What do you think?
Rate this book
In Our Time: Celebrating Twenty Years of Essential Conversation
'Bragg gives short shrift to pretension of any kind, while remaining stalwart in his search for knowledge. His methodology in In Our Time is... not unlike that of a man throwing a stick at a he chucks his questions ahead, and if the chosen academic fails to bring it right back, he chides them. He retains enough of his bluff Cumbrian origins not to be taken in by gambolling and tweedy high spirits.' - Will Self, from a February 2010 issue of London Review of Books
In Our Time has been the cornerstone of broadcasting every Thursday morning on BBC Radio 4 for the past twenty years, with over 800 episodes since its launch in October 1998. Presented by one of Britain’s greatest champions of the arts, Melvyn Bragg , the show explores ideas across history , religion , philosophy , science and culture . With a vast array of contributors from the world of academia, such as Mary Beard , Angie Hobbs and Diarmaid MacCulloch , it is one of Radio 4’s most successful programmes, attracting a weekly live audience exceeding 2 million listeners, and, per episode, it is one of the world’s most downloaded podcasts.
To honour this majoranniversary of BBC broadcasting, this beautifully illustrated book provides a lively and colourful guide to fifty of the most captivating discussions from the past two decades of In Our Time , as chosen by Melvyn and the producer Simon Tillotson and influenced by listeners who have recommended their favourite programmes from those years.
Highlights include ‘ Romulus and Remus ’, ‘ The Death of Elizabeth I ’, ‘ Ada Lovelace ’, ‘ The Gin Craze ’, the ‘ Epic of Gilgamesh ’ and ‘ The Salem Witch Trials ’, and there are additional behind-the-scenes insights, peppered with Melvyn Bragg’s remarks both on and off air. This is a captivating gift for all fans and a celebration of this iconic series.
In Our Time has been the cornerstone of broadcasting every Thursday morning on BBC Radio 4 for the past twenty years, with over 800 episodes since its launch in October 1998. Presented by one of Britain’s greatest champions of the arts, Melvyn Bragg , the show explores ideas across history , religion , philosophy , science and culture . With a vast array of contributors from the world of academia, such as Mary Beard , Angie Hobbs and Diarmaid MacCulloch , it is one of Radio 4’s most successful programmes, attracting a weekly live audience exceeding 2 million listeners, and, per episode, it is one of the world’s most downloaded podcasts.
To honour this majoranniversary of BBC broadcasting, this beautifully illustrated book provides a lively and colourful guide to fifty of the most captivating discussions from the past two decades of In Our Time , as chosen by Melvyn and the producer Simon Tillotson and influenced by listeners who have recommended their favourite programmes from those years.
Highlights include ‘ Romulus and Remus ’, ‘ The Death of Elizabeth I ’, ‘ Ada Lovelace ’, ‘ The Gin Craze ’, the ‘ Epic of Gilgamesh ’ and ‘ The Salem Witch Trials ’, and there are additional behind-the-scenes insights, peppered with Melvyn Bragg’s remarks both on and off air. This is a captivating gift for all fans and a celebration of this iconic series.
352 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 4, 2018
19 people are currently reading
115 people want to read
About the author
Melvyn Bragg
136 books142 followersMelvyn Bragg, Baron Bragg, FRSL, FRTS (born 6 October 1939) is an English author, broadcaster and media personality who, aside from his many literary endeavours, is perhaps most recognised for his work on The South Bank Show.
Bragg is a prolific novelist and writer of non-fiction, and has written a number of television and film screenplays. Some of his early television work was in collaboration with Ken Russell, for whom he wrote the biographical dramas The Debussy Film (1965) and Isadora Duncan, the Biggest Dancer in the World (1967), as well as Russell's film about Tchaikovsky, The Music Lovers (1970). He is president of the National Academy of Writing. His 2008 novel, Remember Me is a largely autobiographical story.
He is also a Vice President of the Friends of the British Library, a charity set up to provide funding support to the British Library.
Bragg is a prolific novelist and writer of non-fiction, and has written a number of television and film screenplays. Some of his early television work was in collaboration with Ken Russell, for whom he wrote the biographical dramas The Debussy Film (1965) and Isadora Duncan, the Biggest Dancer in the World (1967), as well as Russell's film about Tchaikovsky, The Music Lovers (1970). He is president of the National Academy of Writing. His 2008 novel, Remember Me is a largely autobiographical story.
He is also a Vice President of the Friends of the British Library, a charity set up to provide funding support to the British Library.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 25, 2023
One line baby feeding review:
So like I didn’t fully read this read this BUT I do listen to this podcast several times a week on my commute and while hanging out with my baby these days- they have an extensive back catalogue (twenty years!) and it’s all online and bless them and I feel like I should get credit that I AM participating intellectual thought and conversation in my off time it’s just of the auditory variety more these days so my hands are free for the baby! Best recent episodes I’ve listened to ps: Hegel’s Theory of History, Iris Murdoch, Emma, and Kant’s Categorical Imperative.
So like I didn’t fully read this read this BUT I do listen to this podcast several times a week on my commute and while hanging out with my baby these days- they have an extensive back catalogue (twenty years!) and it’s all online and bless them and I feel like I should get credit that I AM participating intellectual thought and conversation in my off time it’s just of the auditory variety more these days so my hands are free for the baby! Best recent episodes I’ve listened to ps: Hegel’s Theory of History, Iris Murdoch, Emma, and Kant’s Categorical Imperative.
June 23, 2019
Radio 4 is one of the last remaining manifestations of British civilization, and 'In Our Time' is the jewel in its crown. Melvyn Bragg and three academics get together and discuss a subject just because it is interesting ('relevance' is apparently banned - it is not something that needs to be searched for, and if it is there the readers will notice). The subjects are many and various, from Quantum Mechanics to the poetry of Rumi, and many points in between with the conversation seldom less than sparkling. This book produces summaries of around 50 of the episodes. On the radio it is rarely less than diverting, in book form the reported conversation can lose a little. Most of the episodes are about talking around, and illuminating, a subject. They are not there to advance an argument as such and as a result the written notes can seem a little meandering, if interesting. So check out the radio version, the book is very much optional.
(One of the pleasing features of the book is the high regard in which it holds academics for their ability to explain complex ideas in accessible ways, with the somewhat sorry exception of philosophers, who do unfortunately persist in speaking a language all of their own).
(One of the pleasing features of the book is the high regard in which it holds academics for their ability to explain complex ideas in accessible ways, with the somewhat sorry exception of philosophers, who do unfortunately persist in speaking a language all of their own).
February 4, 2022
3.5 obvs the podcasts r better
October 1, 2020
Very cool book! I read it one chapter at a time for about a month and a half, and it was very fun to wake up and learn about something completely new every morning from a wide range of topics, especially enjoyed when the chapters featured some of my lecturers as the studio guests!
October 27, 2019
An interesting collection of edited discussions from the radio show In Our Time. Being a more visual person, I rarely am able to follow radio shows or podcasts as closely as I would like.
This companion is quite fascinating, as it condense the discussion of a wide and fascinating array of shows and topics. I think they've chosen the episodes quite well, not necessarily showcasing the most famous histories or stories, but also giving lesser known tidbits a chance to shine.
This companion is quite fascinating, as it condense the discussion of a wide and fascinating array of shows and topics. I think they've chosen the episodes quite well, not necessarily showcasing the most famous histories or stories, but also giving lesser known tidbits a chance to shine.
October 29, 2019
I wish we had more of the talk and topics.Quite a good number of the conversations is missing out.Great work in compiling the book.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews