AuthorJoanna Bourke
NarratorTim Piggott-Smith
Duration4h 58m
CategoriesAdult Non-Fiction, History
Key StageA Level
PublisherBBC Audiobooks
VersionUnabridged
Authentic voices from the past illustrate this unique history of the Twentieth Century, written by Joanna Bourke and presented by Tim Pigott-Smith. Eyewitness provides a rare and fascinating opportunity to hear the events of the century described by those who saw them happen. A wealth of BBC archive recordings, some never previously broadcast, is interwoven with an illuminating commentary by the historian Joanna Bourke. Published in ten volumes, Eyewitness examines the role and the life of the British people in each decade of the century. Conflict in many forms characterised the 1980s: war in the South Atlantic, the miners' strike, social unrest and political polarisation. By 1981, unemployment had escalated dramatically and Margaret Thatcher's popularity had plummeted. Victory in the Falklands revived Tory fortunes, but the fact that the Labour Party had rendered itself unelectable also helped. By the 1987 election, although Neil Kinnock had dealt with the hard left, it was not enough to dent Thatcher's majority. Conservative hegemony was assured for the rest of the decade. Solutions to the Northern Ireland situation remained as elusive as ever. The IRA's Brighton bomb nearly wiped out Thatcher and her cabinet, and stunned the public. But throughout these years, there were moments of celebration. Prince Charles married Lady Diana Spencer in July 1981, and England won the Ashes that summer. The decade ended on a note of hope: reform in the Soviet union spread outwards and in 1989 the Berlin Wall fell. The Cold War was over. Bystanders, broadcasters and politicians describe these events and many others. History is heard in the making - for example with the Argentinean storming of the Falklands Broadcasting Station. While the 1980s are too close for a true historical perspective, what emerges here is that this decade was one of the most confrontational periods of the century. Thought-provoking and moving, these are the voices of the past, speaking to the present.
Summary of Alexander Hamilton By Ron Chernow
Author: Publishing Readtrepeneur
Author Publishing Readtrepeneur
Narrator Peter Prova
Duration 1h
Disclaimer: This is NOT the original book but an unofficial summary. Alexander Hamilton was a man that came from nothing, but changed the world over the years. From an immigrant to an influential and significant figure in American history, he shaped the newborn America and gave it the order andprosperity it has today. Nobody has done a better jo...
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Author: Emma Dabiri
Author Emma Dabiri
Narrator Emma Dabiri
Duration 7h 43m
Straightened. Stigmatised. 'Tamed'. Celebrated. Erased. Managed. Appropriated. Forever misunderstood. Black hair is never 'just hair'. This book is about why black hair matters and how it can be viewed as a blueprint for decolonisation. Emma Dabiri takes us from pre-colonial Africa, through the Harlem Renaissance, Black Power and on to today's Natu...
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Eyewitness: A History of the Twentieth Century In Sound 1920-1929
Author: BBC Audiobooks
Author BBC Audiobooks
Narrator Tim Piggott-Smith
Duration 3h 39m
Tim Pigott-Smith presents a unique audio snapshot of the history of the Twentieth Century. Released in ten volumes, Eyewitness provides a rare opportunity to hear the history of the 20th century described by those who were actually there. Tim Pigott-Smith weaves together fascinating reminiscences taken from the BBC archives - many previously unbroa...
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Eyewitness: A History of the Twentieth Century In Sound 1930-1939
Author: BBC Audiobooks
Author BBC Audiobooks
Narrator Tim Piggott-Smith
Duration 4h 53m
Eyewitness provides a rare and fascinating opportunity to hear the events of the century described by those who saw them happen. A wealth of BBC archive recordings, some never previously broadcast, is interwoven with an illuminating commentary by the historian Joanna Bourke. Published in ten volumes, Eyewitness examines the role and the life of the...
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Author: Virginia Nicholson
Author Virginia Nicholson
Narrator Various
Duration 19h 59m
The unabridged, downloadable audiobook edition of Virginia Nicholson's Millions Like Us: Women's Lives in the Second World War. A special multi-voice recording featuring five actresses that bring to life the hundreds of personal testimonies, diary entries and books that make up this superb study. Read by Patience Tomlinson, Annie Aldington, Rachel...
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Eyewitness: A History of the Twentieth Century In Sound 1950-1959
Author: Joanna Bourke
Author Joanna Bourke
Narrator Tim Piggott-Smith
Duration 4h 37m
Authentic voices from the past illustrate this unique history of the twentieth century, written by Joanna Bourke and presented by Tim Pigott-Smith. Eyewitness provides a rare and fascinating opportunity to hear the events of the century described by those who saw them happen. A wealth of BBC archive recordings, some never previously broadcast, is i...
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Author: David George Haskell
Author David George Haskell
Narrator The Author, Cassandra Campbell
Duration 10h 26m
David Haskell's award-winning The Forest Unseen won acclaim for eloquent writing and deep engagement with the natural world. Now, Haskell brings his powers of observation to the biological networks that surround all species, including humans. Haskell repeatedly visits a dozen trees around the world, exploring the trees' connections with webs of fun...
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Theodore Roosevelt For the Defense
Author: Dan Abrams
Author Dan Abrams
Narrator Dan Abrams
Duration 12h 4m
"No more dramatic courtroom scene has ever been enacted," reported the Syracuse Herald on May 22, 1915 as it covered "the greatest libel suit in history," a battle fought between former President Theodore Roosevelt and the leader of the Republican party. Roosevelt , the boisterous and mostly beloved legendary American hero, had accused his former f...
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Author: Walter Isaacson
Author Walter Isaacson
Narrator Alfred Molina
Duration 17h 1m
Read by acclaimed actor Alfred Molina, star of The Da Vinci Code, An Education and Chocolat, this is the definitive biography of Leonardo Da Vinci. Based on thousands of pages from Leonardo's astonishing notebooks and new discoveries about his life and work, Walter Isaacson weaves a narrative that connects his art to his science. He shows how Leona...
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Summary of Grant By Ron Chernow
Author: Abbey Beathan
Author Abbey Beathan
Narrator Peter Prova
Duration 2h 55m
Disclaimer: This is NOT the original book. The life and work of the magnificent general and President Ulysses Grant. Ulysses Grant must be one of the most misunderstood characters of United States' history. The majority of people have a polarized but incorrect impression of him as a loser and a bad businessman or as the triumphant but vicious gener...
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