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Audiobooks everyone should listen to, as chosen by our readers

Prokofiev’s modern classic retold by Sir David Attenborough

Peter and the Wolf

Prokofiev's timeless classic, brought to you by Sir David Attenborough and the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Yan Pascal Tortelier. 
 
"If a wolf should come out of the forest, then what would you do?" 
 
These are the words of Peter's grandfather from Prokofiev's much loved musical fairy tale, Peter and the Wolf, which here is wonderfully narrated by Sir David Attenborough. This story introduces children to the magic of an orchestra through the tale of a clever young boy who, with the help of some animal friends, outwits a very hungry wolf. 
 
Wolf stories are common in folk and fairy tales. Shepherd boys who cry wolf; children who foolishly trust wolves; wolves in sheep's clothing. Many of the earliest stories about boys and wolves are found in Aesop's fables, and it is likely that this was Prokofiev's source for the story. 
 
Prokofiev was excited to have been asked to compose this piece by Moscow Central Children's Theatre director Natalya Sats, finishing it in just a few short weeks ahead of its Moscow premiere in May 1936. "We must start with something specific, something full of contrasts, something that makes a strong impression," he told her. "The most important thing is to find a common language with the children." 
 
Prokofiev had a lifelong love of fairy stories, myths and folklore and threw himself into the fantasy world of Peter and the Wolf. It has been recorded over 400 times, with a variety of narrators, and has introduced millions of children to the wonders of classical music. 
 
First broadcast December 2000. 
Narrated by Sir David Attenborough. 
Performed by the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra. 
Conducted by Yan Pascal Tortelier. 
Composed by Sergei Prokofiev. 
 
©2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

David Attenborough (Author) 
Sir David Attenborough is Britain's best-known natural history film-maker. His career as a naturalist and broadcaster has spanned nearly six decades. 
 
His first job - after Cambridge University and two years in the Royal Navy - was at a London publishing house. Then in 1952 he joined the BBC as a trainee producer, and it was while working on the Zoo Quest series (1954-64) that he had his first opportunity to undertake expeditions to remote parts of the globe, to capture intimate footage of rare wildlife in its natural habitat. 
 
He was Controller of BBC2 (1965-68), during which time he introduced colour television to Britain, then Director of Programmes for the BBC (1969-1972). However, in 1973 he abandoned administration altogether to return to documentary-making and writing, and has established himself as the world's leading Natural History programme maker with several landmark BBC series, including Life on Earth (1979), The Living Planet (1984), The Trials of Life (1990), The Private Life of Plants (1995), Life of Birds (1998), The Blue Planet (2001), Life of Mammals (2002), Planet Earth (2006) and Life in Cold Blood (2008). 
 
Sir David was knighted in 1985, is an Honorary Fellow of Clare College, Cambridge, and a Fellow of the Royal Society, and stands at the forefront of issues concerning the planet's declining species and conservation.

The Complete Collection

David Attenborough's Life Stories

Collected together for the very first time, this is the complete Series 1 and 2 of Life Stories, written and presented by Sir David Attenborough. 
 
One of the nation's most popular presenters, Sir David examines 40 marvels of the natural world from his extraordinary and pioneering experiences. 
 
What was Sir David's first pet? Which animal would he most like to be? How did he track down a giant earthworm? Why does he respect rats? And what did he do when confronted by a ten-foot-long reptile? 
 
His enthusiasm is as infectious as ever, and conveys a unique fascination on topics as diverse as the sloth, monstrous flowers, the platypus, dragons, the fire salamander, the coelacanth, the dodo, bird's-nest soup and the large blue butterfly. So listen to these stories to find out the real reason why animals sing, the story behind a 150-million-year-old feather, and what it is about snakes that really unnerves Sir David. 
 
©2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The BBC Collection

David Attenborough: The Early Years Collection

David Attenborough, Britain’s voice of natural history, narrates his early adventures in Indonesia, New Guinea and Northern Australia

David Attenborough, Britain’s voice of natural history, narrates his early adventures in Indonesia, New Guinea and Northern Australia. 
 
David Attenborough first appeared in front of a television camera in the 1950s when, together with London Zoo's Curator of Reptiles, Jack Lester, he persuaded the BBC to mount and film an animal-collecting expedition. The result was Zoo Quest. Specially recorded for audio, David Attenborough’s early adventures are sometimes life-threatening, often hilarious and always totally absorbing. The warmth and enthusiasm that have made him a broadcasting legend are instantly apparent here as he recounts this magical journey. 
 
This collection includes three volumes from Attenborough’s chronicles of his early expeditions: 
 
In Zoo Quest For A Dragon, Attenborough tells of the crew’s hazardous boat trip with a gun-smuggling captain and the terror of erupting volcanoes. He also depicts for the listener some of the incredible sights he and his team witnessed – breathtaking butterflies, taking tea with Charlie the orang-utan and the the voyage to the little-known island of Komodo to capture the elusive Komodo Dragon. 
 
Quest in Paradise describes his next animal collecting and filming trip to New Guinea, home of the exotic Birds of Paradise. David tells of his adventures during the trip: being an onlooker at a formal lovemaking ceremony, seeing the skills of ritual axe making, trying to master pidgin English and witnessing a ‘sing sing’ at which hundreds of tribesmen came together from all parts of the country. 
 
In Quest Under Capricorn, David Attenborough ventured to the Northern Territory of Australia. In his first expedition to the other side of the world, he meets Aborigines, goes walkabout in the bush, and learns the craft of the artists of Arnhem Land. 
 
Also included is David Attenborough In His Own Words, a collection of interviews taken from the BBC radio and TV archives.

Life on Air

The iconic broadcasting memoirs of David Attenborough, the world's leading Natural History programme-maker - fully revised and updated

There isn’t a single false note....Attenborough’s familiar voice comes through in every line.

It’s almost impossible to believe that all these things happened to one man… But David Attenborough wears his achievements lightly and there as many laughs here as there are animals.

An enthralling autobiography from one of the linchpins of television… Attenborough is a master story-teller, and his book is crammed with anecdotes.

Sir David Attenborough is Britain's best-known natural history film-maker. His career as a naturalist and broadcaster has spanned nearly seven decades. 
 
His first job - after Cambridge University and two years in the Royal Navy - was at a London publishing house. Then in 1952 he joined the BBC as a trainee producer, and it was while working on the Zoo Quest series (1954-64) that he had his first opportunity to undertake expeditions to remote parts of the globe, to capture intimate footage of rare wildlife in its natural habitat. 
 
He was Controller of BBC 2 (1965-68), during which time he introduced colour television to Britain, then Director of Programmes for BBC Television (1969-1972). In 1973 he abandoned administration altogether to return to documentary-making and writing, and has established himself as the world's leading Natural History programme maker with several 
landmark BBC series, includingLife on Earth (1979), The Living Planet (1984), The Trials 
of Life (1990), The Private Life of Plants (1995), Life of Birds (1998),The Blue Planet (2001),Life of Mammals (2002),Planet Earth (2006) and Life in Cold Blood (2008). 
 
Sir David was knighted in 1985 and received the Order of Merit in 2005. He is a fellow of the Royal Society, and stands at the forefront of issues concerning the planet's declining species and conservation.

David Attenborough is one of the most influential and admired figures in English television. When 26, he applied for a job in the BBC – which then meant radio – and was promptly turned down. But someone saw his rejected application and asked, would he like to try television? He would, and sixty years later, he is still at it. Elegantly told, often very funny, here is his story. 
 
At home there is his rise to controlling BBC2, introducing colour television to Britain, encounters with Montgomery, Anthony Eden, singers, athletes, explorers, the Queen, Benjamin Britten. Abroad there are people just as remarkable, journeys up tropical rivers, to the interior of New Guinea or the Australian outback, dragons, birds of paradise, flying snakes and walls of cockroaches. 
 
Now updated to cover his work since 2009, Life on Air is a remarkable account of David Attenborough’s passion for the natural world and his lifelong quest to understand it. .

David Attenborough In His Own Words

A unique audio portrait of Sir David Attenborough, Britain's best-known natural history film-maker.

David Attenborough discusses his life and achievements in this collection of BBC radio and TV interviews: Parkinson (broadcast on BBC One, 2th December 1975, featuring Michael Parkinson), Profile (broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 1st July 1976, featuring Kathleen Cheesmond), Desert Island Discs (broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 1th March 1979, featuring Roy Plomley), Desert Island Discs (broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 25th December 1998, featuring Sue Lawley), Mark Lawson Talks To David Attenborough (broadcast on BBC Four, 27th February 2005, featuring Mark Lawson), Front Row (broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 26th October 2011, featuring Mark Lawson) and Desert Island Discs (broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 29th January 2012, featuring Kirsty Young). 
 
©2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

a fascinating audio history of the much-loved natural history film-maker.

David Attenborough New Life Stories

The complete second BBC Radio 4 series written and presented by Sir David Attenborough featuring all 20 episodes about some of the strangest insects and creatures from around the world.

One of the nation’s most popular presenters examines twenty marvels of the natural world from his extraordinary and pioneering experiences. How did Sir David track down a giant Earthworm? Why does he respect Rats? What was the first bribe in nature? Why do well known foods often have two names? And where can you see evidence of the earliest life on Earth? His enthusiasm is as infectious as ever, and conveys a unique fascination on topics as diverse as the Kiwi, Hummingbirds, Monsters, Butterflies, Chimps, Cuckoos, Fireflies and Elsa, the famous lioness. So listen to these stories to find out why Rats should be respected and which insects emerge from the ground only once every 17 years. Includes detailed programme notes inside the booklet. 
 
3 CDs. 3 hrs 15 mins.

David Attenborough Life On Air: Memoirs Of A Broadcaster

David Attenborough reads his revised and updated edition of the Sunday Times bestseller, the fascinating account of his life as a presenter and natural history programme-maker

David Attenborough reads his own bestselling memoir 
 
'An enthralling autobiography from one of the linchpins of television' Good Book Guide 
 
David Attenborough is the acknowledged voice of nature, loved and revered worldwide for his groundbreaking wildlife documentaries. Over the course of his long BBC career, David has risen from trainee producer to award-winning film-maker, and in Life on Air, he tells the extraordinary stories of the people and animals he has met along the way. 
 
We hear of his earliest days in television; his stint as Controller of BBC2, during which he introduced colour TV to Britain; and his encounters with luminaries such as Montgomery, Anthony Eden, Benjamin Britten and the Queen. Here, too, are tales of his travels to some of the most far-flung corners of the globe, including New Guinea, Borneo, Paraguay and the Australian outback, and the rare creatures he captures on film: from the exotic birds of paradise and the elusive Indri lemurs to the endangered Komodo dragon. 
 
Featuring behind-the-scenes accounts of the making of his landmark natural history series, beginning with the pioneering Zoo Quest and concluding with Life in Cold Blood, this wonderful memoir - read by David Attenborough himself - recounts the highlights of a remarkable life in broadcasting. 
 
Production credits 
Read by David Attenborough 
 
© 2010 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2010 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd.

What shines through most of all is his enthusiasm

David Attenborough wears his achievements lightly and there as many laughs here as there are animals

David Attenborough reads his own bestselling memoir 
 
'An enthralling autobiography from one of the linchpins of television' Good Book Guide 
 
David Attenborough is the acknowledged voice of nature, loved and revered worldwide for his groundbreaking wildlife documentaries. Over the course of his long BBC career, David has risen from trainee producer to award-winning film-maker, and in Life on Air, he tells the extraordinary stories of the people and animals he has met along the way. 
 
We hear of his earliest days in television; his stint as Controller of BBC2, during which he introduced colour TV to Britain; and his encounters with luminaries such as Montgomery, Anthony Eden, Benjamin Britten and the Queen. Here, too, are tales of his travels to some of the most far-flung corners of the globe, including New Guinea, Borneo, Paraguay and the Australian outback, and the rare creatures he captures on film: from the exotic birds of paradise and the elusive Indri lemurs to the endangered Komodo dragon. 
 
Featuring behind-the-scenes accounts of the making of his landmark natural history series, beginning with the pioneering Zoo Quest and concluding with Life in Cold Blood, this wonderful memoir - read by David Attenborough himself - recounts the highlights of a remarkable life in broadcasting. 
 
Production credits 
Read by David Attenborough 
 
© 2010 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2010 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd.

David Attenborough

My Witness Statement and a Vision for the Future

As a young man, I felt I was out there in the wild, experiencing the untouched natural world - but it was an illusion. The tragedy of our time has been happening all around us, barely noticeable from day to day - the loss of our planet's wild places, its biodiversity. 
 
I have been witness to this decline. A Life on Our Planet contains my witness statement, and my vision for the future - the story of how we came to make this, our greatest mistake, and how, if we act now, we can yet put it right.

David Attenborough

Books by David Attenborough

Articles featuring David Attenborough

Celebrating 90 years of Penguin: 16 books that shaped us, as chosen by readers

The Penguin books that challenged our view of the environment

The best books about climate change – and how to fight it

Audiobooks everyone should listen to, as chosen by our readers

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A Life on Our Planet by David Attenborough | Penguin Audiobooks

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