Broadcasting Britain: 100 Years of the BBC

by Robert Seatter

Discover the BBC's central role in reflecting our ever-changing world....

Created 100 years ago, on 18 October 1922, the BBC transformed people's lives at the turn of a dial, bringing voices out of the ether and conjuring the magic community of radio...

Now, our lives are inextricably linked to broadcasting. It is how we remember where we come from and who we are - from the Moon Landing to the 9/11 attacks, from Monty Python to EastEnders, from Live Aid to London 2012.

Head of BBC History Robert Seatter charts the story of a broadcaster and a nation, reflecting the story of all our lives across ten tumultuous decades.

Broadcasting Britain: 100 years of the BBC is a vivid, thought-provoking and, most of all, entertaining celebration of a global cultural icon.

BBC and the BBC logo are trademarks of the British Broadcasting Corporation and are used under licence. BBC logo © BBC 1996

Genres: Nonfiction

296 pages, Hardcover

Published September 15, 2022

Reviews

[Paul Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautifully produced and errs just on the right side of self congratulation. Unfortunately there are quite a few typographical errors including the amusing Christopher Ecclestone(r), to the infuriating (for members of the Guards regiment) Trooping (of) the Colour. I don't doubt that a second imprint will correct this and update the text to include the coverage of the Queen's funeral.

[Jack Head · Rating 2 out of 5]

Stops being interesting after the 40s, then just becomes very surface level

[Phil Butcher · Rating 3 out of 5]

A visual history of the first century of the BBC. Interesting but contains quite a few errors and factual mistakes.

[Sebastian Palmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've never really been a big fan of these DK ‘survey’ style books, feeling they were too, umm… daytime TV? If you know what I mean? Shallow, basically. But as I’ve aged I’ve mellowed somewhat to their very picture rich format.

I hope the BBC survives the misrule of the Tory barbarians? It’s ironic that an institution that’s always supposedly been independent and impartial has ultimately become, and faces a very uncertain future as a result, a political hot potato!

I love the BBC, more for what it was intended to be and used to be than what it is right now. Though that said it’s still a lot better than it’s detractors would have us believe. Anyway, if you want to learn a lot about the BBC’s long and fascinating history, this is a very enjoyable and lightweight way you can do so.