82ASK

A A Gill

Andrew Swanston read law at Cambridge, but was inspired to write by his lifelong interest in early modern history. His Thomas Hill novels – The King’s Spy, The King’s Exile and The King’s Return – are set against the backdrops of the English Civil War, Cromwell’s Commonwealth and the early Restoration respectively. He is also the author of Waterloo: The Bravest Man and Beautiful Star and Other Stories. His first historical thriller set during the reign of Elizabeth I – Incendium (published in paperback as The Incendium Plot) – introduced readers to the academic, lawyer and intelligencer Dr Christopher Radcliff, whose adventures continue in Chaos. Andrew Swanston lives in Surrey.

A D Swanston

A E Langsford

A G Hopkins

A. J. BAIME is the New York Times best-selling author of The Arsenal of Democracy: FDR, Detroit, and an Epic Quest to Arm an America at War and Go Like Hell: Ford, Ferrari, and Their Battle for Speed and Glory at Le Mans. Both books are in development for major motion pictures. Baime is a longtime regular contributor to the Wall Street Journal, and his articles have also appeared in the New York Times, Popular Science, and Men’s Journal. He lives in Granite Bay, California. Visit him at facebook.com/ajbaime and trumanbook.com.

A J Baime

A J Jacobs

A J P Taylor

Anthony James Pollard is a British medieval historian, specialising in the fifteenth century and in particular the Wars of the Roses. A leading authority in the field, he is profesor emeritus of Teesside University. His books include North-Eastern England during the Wars of the Roses, Richard III and the Princes in theTower, Imagining Robin Hood: the Late Medieval Stories in Historical Context and Warwick the kingmaker: Politics, Power and Fame.

A J Pollard

A J Rochester

A K Benjamin is a clinical neuropsychologist and the author of Let Me Not Be Mad: A Story of Unravelling Minds.

A K Benjamin

A. L. Berridge read English at Oxford, and taught for ten years before moving into television, where her production credits range from period drama and thrillers to long-running soaps. She has written two previous novels, Top Ten besteller Honour and the Sword and In the Name of the King. Into the Valley of Death is her third novel.

A L Berridge

Alison Gaylin's first job was as a reporter for a celebrity tabloid, which sparked a lifelong interest in writing about people committing despicable acts. More than a decade later, she wrote and published her Edgar-nominated first novel, HIDE YOUR EYES. 
 
She's since published nine more books, including the USA Today and international bestselling Brenna Spector suspense series, which has been nominated for the Edgar, Anthony and Thriller awards and won the Shamus award. 
 
She lives in upstate New York with her husband, daughter, cat and dog.

A L Gaylin

A Maxwell-Hyslop

A McArthur

A P Wavell

A.S. Webb is the Sunday Times bestselling author of Daughter of Chaos, the first instalment of The Dark Pantheon Trilogy. She is inspired by stories rooted in history and mythology, that push the boundaries of imagination and urge us to reflect on what it means to be human.

A S Webb

A. A. Dhand is the author of six previous novels, and has been shortlisted for the CWA Steel Dagger Award. His DI Harry Virdee novels are currently being adapted for TV by the BBC. He was raised in Bradford and spent his youth observing the city from behind the counter of a small convenience store. After qualifying as a pharmacist, he worked in London and travelled extensively before returning to Bradford to start his own business and begin writing. The history, diversity and darkness of the city have inspired all his novels. For more information about A. A. Dhand and his books, follow him on X @aadhand, and on Instagram @aa_dhand.

A. A. Dhand

A. A. Gill

A. A. Milne

A. Anatoli

A. B. Poranek grew up sharing her time between Ontario, Canada and rural Poland, and eventually completed a veterinary degree at the Warsaw University of Life Sciences. A lover of mythology and history, she enjoys exploring both in her writing. Her debut novel, Where the Dark Stands Still, an instant New York Times bestseller, is an ode to Poland's folktales, while A Treachery of Swans transports readers to a world inspired by 17th century France.

A. B. Poranek

A. Bradley

Professor A. C. Grayling is Principal of the New College of the Humanities at Northeastern University, London, and a Supernumerary Fellow of St Anne's College, Oxford. He has written and edited over thirty books on philosophy, history, science and current affairs. For several years he wrote columns for the Guardian newspaper and The Times and was the chairman of the 2014 Man Booker Prize.

A. C. Grayling

A.D. Miller is the author of Snowdrops, The Earl of Petticoat Lane and The Faithful Couple. Snowdrops was a bestseller and was shortlisted for many prizes including the Man Booker and the CWA Gold Dagger. It was translated into 25 languages. As Moscow Correspondent of The Economist A.D. Miller has travelled across the former Soviet Union and covered the Orange Revolution in Ukraine; he is now the magazine’s Culture Editor based in London. 
 
admillerbooks.com

A. D. Miller

A. E. Ellis

A. E. W. Mason

A. Humphreys

A. Igoni Barrett was born in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, in 1979 and lives in Lagos. He is a winner of the 2005 BBC World Service short story competition, the recipient of a Chinua Achebe Center Fellowship, a Norman Mailer Center Fellowship, and a Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center Residency. His short story collection, Love is Power, or Something Like That, was published in 2013. In 2014 he was named on the Africa39 list of sub-Saharan African writers under 40. Blackass is his first novel.

A. Igoni Barrett

The short life of A.J.A. Symons (1900-41) was described by his biographer as an intricate and largely harmless confidence trick. His many interests included the collection of musical boxes and rare books as well as the study and practice of forgery; they left him time to edit an anthology of Edwardian verse and compose studies of H.M. Stanley and other notable figures. He is remembered for The Quest for Corvo, one of the most remarkable biographies ever written, and for co-founding the Wine and Food Society.

A. J. A. Symons

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BBC Radio Comedy

Four laughter-filled editions of the long-running and much-loved BBC Radio 4 panel game chaired by Nicholas Parsons 
 
In this selection of episodes, the entertaining players brave enough to employ their wits and ingenuity against both the clock and their competitors are Paul Merton, Julian Clary, Sheila Hancock, Josh Widdicombe, Gyles Brandreth, Fern Britton, Jenny Eclair and Kerry Godliman. 
 
As always, the name of the game is to speak for one minute on a given subject without falling foul of hesitation, repetition or deviation. 
 
Why is Josh known as the Beast of Dartmoor? What is Julian’s morning routine? Does Sheila have a party trick, and when exactly did the last century begin? When should Gyles use the ‘historical present’, and will Fern ever get to tell her story about dinner in Venice? 
 
Fingers on buzzers please, as we play Just a Minute!

Just a Minute: Best of 2019

4 episodes of the much-loved BBC Radio comedy game

Twelve archive editions of the the much-loved BBC Radio 4 panel game chaired by Nicholas Parsons 
 
Having matured like a fine wine for over 50 years, Just a Minute continues to improve with age. A full-bodied, cheeky little number, it’s both sparkling and robust, and ideal for almost every occasion. A few bottles of the finest have been brought up from the cellar for this vintage collection. 
 
In these twelve humorous, enlightening and previously unpublished editions — harvested from between 1972 and 2004 — players once again attempt to speak without hesitation, repetition or deviation from the given subject. Challenges fly thick and fast under the unflappable adjudication of Nicholas Parsons. 
 
Seasoned players Kenneth Williams, Peter Jones, Derek Nimmo, Clement Freudand Paul Merton compete alongside guests including Tim Rice, Sheila Hancock, Michael Palin, Jenny Eclair, Tony Hawks, Ross Noble, Ray Alan, Rob Buckman, Barry Cryer, Wendy Richard, Jeremy Hardy, Richard Stilgoe, Steve Frost, Graham Norton, Liza Tarbuck, Kit Hesketh-Harvey and Julian Clary. 
 
Which players will be allowed time to breathe uninterrupted, as they demonstrate they have the nose for a corking finish? Find out as we play Just a Minute! 
 
Please note: Contains mild innuendo. The humour in these programmes sometimes reflects the era in which they were first broadcast. 
 
 
Episode Guide 
 
26 September 1972 
Featuring Clement Freud, Peter Jones, Derek Nimmo, Kenneth Williams 
10 February 1976 
Featuring Clement Freud, Peter Jones, Michael Palin, Kenneth Williams 
20 February 1979 
Featuring Ray Alan, Peter Jones, Derek Nimmo, Kenneth Williams 
22 January 1980 
Featuring Rob Buckman, Clement Freud, Derek Nimmo, Kenneth Williams 
3 April 1985 
Featuring Barry Cryer, Peter Jones, Tim Rice, Kenneth Williams 
23 February 1991 
Featuring Peter Jones, Tim Rice, Wendy Richard, Richard Stilgoe 
11 February 1995 
Featuring Jeremy Hardy, Tony Hawks, Peter Jones, Derek Nimmo 
1 February 1999 
Featuring Jenny Eclair, Steve Frost, Peter Jones, Tim Rice 
11 March 2002 
Featuring Clement Freud, Sheila Hancock, Paul Merton, Graham Norton 
7 July 2003 
Featuring Clement Freud, Sheila Hancock, Kit Hesketh-Harvey, Paul Merton 
18 August 2003 
Featuring Jenny Eclair, Clement Freud, Tony Hawks, Ross Noble 
16 August 2004 
Featuring Julian Clary, Clement Freud, Paul Merton, Liza Tarbuck

Just a Minute: A Vintage Collection

12 classic episodes of the much-loved BBC Radio comedy game

Douglas Adams

Eoin Colfer

Don't panic! This brand new collector's edition box set contains the only audiobooks you'll ever need on your galactic travels - the complete BBC radio productions of Douglas Adams's legendary saga. Included are: 
 
The two original series, the Primary and Secondary Phases, remastered by Dirk Maggs with vibrant sound and music and including a 55-minute feature programme, Douglas Adams's Guide tothe Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and a fascinating 50-minute interview with Douglas Adams 
 
Extended editions of the Tertiary, Quandary and Quintessential Phases, directed by Dirk Maggs and featuring over 1½ hours of material not heard on BBC Radio 4 
 
The concluding Hexagonal Phase, with a further 50 minutes of extra unbroadcast content 
 
A special bonus disc featuring Douglas Adams's appearance on BBC Radio 4's Bookclub, in which he talks to James Naughtie and a group of readers about comedy, sci-fi, the creation of his characters and his influences 
 
Grab your towel, pour yourself a Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster and get set for over 20 hours of unmissable radio adventure! 
 
Audio updated in 2020.

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy: The Complete Radio Series

Four of the funniest recent episodes from the much-loved BBC Radio 4 panel game chaired by Nicholas Parsons 
 
Among the talented and humorous players in this sparkling quartet are Paul Merton, Gyles Brandreth, Jo Caulfield, Julian Clary, Stephen Fry, Jan Ravens, Rebecca Front, Marcus Brigstocke, Sheila Hancock, Fern Britton and Graham Norton. 
 
Did Nicholas know Boudicca? What dish was to be served after the Royal Wedding? When did Gyles meet Fanny Cradock, and is he really getting married in the morning? What does Sheila know of George Orwell, and what are her views on ripped jeans? Should Paul be challenged for being out of tune? 
 
Answers to these and many more tantalising questions can be answered, without hesitation, deviation or repetition, after listening to this quartet of instalments! 
 
Duration: 2 hours approx.

Just a Minute: Best of 2018

Ten archive editions of the the much-loved BBC Radio 4 panel game plus two very special programmes, chaired by Nicholas Parsons. 
 
Seasons come and go, and years fly by, but Just a Minute has been a constant ray of sunshine on Radio 4 for over 50 years. 
 
Now, in this new collection of programmes, ten previously unpublished editions — from the 1970s to the 2010s — are presented alongside two very special half hours: Just a Minute: 50 Years in 28 Minutes and 50 Years of Just a Minute: Paul Merton in Conversation with Nicholas Parsons. 
 
Among the many guest performers attempting to speak for 60 seconds without hesitation, repetition or deviation from the subject are Kenneth Williams, Clement Freud, Derek Nimmo, Peter Jones, Paul Merton, Andrée Melly, Patrick Moore, Kenny Everett, Tim Rice, Wendy Richard, Richard Murdoch, Jenny Eclair, Kit Hesketh-Harvey, Stephen Frost, Gyles Brandreth, Sue Perkins and Frank Skinner. 
 
Who will win enough points to take a commanding lead, who will find themselves trailing a little, and who will finish in a strong fourth place? Find out as we play Just a Minute! 
 
1. 12 October 1971: Featuring Clement Freud, Peter Jones, Andrée Melly, Kenneth Williams 
2. 18 April 1978: Featuring Clement Freud, Patrick Moore, Derek Nimmo, Kenneth Williams 
3. 5 February 1980: Featuring Kenny Everett, Clement Freud, Peter Jones, Kenneth Williams 
4. 16 June 1984: Featuring Clement Freud, Peter Jones, Tim Rice, Kenneth Williams 
5. 16 June 1988: Featuring Clement Freud, Derek Nimmo, Wendy Richard, Kenneth Williams 
6. 28 April 1990: Featuring Peter Jones, Paul Merton, Richard Murdoch, Wendy Richard 
7. 2 August 1999: Featuring Jenny Eclair, Stephen Frost, Kit Hesketh-Harvey, Peter Jones 
8. 19 January 2004: Featuring Clement Freud, Paul Merton, Graham Norton, Linda Smith 
9. 9 January 2006: Featuring Clement Freud, Stephen Fry, Paul Merton, Tim Rice 
10. 18 August 2014: Featuring Gyles Brandreth, Paul Merton, Sue Perkins, Frank Skinner 
11. 25 December 2017: Just a Minute: 50 Years in 28 Minutes. Featuring panellists from across the years 
12. 1 January 2018: 50 Years of Just a Minute - Paul Merton in conversation with Nicholas Parsons 
 
Devised by Ian Messiter 
Chaired by Nicholas Parsons 
Episode selection by Michael Stevens 
Music: The Minute Waltz (Waltz in D Flat Major, Op. 64) by Chopin 
 
Duration: 5 hours 50 mins approx. 
 
Please note: The humour in these programmes sometimes reflects the era in which they were first broadcast. Contains strong language and mild innuendo. Due to the archive nature of some of the episodes, sound quality may vary.

Just a Minute: Through the Years

Bridget Christie

The complete first and second series of Bridget Christie’s award-winning series about modern feminism 
 
Comedian Bridget Christie noticed that misogyny, like shiny leggings, has made an unexpected comeback. But did it ever really go away? 
 
Bridget asks why feminism became a dirty word, and whether the modern British woman needs it. From a smell in a well-known bookshop to a pen designed especially for women, she looks at some of the more ridiculous things associated with being a woman. She ponders women's relationship with their bodies via a lap dance, TOWIE and a fish called Michael, asks who has the best sexism in the world, and discusses why twitter is a sexist's natural habitat. She explains what happens when you wear an 'End FGM' badge on a popular TV show, and tries to find a feminist icon who doesn't want to replace the word 'feminism' with 'bootylicious'. 
 
The series’ token man Fred MacAulay helps her remember some of the key incidents which brought her to an epiphany and a call to arms. 
 
Series 1 of Mind the Gap won the Rose D’Or International Broadcasting Award for Best Radio Comedy 2014 and the Chortle Award for Best Radio Series 2014. Series 2 won the Chortle Award for Best Radio Programme 2015.

Bridget Christie Minds the Gap: The Complete Series 1 and 2

Sebastian Baczkiewicz

How did Claudius become the man he is in Shakespeare's Hamlet? What were the real reasons behind the murder of his brother? How does he really feel about his nephew? These questions will be answered in this drama spiced with ghosts, pirates, magic and political skulduggery. 
 
Set in an alternative Europe in the 1930s, Elsinore is a prequel to Shakespeare’s Hamlet. This compelling new drama imagines the turbulence of the Danish court, in a world where Denmark is a powerful, militarised country with a small empire around the Baltic that it is fighting hard to maintain. There is more than a hint of totalitarianism in the air. 
 
In this uneasy setting, Elsinore delves into the troubled, not to say murderous relationship between King Hamlet and his brother Claudius: one of the most interesting characters in the Shakespearean canon. Realism meets with moments of otherworldliness as the story unravels, taking in pirates and magic, rebellion and betrayal. 
 
A dark, exciting drama that touches on the events and people in Shakespeare's play, and brings us to the moment where Hamlet begins. 
 
From the extraordinary imagination of Sebastian Baczkiewicz, writer of the successful Pilgrim series. 
 
Duration: 3 hours approx.

Elsinore: Hamlet. Claudius. The Beginning. The Truth.

A BBC Radio 4 Drama

A 30-part landmark series for BBC Radio 4, written and presented by Neil MacGregor 
 
'The new blockbuster by the museums maestro Neil MacGregor ... The man who chronicles world history through objects is back ... examining a new set of objects to explore the theme of faith in society' Sunday Times 
 
In this major new BBC radio series, Neil MacGregor investigates the role and expression of shared beliefs through time and around the world. 
 
Using specially selected objects from the British Museum and beyond, talking to experts from various disciplines and visiting key locations from the river Ganges to Jerusalem, he examines how rituals and systems of belief have shaped our societies. Looking at communities from the distant past to the present day, both in Europe and worldwide, his focus moves from the beginnings of belief and the elemental worship of fire, water and the sun, through festivals, pilgrimages and sacrifices, to power struggles and political battles between faiths and states. 
 
Among the objects featured are the Lion Man, a small ivory sculpture which is about 40,000 years old; a 16th century ivory and gold qibla, used to find the direction of Mecca; and the Lampedusa Cross, made from pieces of a refugee boat wrecked off the Italian coast in 2013. 
 
Produced by BBC Radio 4 in partnership with the British Museum, this enlightening series explores humanity’s enduring need to believe, belong and connect with the cosmos. 
 
Duration: 6 hours 50 mins.

Living With The Gods

The BBC Radio 4 series

Four sparkling episodes of the much-loved BBC Radio 4 panel game chaired by Nicholas Parsons 
 
One of the longest-running and most popular radio comedy shows of all time, Just a Minute celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2017. 
 
Here are four of the finest episodes from this milestone year, featuring veteran panellist Paul Merton and a host of other regulars including Pam Ayres, Gyles Brandreth, Marcus Brigstocke, Julian Clary, Jenny Eclair, Sheila Hancock, Josie Lawrence and Graham Norton, as well as relative newcomers Tom Allen, Zoe Lyons and Al Murray. 
 
Attempting to talk for sixty seconds without repetition, hesitation or deviation, they are faced with subjects including Anne Boleyn, dust sheets, the tube and pick n’ mix. We hear what Paul Merton considers to be the 8th Wonder of the World, find out what isn’t Gyles Brandreth’s cup of tea, and discover what Jenny Eclair thinks about a dog’s dinner. Plus, there are three uninterrupted minutes: but who scores them, and on what topic? 
 
Presided over by the charming Nicolas Parsons with a stopwatch that takes no prisoners, 
these four shows from Series 77 and 78 are a brilliant collection of the best of 2017. 
 
Duration: 1.5 hours

Just a Minute: Best of 2017

4 episodes of the much-loved BBC Radio 4 comedy game

Four of the funniest recent episodes from the topical comedy show, presented by Miles Jupp 
 
2017 marked the 40th anniversary of The News Quiz, ‘the finest topical comedy panel game known to radio’ and a guaranteed provider of headlines, punchlines and sparkling satirical wit. 
 
These four shows from Series 92 and 93 take a tongue-in-cheek look at current events, with chairman Miles Jupp presiding over a pack of keen newshounds including Jeremy Hardy, Zoe Lyons, Susan Calman, Charlie Higson, Andy Hamilton, Vicki Pepperdine, Helen Lewis, Sarah Kendall, Lucy Porter, Mark Steel, Hugo Rifkind, Rich Hall and Katy Brand. 
 
The panellists find the funny in topics ranging from Donald Trump to Morris dancing, and from by-elections to pie selections, taking in Brexit, Theresa May, Jeremy Corbyn, urban foxes and an unorthodox lifeguard recruitment drive – not to mention the small matter of a UK General Election. To add to the hilarity, newsreaders Alan Smith, Corrie Corfield and Kathy Clugston read a selection of humorous press cuttings contributed by listeners. 
 
So sit back and enjoy the highlights of a news-packed year in the company of some of the best and brightest commentators. 
 
Duration: 2 hours approx.

The News Quiz: The Best of 2017

The topical BBC Radio 4 comedy panel show

Agatha Christie

June Whitfield stars as Miss Marple in eight thrilling full-cast BBC Radio 4 dramatisations. 
 
A Pocket Full of Rye A spate of unusual deaths is linked to the nursery rhyme 'Sing a Song of Sixpence'. 
 
4.50 from Paddington After witnessing a murder on a train, Mrs McGillicuddy calls on Miss Marple. 
 
At Bertram’s Hotel Crime lurks beneath the surface of a respectable Mayfair hotel. 
 
The Body in the Library A mysterious blonde is found murdered in Dolly Bantry’s library. 
 
The Mirror Crack’d from Side to Side At a benefit held at Gossington Hall, harmless Mrs Badcock is fatally poisoned. 
 
A Caribbean Mystery Bored in paradise, Miss Marple finds her interest aroused by an old soldier’s tale. 
 
Murder at the Vicarage Everyone in St Mary Mead detested Colonel Protheroe – but who killed him? 
 
A Murder is Announced A startling entry in a local paper’s personal column leads to a deadly shooting. 
 
These BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisations feature eight of Miss Marple’s most complex and intriguing cases. Based on the original novels by Agatha Christie, they are performed by a stellar cast. 
 
Duration: 16 hours approx.

Marple's Casebook

Classic Drama from the BBC Radio Archives

Harry Venning

The complete tenth series of the Sony Award-winning comedy series - plus a Christmas special 
 
‘The best comedy on radio’ Moira Petty, The Stage 
 
Clare Barker, the social worker with all the politically correct jargon but none of the practical solutions, continues to struggle with her professional and private life in these seven hilarious episodes, which include a special Christmas edition of the show. 
 
In Christmas with Clare Barker, Clare is working through the holidays, and has had enough of the whole seasonal shebang. But will a chance encounter bring back a bit of festive magic? 
 
Series Ten sees Brian going on a fitness kick and joining a men’s group. Clare, meanwhile, gets involved with a TV producer making a documentary about the Sparrowhawk estate; faces some home truths at a family funeral; attempts to co-operate with her estranged sister and intervenes with Nali’s ex-husband. Plus, the Sparrowhawk team work together to overcome a little problem in the office; and hold a leaving do, taking the opportunity to reminisce. 
 
Sally Phillips stars as Clare, with a supporting cast including Alex Lowe as Brian and Nina Conti as Nali/Megan.

Clare in the Community: Series 10

Series 10 & a Christmas special episode of the BBC Radio 4 sitcom

Nicholas Parsons chairs eight episodes of the long-running panel game, first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in Spring 2015. 
 
“Welcome to Just a Minute!” As the Minute Waltz fades away, once again a multitude of players pit their wits against each other as they attempt to talk for sixty seconds on a given subject without hesitation, repetition or deviation from the subject. 
 
So join redoubtable chairman Nicholas Parsons as the panellists - including Paul Merton alongside long-time players and newcomers to the game - use their intellect, imagination, wit and verbal dexterity to beat the clock and win the points in these eight sparklingly funny shows.

Just a Minute: Series 71

All eight episodes of the 71st radio series

John Finnemore

Every episode of the hit BBC Radio 4 airline sitcom is collected together in this special box set, including the Christmas special final episode, and several bonus features. 
 
Cabin Pressure is set in the wing and a prayer world of a tiny, one-plane charter airline, staffed by two pilots - one on his way down, and one who was never up to start with. Whether flying a cat to Abu Dhabi, dealing with a nervous bassoonist, hunting for a cleverly-hidden lemon or attempting to celebrate Christmas in seven minutes, no job is too small, but many, many jobs are too difficult. Carolyn Knapp-Shappey, MJN Air's formidable boss, has employed two of the very cheapest pilots money can buy: Captain Martin Crieff, who's always wanted to fly and won't let a little thing like lack of ability stop him, and First Officer Douglas Richardson, smooth-voiced old sky-god and eternal schemer. Passenger service is provided by the relentlessly cheery Arthur. 
 
Written by John Finnemore, Cabin Pressure stars Stephanie Cole as Carolyn, Benedict Cumberbatch as Martin, Roger Allam as Douglas, and John Finnemore as Arthur. 
 
‘The more I listen to John Finnemore's Cabin Pressure, the more I think what a stonking masterpiece it is. Perfect in every department.’ – Philip Pullman

Cabin Pressure: A-Z

The BBC Radio 4 Airline Sitcom

A major new series from the makers of A History Of The World In 100 Objects, exploring the fascinating and complex history of Germany from the origins of the Holy Roman Empire right up to the present day. Written and presented by Neil MacGregor, it is produced by BBC Radio 4, in partnership with the British Museum. 
 
Whilst Germany’s past is too often seen through the prism of the two World Wars, this series investigates a wider 600-year-old history of the nation through its objects. It examines the key moments that have defined Germany’s past - its great, world-changing achievements and its devastating tragedies - and it explores the profound influence that Germany’s history, culture and inventiveness have had across Europe. 
 
The objects featured in the radio series range from large sculptures to small individual artefacts and items that are prosaic, iconic and symbolic. Each has a story to tell, a memory to invoke.

Germany: Memories of a Nation

Nicholas Parsons chairs four episodes of the long-running panel game. 
 
“Welcome to Just a Minute!” As the Minute Waltz fades away, once again a multitude of players pit their wits against each other as they attempt to talk for sixty seconds on a given subject without hesitation, repetition or deviation from the subject. 
 
In these four episodes, long-time players including Paul Merton, Gyles Brandreth, Jenny Eclair, Sheila Hancock, Graham Norton and Julian Clary are joined by newcomers including Kevin Eldon, Vanessa Feltz, Miles Jupp, Shappi Khorsandi, Patrick Kielty, Joe Lycett, Paul Sinha and Holly Walsh. 
 
Among the subjects tackled are Personal Hygiene in the 10th Century, Mobile phone etiquette, Stonehenge, How to prepare sushi, Soap operas, Crystal Palace and Flying a kite. 
 
So join redoubtable chairman Nicholas Parsons as the panellists use their intellect, imagination, wit and verbal dexterity to beat the clock and win the points in these four sparklingly funny shows. 
 
2 CDs. 1 hr 52 mins.

Just a Minute: The Best of 2014

Four episodes of the BBC Radio 4 comedy panel game

Roger Hargreaves

Mr Funny's car is a shoe! It looks very funny when he drives to the zoo. But can he cheer up the animals? Mr Dizzy always gets things confused, until one day he happens upon a wishing well... Mr Bump tries his hand at many jobs, but keeps getting fired! Will he ever bump into one that's suitable for him? Mr Fussy is a fussy old fusspot who dusts his flowers and irons his shoelaces! So how will he cope with Mr Clumsy? Mr Topsy-Turvy manages to turn a whole town upside down! Mr Small goes job hunting and finds, after all, he's perfect as he is. 
 
1 CD. 44 mins.

Mr Men (Vintage Beeb)

John Barrowman

Carol E. Barrowman

It starts with a series of unexplained events. Earth tremors across the globe. Women being driven insane by their heightened and scrambled senses. And the world is starting to notice - the number one Twitter trend is #realfemmefatales. Governments and scientists are bewildered and silent. The world needs Torchwood, but there's not much of Torchwood left. Captain Jack Harkness has tracked the problem to its source: a village in Peru, where he's uncovered evidence of alien involvement. In Cardiff, Gwen Cooper has discovered something alien and somehow connected to Jack. If the world is to be restored, she has to warn him - but she's quickly becoming a victim of the madness, too... From Torchwood star John Barrowman, and Carole Barrowman, this is an epic thriller that finds Captain Jack and Gwen in a race to save humanity itself. Read by Daniel Pirrie (Doctor Who, Downton Abbey). 
 
7 CDs. 8 hrs 12 mins.

Torchwood: Exodus Code

Mark Morris

Ross Chapman is one of life's losers. So when he survives a point-blank shooting, dons a superhero costume and becomes a crime-busting vigilante, something strange is clearly going on. And Ross's transformation isn't the only odd thing happening in Cardiff. Time is distorting - around the city, some people are aging, dying and decomposing in a matter of minutes, while others are reverting to childhood. Sgt Andy Davidson knows he's out of his depth - so when Jack Harkness sweeps into the police station, he's glad of the help that only Torchwood can provide. But for Jack, the stakes are higher than ever. He's seen a vision of Gwen, dead, murdered by an unknown gunman. And if he can't solve the mystery of Mr Invincible, he can't save her... Written specially for AudioGO by Mark Morris, Mr Invincible is read by Tom Price, who played Sgt Andy Davidson in the hit BBC television series. 
 
1 CD. 1 hr 4 mins.

Torchwood Mr Invincible

Spike Milligan

The Dreaded Batter Pudding Hurler of Bexhill-on-Sea: No fewer than 38 Batter Puddings have been hurled at Minnie Bannister, the world famous poker player. (Give her a good poker and she'll play any tune you like.) A madman is at large so it's time to call in Scotland Yard! The Histories of Pliny the Elder: The mighty Julius Caesar has invaded Ancient Briton, only to be greeted by none other than Eccles. Undeterred, Caesar and the might of the Roman army prepare for battle, while the Britons prepare for a game of football. However, Caracticus Seagoon will never surrender to Rome - he will fight them up the hill and down Mrs Dale. Vintage Beeb: classic albums first available as BBC LPs, now on CD and download for the first time ever. 
 
1 CD. 56 mins.

Goon Show Classics Volume 1 (Vintage Beeb)

David Attenborough

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 New Life Stories

Barry Johnston

John Cleese, Christopher Lee and Michael Parkinson share their passion for cricket with the great broadcaster, Brian Johnston. During the lunch interval on the Saturday of every Test in England, BBC Radio’s ‘Test Match Special’ used to invite a well-known guest into the commentary box for a chat with Brian Johnston about themselves and their passion for cricket. Some turned out to be able cricketers, but they all had stories to tell about matches they had seen and cricketers they had met. Barry Johnston - Brian Johnston’s son - has selected five chats from the series ‘A View from the Boundary’, beginning in 1980 with the playwright Ben Travers, and his vivid recollections of W.G. Grace and other characters from the golden age of cricket. He is followed by Michael Charlton, the political broadcaster and former cricket commentator, who covered the great Australia v West Indies tied Test in 1960, and John Cleese, a lifelong Somerset supporter, who tells some funny stories about ‘Monty Python’ and ‘Fawlty Towers’. Hollywood film star Sir Christopher Lee recalls watching the legendary Jack Hobbs and Don Bradman, and Sir Michael Parkinson talks about opening the batting at Barnsley with Dickie Bird and how he nearly played for Hampshire. Publisher’s note: This recording was taken from part of the cassette release of ‘A View from the Boundary’. 
 
1 CD. 1 hr 15 mins approx.

Johnners' A View From The Boundary Test Match Special

Lou Wakefield

Carole Hayman

When Irene Spencer meets Vera Small at her daughter Lesley’s wedding reception, they embark upon a correspondence that is quite unlike any other in the history of letter-writing. Both Irene and Vera are happily widowed and endowed with errant offspring. They live in a world of church fêtes and amateur dramatics, but love nothing more than dipping their pens in the vitriol pot – while remaining the firmest of pen-pals. Feisty, naughty and endlessly funny, Ladies of Letters provides a hilarious insight into suburban friendships as they really are! ‘Quite honestly as I laid the last letter aside I felt a better person for having glimpsed behind the net curtains of Mrs Small’s and Mrs Spencer’s life.’ - Sue Townsend. 
 
1 CD. 1 hr 30 mins.

Ladies Of Letters

Stephen Moss

Brett Westwood

Most of us can tell the difference between a Blue Tit and a Blackbird or a Robin and a Wren, but what happens if you close your eyes – can you still tell which bird is which simply by listening to their song? If the answer is no, then this practical audio guide to the songs of British garden birds is the easy way to get to know the songs of some of our most popular and best-loved songbirds. Recorded on location in the Somerset Levels, in the garden of birdwatcher, writer and broadcaster Stephen Moss, this helpful and practical guide will quickly enable you to sort out your Blue Tits from your Great Tits and your Hedge Sparrows from your Tree Sparrows. Joining Stephen and presenter Brett Westwood, wildlife sound recordist Chris Watson is armed with an array of microphones that allow us to eavesdrop on the songs, calls and alarm cries of the birds we see around us. Packed with useful information and helpful tips, this guide is for anyone who wants to understand more about the beautiful birds which share our parks and gardens every day. 
 
1 CD. 1 hr 15 mins.

A Guide To British Garden Birds

And Their Songs

Ian Messiter

Just as uproariously funny - and terrifically popular - today as when it first began on BBC Radio 4 in 1967, Just a Minute challenges contestants to speak for one minute on a given subject without repetition, hesitation or deviation. Its mix of irreverent fun and ferocious competition has always attracted stellar names from the world of comedy and theatre, all of whom pit their wits - and their wit - against regular players including Kenneth Williams, Derek Nimmo, Clement Freud and Peter Jones. Nicholas Parsons, who has been at the helm of the series since it began, as chairman and occasionally as player, introduces this sparkling quartet of editions and provides fascinating background information on the game. 
 
2 CDs. 2 hrs.

Just A Classic Minute

Volume 3

Jimmy Perry

David Croft

Diehard Dad's Army fan Phill Jupitus has selected four of his favourite episodes from the sitcom that captured the heart of a nation. As Jupitus says, 'There are episodes here you will be familiar with and some you may never have heard, but what I can promise is that they are all achingly funny.' 'The Man and the Hour' is the first ever episode of the series, in which Mainwaring barks out, 'Come on Adolf, we're ready for you!'; 'My British Buddy' finds Mollie Sugden guest starring as a Walmington inhabitant besotted with the new GIs in town; 'Time on My Hands' finds a German airman snagged by his parachute on the town hall clock; and in 'A Soldier's Farewell' Mainwaring dreams he is Napoleon at Waterloo, with Wilson an elegant Duke of Wellington... Providing stalwart support to the stars are John Laurie, James Beck, Arnold Ridley, Ian Lavender and Bill Pertwee. 
 
2 CDs. 1 hr 53 mins.

Dad's Army: The Very Best Episodes

Volume 1

Richmal Crompton

Described by the Daily Telegraph as ‘the wizard of the talking book’, Martin Jarvis has made the voices of William and his gang of outlaws his own in these marvellous readings. Roar with laughter as the lovable rogue, hampered by the loathsome Violet Elizabeth, wreaks havoc in this hilarious collection. Includes the following stories: 'The Christmas Truce'; 'Only Just in Time'; 'The Midnight Adventure of Miss Montague'; 'William and the Musician'; 'William Leads a Better Life'; 'William and the Twins'; 'William’s Birthday'; 'William and the Little Girl'; 'The Outlaws and Cousin Percy' and 'William and the Princess Goldilocks'. ‘There’s nothing to touch them’ - Independent on Sunday. 
 
2 CDs. 2 hrs 30 mins.

Just William

The year is 1Q84. This is the real world, there is no doubt about that. But in this world, there are two moons in the sky. Discover the 1Q84 Trilogy by Haruki Murakami.

1Q84

365 Days of Art

A BBC Christmas

A Black Book Thriller

A Box Full of Murders

A Cal Leandros Novel

A Christmas Mystery

The intelligent and capable police commissioner Guido Brunetti confronts crime in and around his home town of Venice.

A Commissario Brunetti Mystery

A DC Smith / Kings Lake Investigation Series

A Daisy Story

Chronicling the lives of over three hundred characters, unrivalled for its scope and humour, this is a unique evocation of life in twentieth-century England.

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