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.
Author: Lee Child
Author Lee Child
Narrator Jeff Harding
Duration 1h 18m
In his first work of nonfiction, the creator of the multimillion-selling Jack Reacher series explores the endurance of heroes from Achilles to Bond, showing us how this age-old myth is a fundamental part of what makes us human. He demonstrates how hero stories continue to shape our world - arguing that we need them now more than ever. From the Ston...
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Author: Rick Atkinson
Author Rick Atkinson
Narrator Jason Culp
Duration 3h 43m
Adapted for young readers from the #1 New York Times-bestselling The Guns at Last Light, D-Day captures the events and the spirit of that day-June 6, 1944-the day that led to the liberation of western Europe from Nazi Germany's control. They came by sea and by sky to reclaim freedom from the occupying Germans, turning the tide of World War II. Atki...
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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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Eyewitness: A History of the Twentieth Century In Sound 1960-1969
Author: Joanna Bourke
Author Joanna Bourke
Narrator Tim Piggott-Smith
Duration 4h 35m
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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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: Robert Harris
Author Robert Harris
Narrator David Rintoul
Duration 12h 54m
Random House presents the audiobook edition of Selling Hitler by Robert Harris, read by David Rintoul. Spring 1983: it seemed that one of the most startling discoveries of the century had been made, and that one of the world's most sought after documents had finally come to light - the private diaries of Adolf Hitler.What followed was a fiasco of...
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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 - the BBC At War 1938-1945
Author: Joanna Bourke
Author Joanna Bourke
Narrator Tim Piggott-Smith
Duration 58m
A special compliation from Eyewitness, a unique history of Britain in the 20th Century, wirtten by Joanna Bourke and narrated 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. Published in ten volumes, Eyewitness examines the life of the British peop...
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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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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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