The fourth and final episode of the first series of BBC Radio 4's The Infinite Monkey Cage, in which physicist Brian Cox and comedian Robin Ince take a witty, irreverent and unashamedly rational look at the world according to science. Robin and Brian are joined by Victor Stock, Dean of Guildford Cathedral, and science journalist Adam Rutherford for...

These readings of the New Testament are taken from the 1989 Revised English Bible, which was translated directly from the original Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek into modern English to produce a Bible that was at once accessible and authoritative. Part of BBC Radio 4's series of 341 daily episodes of the Bible, broadcast in 1991 and 1992, they are read...

BBC Radio 4 comedy series in which award-winning comedian Josie Long attempts to better herself through learning from reference books, with help from Irish comedian Maeve Higgins. Each episode is anchored by Josie Long and Maeve Higgins in the studio, with Josie presenting her essay on the week's subject and Maeve helping with questions, illustrati...

Ten episodes from David Reynolds' award-winning radio series, which trace the history of the American Civil War. This narrative tells the story of the American Civil War through the voices of those who lived it. Written and presented by acclaimed historian David Reynolds, these extracts come from the series America: Empire of Liberty, which won the...

Byrne is not alone in believing in angels: three quarters of Americans and more than a third of Britons are also convinced that such heavenly helpers exist. If you met a woman who said that she talked to angels every day, you might be forgiven for raising a discreetly cynical eyebrow but somehow, Lorna Byrne is different.Thousands of people say tha...

Melvyn Bragg goes back to his home town of Wigton in Cumbria to see how English is developing-and how dialects are still spoken. He meets townspeople from all generations and walks of life, from octogenarian horse-dealer Tommy Miller to local poet Mary Haslam, and finds that the old ways of speaking are being lost.

Where better than Hastings to look at the impact of the French on the English language? Melvyn Bragg goes to Hastings, where in 1066 William, Duke of Normandy, defeated King Harold and invaded England. The actual fighting took place in the nearby village of Battle. It was to be the starting point of a long and intense relationship between England a...

The first episode, Astronomy for Dummies, of the BBC Radio 4 comedy series, All of the Planet's Wonders, in which award-winning comedian Josie Long attempts to better herself through learning from reference books, with help from Irish comedian Maeve Higgins. Originally broadcast 18 February 2009 and repeated on 28 December 2010. In this episode Jos...

The second episode, The Enlightenment, of the BBC Radio 4 comedy series, All of the Planet's Wonders, in which award-winning comedian Josie Long attempts to better herself through learning from reference books, with help from Irish comedian Maeve Higgins. Originally broadcast 25 February 2009 and repeated on 29 December 2010. In the second episode,...

The third episode, Obscure Animal Facts, of the BBC Radio 4 comedy series, All of the Planet's Wonders, in which award-winning comedian Josie Long attempts to better herself through learning from reference books, with help from Irish comedian Maeve Higgins. Originally broadcast 4 March 2009 and repeated on 30 December 2010. In Obscure Animal Facts...

oin Brett Westwood and Stephen Moss in this fascinating guide to the sounds of our most popular coastal birds, as heard on BBC Radio 4. In the fourth of our series of bird guides, Brett Westwood is joined by keen birdwatcher Stephen Moss on the north coast of Devon, and with the help of wildlife sound recordist Chris Watson they offer a practical a...

The power of English-and the "English of Power", as the language extends its influence from Court to Edinburgh. Melvyn Bragg goes to Edinburgh and the house of John Knox, the great Scottish apostle of the Reformation, who preached in English. Latin was replaced by English as the language of the Church when Henry VIII broke with Rome. And the 1611 K...

Conquest, trade and immigration have woven dozens of languages into English. Melvyn Bragg visits Liverpool, home of Scouse, an Irish-based variant of northern English made famous by the Beatles and countless comedians. By the mid-nineteenth century the port of Liverpool ranked second to London and became home to immigrants from all over the world w...

Before cars and planes, railways and steam engines were the main form of transport. And in the early days the engine driver was the fastest man on earth, travelling at 60 mph (and much faster than a car). No wonder it was every schoolboy's dream to become the driver of a locomotive, even though it was dirty and dangerous work. Some boys went straig...

Senator Barack Obama reflects on the American ideals that led him into politics. Barack Obama has been hailed by voters of all stripes as a man of uncommon gifts and far-reaching vision. In THE AUDACITY OF HOPE, he draws on his personal experience as a senator and lawyer, professor and father, Christian and skeptic, and finds a shared language abou...

The comprehensive three-level set takes language learners from basic words and phrases to advanced vocabulary and expressions.

Lawrence of Arabia's seminal work charts his time in the British Military Intelligence in the Levantine territories, during the wars with the Turks. The manuscript is candid and action-packed, and was entirely re-written after Lawrence lost the original manuscript whilst changing trains.

In this bumper edition of episodes from the fifth and sixth series, Graham Norton meets his match in Brian from Big Brother, Rabbi Lionel Blue is stranded on a reality radio version of Desert Island Discs, and demons quake when they face Hyacinth the Vampire Slayer. Russell Crowe and John Gielgud take starring roles in Scooby Doo, whilst the soothi...

Dead Ringers is the satirical radio impressions show which has become a firm favourite with Radio 4 fans of all ages. Merciless in its lampooning of the politicians and celebrities who occupy the nation's headlines, the sketch-based series often has no holds barred. This release features both the Archers Christmas Special broadcast in 2000 and the...

Sometimes our goals seem like unobtainable fantasies, but the key to success is making motivational thinking part of everyday life. In Get Up & Do It! Beechy and Josephine Colclough explain how to develop a plan to achieve your goals by planning, practising and adopting positive thinking, as well as motivational and other problem-solving skills...

This series explores how prime ministers have used their power and responded to the great challenges of their time and how they made the job what it is today. The prime ministers covered include: Sir Robert Walpole, the first and longest-serving prime minister; Lord North, remembered as the prime minister who lost America; Sir Robert Peel, who put...