parkinson between 1971 and 1982, Michael Parkinson interviewed some of the greatest show-business talents. In his interview with The Goons, Peter Sellers and Harry Secombe remember their "love/hate; let's get one over the BBC" relationship. Spike Milligan joins them from his sick bed in Australia. Amid the hilarity, the authentic voice of Peter Sellers emerges, as he talks about his childhood, early career, and achievements.

For 20 years, Great Lives has been a linchpin of Radio 4, presented by Joan Bakewell, Humphrey Carpenter, Francine Stock and Matthew Parris. In it, a household name is invited to choose one of their heroes to discuss with the presenter and a guest expert. But will their chosen person live up to intensive scrutiny, and merit the description of having led a great life? In this special collection, celebrating the programme's 20th anniversary, the very best episodes featuring musicians' lives are collected together.

Sir Laurence Olivier, Lord Mountbatten, and Joyce Carey are just some of the voices heard paying tribute to the elegant star in this audio biography, which is linked by the broadcaster and critic Sheridan Morley.

Extracts from interviews with Coward himself, several of his songs and moments from his plays come together to form a fascinating picture of one of the 20th century's theatre greats.

Historian Sunil Khilnani, Professor of History and Politics at Ashoka University, takes listeners on an immersive, whirlwind journey from ancient India to the 21st century through the life stories of 50 remarkable individuals, exploring their surprising legacies and illuminating both the wonders and the urgent conflicts of India today.

If you Google 'Lemn Sissay', all the results will be about him - he's the only person in the world with that name. But that's not the only thing that makes him unique. In this fascinating series, he mixe

Simon Jones, who played Arthur Dent in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, presents a look back at the life and work of a writer who has captivated the imagination of millions.

Sir Richard Branson is a world-famous entrepreneur and businessman. Here he discusses his life and achievements in a series of interviews from the BBC radio and TV archive.

Adapted and narrated by Caitlin Moran, this brand-new radio adaptation intersperses dramatised scenes from Moran's life (from her teenage years in a crowded council house in Wolverhampton, to setting out as a music journalist, to getting married and having children) with her thoughts on subjects that range from the necessity of big knickers to the experience of giving birth and having an abortion.

In interviews ranging from 1972 to 1989, Roald Dahl talks about writing for children, his medical inventions to aid his ailing son and wife (the actress Patricia Neal) when they were seriously ill and writing his short stories. He also covers his school days, military service, writing for films (including Chitty Chitty Bang Bang) and the link between cruelty and laughter.

George Orwell's classic account of his experiences during the Spanish Civil War, dramatised for radio by Mike Walker. Produced by Kate McAll.

This selection of BBC archive interviews with celebrated footballer George Best begins in the 1970s, when Best is enjoying success at a young age. It continues into the 1980s, by which time he has become a husband and father and has also had to come to terms with his alcoholism. Career and personal highs and lows are discussed, along with recollections of his upbringing and reflections on relationships, drinking and his deep passion for football. Final comments are heard in an interview with Nicky Campbell from 2000.

From Shakespeare and Milton to Alan Moore and Douglas Adams, writers have striven to convey the enormity and wonder of our universe. In this enlightening three-part series, Robin Ince, aided by special guests including his fellow Infinite Monkey Cage presenter Brian Cox, appraises the great communicators past and present, who have captured our imagination and advanced our knowledge.

John Lennon was a world famous and influential singer/songwriter and former member of the Beatles. Here he discusses his life and achievements in a series of interviews from the BBC radio and TV archive.