Britain had the biggest empire the world has ever known. At one time a quarter of the global land mass was British. Over a third of the world was insured at Lloyds. At his coronation, more than 400 million people saluted George V. Truly, the sun never set on this historical phenomenon. Whatever the day, whatever the hour, somewhere on the globe, th...

Following the first highly successful release of episodes from the runaway Radio 4 hit, four episodes from the second series are released here. Once again Jon Culshaw, Kate Robbins and fellow impersonators ransack the worlds of politics and broadcasting in the name of comedy. Popular favourites such as 'Brian Perkins', 'The Doctor', 'Alan Bennett',...

Winner of a Silver Award for best Non-Fiction at the Spoken Word Awards 2005 Michael Palin reads his own entertainingly written account of his journey accross the countries of the Himalayas, accompanying a major BBC TV series in 2004. In his most challenging journey to date, Palin tackles the Himalayas, the greatest mountain range on earth. I...

With the Rolling Stones, Keith Richards created the riffs, the lyrics and the songs that roused the world. Over four decades, he lived the original rock and roll life: taking the chances he wanted, speaking his mind, and making it all work in a way that no one before him had ever done. Now, at last, the man himself tells us the story of life in the...

Dawn French invites us into her most personal relationships with, among others, her mum and dad, her husband, her daughter and her friend, Jennifer. Dawn reveals the people, experiences and obsessions that have influenced her and that helped shape her comedy creations - including dogs, grandmas, teenage angst, school, stealing and David Cassidy. Sh...

The award-winning story of Britain, from the arrival of Julius Caesar in 55BC to the death of Queen Victoria in 1901. 'Wonderful This Sceptred Isle has provided one of the greatest treats for listeners in recent years.' Paul Donovan, Sunday Times. William the Conqueror famously acquired for himself the throne of England but there were to be many st...

The award-winning story of Britain, from the arrival of Julius Caesar in 55BC to the death of Queen Victoria in 1901. 'Wonderful.This Sceptred Isle has provided one of the greatest treats for listeners in recent years.' Paul Donovan, Sunday Times. King Edward the Third was only fourteen years old when he succeeded to the throne of England in 1327....

The award-winning story of Britain, from the arrival of Julius Caesar in 55BC to the death of Queen Victoria in 1901. 'Wonderful.This Sceptred Isle has provided one of the greatest treats for listeners in recent years.' Paul Donovan, Sunday Times. The story of Britain, from the arrival of Julius Caesar in 55BC to the death of Queen Victoria in 1901...

The award-winning story of Britain, from the arrival of Julius Caesar in 55BC to the death of Queen Victoria in 1901. 'Wonderful.This Sceptred Isle has provided one of the greatest treats for listeners in recent years.' Paul Donovan, Sunday Times. After the death of Oliver Crowmwell, the Protectorate collapsed and parliament voted for the return of...

The award-winning story of Britain, from the arrival of Julius Caesar in 55BC to the death of Queen Victoria in 1901. 'Wonderful.This Sceptred Isle has provided one of the greatest treats for listeners in recent years.' Paul Donovan, Sunday Times. Britain was at the egde of the known world when, under the Emperor Claudius, the Romans brought to the...

It's back, the show they didn't dare call King Stupid Series 2! A new presenter, new panellists, new title, new timeslot, new silly games and more jokes than ever in the show Robert Hanks in The Independent called "a brilliant panel game" and Tracey MacLeod in Night & Day called "genuinely brilliant". The producers are David Tyler and Sarah Smi...

It's back! the Radio Four panel game that's not about sport, music, television, advertising, books, hats or gardening. Just funny rounds with funny ideas. Here are some quotes from last year's series: "The laughter that's worth every penny" Simon Garfield in The Mail On Sunday. "A hugely enjoyable addition to the comedy panel game genre" Heat magaz...

We discover than "no" can mean "yes". And why you should never mess with Mr. In Between...

A BBC Radio 4 "Book at Bedtime" recording of Samuel West reading from the novella The Aspern Papers by Henry James, set against the decaying grandeur of Venice. Originally broadcast 26 April - 4 May 2010. Henry James took as inspiration for his tale The Aspern Papers the story of a mistress of Byron's who outlived the poet into lonely old age. H...

First-hand accounts featuring the RAF pilots who took part in the Battle of Britain - one of the chief turning points of World War Two. "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few" - Winston Churchill The "Few" were the nearly 3,000 RAF pilots who fought against the Luftwaffe in the Battle of Britain, which rag...

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...

Few can forget where they were twenty years ago when they first heard Jeremy Hardy Speaks to the Nation. The show was an immediate smash-hit success, causing pubs to empty on a Saturday night, which was particularly astonishing since the show went out on Thursdays. Since that fateful first series, the show has gone on to win Sony awards, Writers Gu...

Few can forget where they were twenty years ago when they first heard Jeremy Hardy Speaks to the Nation. The show was an immediate smash-hit success, causing pubs to empty on a Saturday night, which was particularly astonishing since the show went out on Thursdays. Since that fateful first series, the show has gone on to win Sony awards, Writers Gu...

Few can forget where they were twenty years ago when they first heard Jeremy Hardy Speaks to the Nation. The show was an immediate smash-hit success, causing pubs to empty on a Saturday night, which was particularly astonishing since the show went out on Thursdays. Since that fateful first series, the show has gone on to win Sony awards, Writers Gu...

She came, she saw, she criticised. Yes, this is the complete 4-part series where Jo Caulfield, 'the funniest female stand-up on Radio 4' presents her glorious mixture of bitchy friendliness, waspish likeability and foot-in-mouth populism - but always with charm. In the series, Jo is, as ever, failing to Shut Up about - love, marriage, dating, celeb...

The Squire of Knotty Ash waves his tickling stickin these four inimitable BBC radio episodes. Welcome to Doddy's world of whimsy, where the puns fly thick and fast, and the quips are as surreal as they are saucy. With mirth-quaking jokes and a juggernaut of japes, Ken Dodd gives us his own unique take on topics as diverse as the European Union, spo...