In Our Time: The companion to the Radio 4 series

Description

Melvyn Bragg's In Our Time series regularly enlightens and entertains substantial audiences on UK BBC. For this book he has selected episodes which reflect the diversity of the radio programmes, and takes us on an amazing tour through the history of ideas, from philosophy, physics and history to religion, literature and biology. We can discover the reasons for the fall of the Byzantine empire, and why women were persecuted as witches in the seventeenth century. What shape is the origin of life? Where does our calendar come from? We can unearth the influence of prime numbers, Socrates and Tectonic plates. Melvyn Bragg orchestrates the ideas of leading academics in each field so that the dynamic and lively discussion from the programmes comes through vividly on the page. IN OUR TIME brings to life the signposts of history, the moments that significantly changed the world as we know it, and the individuals and ideas that made us what we are today.

Melvyn Bragg has written several works of non-fiction (as well as his bestselling novels): ON GIANTS SHOULDERS, based on his UK BBC radio series, 12 BOOKS THAT CHANGED THE WORLD, and THE ADVENTURE OF ENGLISH. He is President of the National Campaign for the Arts and Mind, and in 1998 he was made a life peer. He lives in London and Cumbria.

IN OUR TIME's success derives in part from the interested public having Melvyn Bragg in their corner... his lack of intellectual vanity is impress, but so is his grasp of the subjects at hand. - Times Literary Supplement These transcripts select a treasure-trove of discussions from a decade of the Radio 4 jewel. - the Independent 'The best programme on Radio 4 is In Our Time...it informs, educates and entertains'. - Sunday Telegraph Melvyn Bragg's matchless colloquies on Radio 4 - Stephen Fry The best programme coming out of the entire corporation these days - David Sexton, Sunday Telegraph Melvyn Bragg's consistently superb In Our Time - John Banville What might be the best radio programme ever - Oliver Burkeman, Guardian Bragg's excellent radio programmes on the subject ....are the basis of this history of English over the past 1,500 years. - Guardian on The Adventure of English