The new paperback of Entitled contains a whole chapter of new information and chronicles what has happened in a tumultuous year.

Andrew Lownie predicts that there is more information to come.

The story continues ......

A gripping conversation.

It takes place in 1968 in an institution for troubled youth. The novella explores how the 'good' girl, over a period of six months, turns into a delinquent.

The conversation with Dr Gold is thoughtful, passionate and engaging. 

Doubles is a  short book that stays with you for a long time!

Antonio really likes to entertain and he is joined by comedian, singer and songwriter Boothby Graffoe.

When we talked Antonio was in a museum in Rome and Boothby was in Portugal.

I'm David Freeman and I was in Cheltenham.

In our conversation Prue talks to me about her life and how she still has a lot of fun.

Ageing, acting your age, health, exercise, fame ...... she talks about it all!!!

At the very top of that tree were the Collins sisters. Joan is now 93. She is still looking galmorous at Cannes!

I remember a televised conversation I had with Joan. Her assistant decreed that the lighting must be subtle but Joan herself insisted on full on straight in the face spots. I had theories why this might be her preference.

Over the years I interviewed Joan and her sister Jackie a few times. It was always 'an event'.

The Collins sisters spoke to me in London at the end of the last century. Jackie was promoting her novel 'Thrill' about the glamorous world of Hollywood, and Joan was encouraging interest in her autobiography 'Second Act'. Both sisters were happy to talk about themselves.

Sadly Jackie died in 2015 .... but Joan marches on!

Maggie Gee gives the background to her novel The White Family that endeavours to explain prejudice and the national treasure Jilly Cooper gives background to how life might be in the English counties. Her 'Rivals' is back on UK TV.

The episode concludes with two views of the Court of King Henry VIII, Philippa Gregory discusses her book about 'The Other Boleyn Girl' and Alison Weir explains how the king was totally surrounded by the people of the court all the time!

Who could have predicted that Donald Trump would think it a good idea to read parts of the Bible to the nation?  

Have they redefined their god in their own image?

It seems that the current American administration is behaving in even more wild emotionally driven vindictive ways.

This gripping and shocking book tells the story of the radical conservative movement shaping Donald Trump's agenda and how it threatens freedoms, values and democracy.

Since this conversation was recorded the situation has got much worse.

He declares that he has been saved by God to make his country great again, I find it impossible not to wonder about the precise nature of the deity that he professes to believe in. Are Donald and his advisers familiar with the writings that are the basis of his religion? 

This book by Catherine Nixey is terrific - its a revelation and it's now available in paperback format.

Catherine has studied texts written around the same time as the writings we know as the gospels. 

Some of these ancient documents tell the story of the bible characters we are familiar with in a totally different way.

Listen to Catherine talk about her research and you will be surprised ..... probably very surprised!!

Every time I see a politician leaning in a faith direction I want to urge them to read this book!

American aggression is supported by evangelical Christians, Iran is an Islamic state and Israel has its own Jewish deity.

Donald Trump seems to waver been god and allah.

None of the gods seem to be seekers for peace. All seek vengeance and revenge. 

In early 2025 a million Hindus tried to bathe in a river at the same time. Why would anyone think this would be a good idea.

Robin Dunbar is Professor of Evolutionary Psychology at the University of Oxford. From his academic standpoint he charts the evolution of religion in all its many guises and forms.

Does the professor's analysis explain the enduring but shrinking appeal of non logical beliefs?

The new war that is happening now and the the appalling inhumanity still happening in the world makes this conversation distressingly relevant. There is the thought that some people are less human then others. 

Some people in power seem to think that bombs and missiles provide an answer.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted on December 10th 1948.

We now live in a world where the rights agreed in that document are widely ignored.

Racial intolerance is on the march . The horrible spectre of antisemitism is looming over the news as is denial of the rights of Palestinians. 

As an American bishop recently said ..... immigrants and gay people are as valuable as everyone else.

A good time to listen to the words of the late Sir Martin Gilbert.

The name Winston Churchill has been used recently to score political points.

Sir Martin Gilbert is known as Churchill's biographer, but also as the historian of the Holocaust.

This conversation with David Freeman took place when his book Never Again was published. Sir Martin's thoughts on war are sadly relevant.

Sir Martin died in 2015.

Apparently he will soon have a chef and a valet who will address him as 'Sir'. Unbelievable.

The sorry story continues.

Andrew and his ex wife Sarah are in the Epstein linked news again.

The photographs of him on his knees by a young lady lying on her back on the floor don't look good. 

A new paperback edition of Entitled is published soon.

Andrew Lownie will be talking about it here on the Author Archive.

In the wake of the Andrew Windsor  scandal there is much questioning of the need for the  royals at all

Being royal is not a job you can apply for.  If you decide to walk away from your royal identity or are pushed away from it just what are you left with?

This book,'Traitor King', tells the story of an inglorious royal. It is a shocking example of what happens when inherited status is randomly given to a person who is clearly not up to the task. The book is the basis of the Channel 4 programme that shed light on the whole episode.

As well as telling the historical story Andrew Lownie discusses the lessons that can be learned by the present Royal Family. 

This book was published long before 'Entitled'.

This took another massive leap into the abyss when President Trump removed all the limits on greenhouse gas emissions in the US.  Not a solution to the problem - just a denial of its existence. Inconvenient scientific facts denied and dismissed.

There is a new book edited by Lawrence M.Krauss - The War on Science.

Among the writers and scientists who have contributed chapters is Richard Dawkins.

Professor Dawkins talked to me about his chapter.

In this conversation he talks about his teenage life growing up in the middle of the New York civil rights movement.

The people he knew... Paul Robeson, Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Pete Seeger ..... and how his father Leon Bibb continues to be an inspiration.

In the middle of an increasingly wayward world Eric Bibb is a voice of sanity.

There has been news recently of a plan to buy Nina Simone's childhood home in Tryon North Carolina and make it into a museum celebrating the life and work of the girl who was born Eunice Waymon.

I interviewed Nina  in December 1998 just before her last ever show at the Royal Albert Hall in London.

She was talking to me for a programme on the radio station Jazz fm, which would promote the concert.

Nina had a reputation for being a tricky interviewee but on the day she was delightful and during the conversation she was eager to give her views on sexism, racism and feminism.

After the interview I  was asked to introduce Nina on stage at the Albert Hall. It was a memorable day.

History records that we have been here before! When I talked to Dr Steve Kershaw about his book about battles in ancient Greece. it seemed that the human desire for conflict is unchanged through history. 

Three Epic Battles that Saved Democracy is an entertaining and instructive read - now published in the US by Pegasus Books. 

Great review in the Wall Street Journal.

Will it be read in the White House?

A few years ago as part of the Cheltenham Literary festival I interviewed Sir Rannulph on stage at the Everyman Theatre about his family history book 'Mad Dogs and Englishmen'.

I remember shaking hands  - a non standard formality for him. He told me how he had to adopt a DIY approach to dealing with frost bite in his fingers.

In this episode there's a conversation I had with Sir Rannulph later in a London studio, a chat with the legendary travel writer Eric Newby, and the life of the unforgettable Lucy Irvine.

Lucy had replied to an advertisement in 1980 seeking a woman to spend a year on a desert island with a man she didn't know.  This  adventure became a film starring Oliver Reid. She tells me how she went on to write the story of another island dwelling family in her book Faraway.

Memorable stories.

In his autobiography he tells how sport became big business.

In this  wide ranging conversation we discuss how the Olympics were saved from oblivion, whether FIFA were right to award Donald Trump a special peace prize.... and the major challenges facing sport in our connected digital age.,

This archive conversation was recorded at the Langham Hilton in London and I remember that Sophie ( real name Madeleine) turned up with lots and lots of shopping. That was to be expected because the conversation was to mark the publication of the third in the shopaholic series of stories.

She was great fun to talk to. That  isn't PR  spin .... she really was.

Huge sympathy to her husband and five children. 

His motivations are difficult to understand but listening to historian Simon Sebag Montefiore might go some way to explaining his thinkng.

Simon Sebag Montefiore explains the mythic status of  this eighteenth century Russian statesman, and military leader Grigory Potemkin. 

In this conversation recorded in London in 2000 Simon Sebag Montefiore tells David Freeman about practical politics in 18th century Russia and how Potemkin made his way in society with the help of the love of Catherine the Great.

Their relationship has been told in films but the way Simon tells the story is probably more gripping and unbelievable.

Simon told the story in full in his the books, Prince of Princes, and Catherine the Great and Potemkin, The Imperial Love Affair.

Interesting to hear Simon say that Putin read this book and what he learned has informed his political views. This lead to the invasion of Ukraine  and a significant incident when Russian troops broke into the crypt of the cathedral in Kherson and removed the bones of Grigory Potemkin. 

This is history to remember. Putin uses this history to justify his actions.

On the journey he seeks out inspiring stories of the lives of 'figures of light'.

As he tells me , while he was walking through places associated with fascism and the second world war he was well aware of the worrying state of global politics in the 21st century.

A thought provoking conversation.

Marcus is one of the very best science writers on the planet.

Listening to this conversation you might marvel at his patience as he explains the workings of a quantum computer to me.

I learned a lot!

This conversation was recorded in November 2025, a few months before Steve's 80th birthday.  His passions, enthusiasms and commitment remain undimmed.

In this informal interview Steve tells of his influences and motivation. He clearly has a lot of fight and lyricism left!

His summer of gigs is just about to start

A very entertaining musician and stimulating conversationalist.

Amelia, the author, is passionate and thought provoking.

Hearing this conversation or reading the book just might drive you to the edge of becoming a vegetarian.

An excellent gift book for any animal lover.

Everything weird is celebrated. Does this include UFOs?

In this interview on the subject David Freeman, a UFO skeptic, met UFO true believer Timothy Good when his book Unearthly Disclosure was first published.

The conversation was friendly but inquisitive!

So are UFOs real?  Are those little creatures with three fingers that are on the TV screens real aliens?

I didn't know that the 'no kings' movement is a Roman invention as is the tradition of reminding would be absolute rulers that they are as human as the rest of us.

Ross is a riveting writer of history and a great story teller.

Lyn was diagnosed with MS when they were a family of four with two young daughters.

Roger writes about the challenges but he also recounts how they dealt with them and enjoyed a happy and fulfilling marriage.

They never forgot how to enjoy life ...... their holidays were fabulous!

She was always great fun to chat to and consistently jolly. Hugely successful but not grand at all!

This conversation was recorded when her novel Pandora was first published. 

He will be talking to me here at the Author Archive soon about his new book 'The Shortest History of Ancient Rome'.

His previous book is tells of a different dimension of Italian history. .'The Bookseller of Florence'   is all about the surprising trade in manuscripts and books in Renaissance Italy.

Adrian Levy tells David about his visit to the Jade mines of Myanmar and the inhuman conditions that he found there.

This visit was 20 years ago and one can only hope that conditions have improved.

His wealth allowed him to buy a house in Palm Beach, near to Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein.

Interestingly James is the producer of 'Filthy Rich' the Netflix documentary about the scandalous behaviour of Epstein.

David Freeman met him in London to talk about his sixth Alex Ross story 'Roses are Red', when the paperback was first published in the UK.

Donna Leon tells the story of her novel “Wilful Behaviour “ set in Venice:

R.J.B. Bosworth recounts his research into the life of Mussolini and Gitta Sereny remembers Germany in the 1930s as told in her book “The German Trauma”

We have seen the power of the political rally to stir followers. Gitta Sereny actually attended a Hitler rally.

With the spectre of authoritarianism on the rise again this is frighteningly relevant.

Lessons from history.

In a Trump world this could be even more of a  cause for concern

Whether you are interested in 'taking back control' or how much of our day to day financial transactions happen via the US, you will find this fascinating and possibly horrifying.

The genuis behind the comedy was Spike Milligan .

In this episode Spike talks to David Freeman about his life in comedy, The Goons, and the mental health problems that dogged his life after he was blown up by a wartime bomb.

In this episode they  introduce their Book of General Ignorance. 

The original chair of QI was Stephen Fry and he was replaced by Sandi Toksvig. Here she introduces her story Melted into Air.

Journalist Jon Ronson explains how he researched his amazing book 'Them - Adventures with Extremists' and philosopher Simon Blackburn explores the notion of being good.  The interview was recorded 20 years ago but the quandaries remain just the same.

She became Junior Health Minister for 2 years and famously had an affair with John Major, who became Prime Minister. The relationship   lasted 4 years.

David Freeman met her when her novel This Honourable House was first published. Prior to this, and her second marriage she had written Chasing Men.

Interviewing Edwina I always had the feeling that she was very entertaining but was probably trouble.

In this conversation, she talks about her life and her books, but also revealingly about the Tory party that she used to be a part of. Times change??

Clive James wrote memoirs but he always declared they were 'unreliable'. Maybe that is the nature of memory and memoir?

Clive James died in 2019 after a long illness.

This conversation with David Freeman was recorded in 2001 when Clive was excited by the internet and somewhat fearful of the way public service broadcasting was heading.

He would probably be even more fearful now.

Listening to Clive James now it is clear that he had a very good grasp on what could happen in many spheres of life - and he really didn't approve.

Three Rivers traces the rivers' journeys from their glacial sources through Germany, Itals and France.

Its an entertaining and informative story.

A great holiday read!

On nothing more than a chance encounter with a book about it they moved to Prespa in northern Greece.

They didn't speak the language, had very few possessions but their bold and brave decision has worked out very well.

They searched for home in the mountains of Greece.

How they found it is told in Lifelines.

The Middle East is on a knife edge and the Ukraine war continues.

Why is this? Is there any cause for optimism? Where do non rational beliefs and convictions fit in the conflicts?

This conversation with the activist and thinker Tariq Ali was recorded soon after the outrage of 9/11.

There is a plan for the future in what Tariq was saying but I wonder if he is as optimistic today. Will rational thought and reasoned discussion bring peaceful coexistence?

I used to meet Colin in the pub on Banbury Road in Oxford, The Dew Drop. He was great company and almost completely unaware of his success and star quality.

I recorded this conversation in his house after the publication of The Remorseful Day. He was relaxed and very happy to look back at his life in education and crime writing.

He arrived in London in 1964 with Muddy Waters and a host of blues musicians who played to sold out UK audiences when they were unappreciated in their US homeland.

In this conversation he talks about Nick Drake, Paul Simon, The Incredible String Band, Paul Butterfield, MIke Bloomfield and the enduring power of real music.

Joe is currently on tour in North America launching the American paperback.

A thought provoking podcast.

Bitter Crop is a superb biography of Billie Holiday who was probably the very best jazz singer there has ever been. The book title is takes from one of Billie's signature songs, 'Strange Fruit'.

There have been films and many books about Billie's career but not all of them came close to telling the whole truth of a remarkable life.

True there were drugs and alcohol but there was so mucah more than that. There was huge musical success and adulation -  Billie considered her life to be a triumph.

The conversation took place in July 2024 ..... 65 years after Billie died.

She was appalled by Hitler and became a lifelong communist and a spy.  During the 1940s she lived around Oxford and radioed secrets to Russia.

Her spy codename was Sonja and her memoir was published as Sonja's Report. Ben MacIntyre wrote a best-selling biography of her ...Agent Sonya: Lover, Mother, Soldier, Spy.

David Freeman spoke to her in Oxford.

America was really perceived to be great back then. 

How times change ........

Joseph Connolly paints a rock 'n roll picture.

Alison Weir thinks the key to understanding the famous Tudor King is to realise that he was never alone. Even a conjugal visit to his wife or a trip to the loo were attended by courtiers.

Popular accessible history at it's entertaining best.

His book 'Me Talk Pretty One Day ' was just published.

I would love to hear the Sedaris view of what is happening now in the US!

Not only is this still a highly regarded jazz performance, A Love Supreme is now the title of the biggest open air jazz festival in the UK.

In this biography published in 2000,  Stuart Nicholson writes about the man who was a brilliant  instinctive and  sophisticated musician.

Was he then a bit of a goody goody?

As Stuart Nicholson told me he was not in any way a goody goody!

The latest edition was first published in 2002. It has over 120 contributors and covers covers the whole universe of music.

I spoke to the editor Alison Latham soon after publication.

A huge task to pull such a tome together ..... but maybe an enjoyable job?

I was very taken with the subject of the book and the way Jon talked about it.

Being a Jewish journalist getting involved with people money raising for Hamas seemed improbable. It's true of course, as was Jon's interest in the wilder fancies of David Icke. Jon might well be fascinated by the wacky thoughts put about by the Trump administration.

'Them' is a terrific read.

This interview with the Northern Irish poet Brian Keenan took place in London a full 10 years after his release from his barbaric incarceration in Beirut where he had been  teaching at the local university.

Brian talks eloquently about his brutal treatment, but also about the strange things that can happen when confronted with sensory  deprivation.

The Grateful Dead were very successful despite having no chart hits and they had a huge dedicated fanbase.

They were formed in California in 1965 and performed regularly for 30 years.

The anniversaries have spawned renewed interest in the band.

Dennis McNally was their official archivist.

This conversation was recorded in 2015.

Ashley Kahn told David Freeman the story behind a historic music event.

It tells the story of Daisy Shoemaker who is 15 in 1964. She was born into a fundamentalist Mormon community on the US - Canada border.

In a ceremony called Placement she is given as a teenage wife to a much older man. She finds this intolerable and runs away.

The church official who makes the decisions is known as Bishop and he assures his followers that he has a direct line to God. Amazingly they believe him.

It's a gripping and enraging read. It's fiction but events like the book describes are still happening today. The fundamentalist cult is vey much alive and well.

There is a Netflix documentary about the group .. Keep Sweet : Pray and Obey.

The two lead actors Steve Coogan and Harriet Walter are excellent at showing the  friendly dimension to the relationship that turned sour under media pressure.

David Freeman talked to the actress Harriet Walter when her autobiography 'Other People's Shoes' was published in 2003.

One of the inspirations for the trip was T.E Lawrence - Lawrence of Arabia. The two authors Miles Spencer and Wells Jones had worked on a stage play based on the life of Lawrence and they decided to take a trip to see the landscape for themselves and meet the people Lawrence identified with.

This conversation with Wells Jones took place on 15th January 2025 when a cease fire had just been signed between Israel and Hamsas.

Line in the Sand explains some of the long history behind the conflict in the Middle East.

In the first programme Simon highlights the huge impact that Alan Sillitoe's novel 'Saturday Night and Sunday Morning' had when it was published in 1958.

Alan Sillitoe spoke to David Freeman when his novel Birthday was published in 2001.

Birthday is the sequel to Saturday Night and Sunday Morning.

1958 to 2001 is a ling time to wait for a sequel.

So why did it take so long?

Einstein thought they were impossible but in 1971 Paul Murdin and Louise Webster discovered the very first black hole, Cygnus X-1

Marcus tells the story of these extraordinary people who discovered that black holes are centre stage in the cosmos. Indeed without black holes it is unlikely that we would exist.

Fasten your seat belts and prepare to be amazed.

A great book for the curious!!

A few days before Hallowe'en Rebecca tells David Freeman how the world looks to her through the lens of her pagan world view. 

The latest census information confirms that Rebecca's beliefs are gaining in popularity

Terry Pratchett died in 2015.

This is a conversation from the archive recorded at his home office in Wiltshire.

Terry started life writing when he was just a boy and in adult life became press officer for the nuclear power stations of the Central Electricity Board.

When the Pratchett books became hugely successful he gave up the day job and by 1996 he was the bestselling author in the UK.

In public he always wore a big hat, and in his Wiltshire studio he was an early adopter of a robot vacuum cleaner. When he wrote he worked on four computer screens simultaneously. 

Great guy!

This was true at the time but sadly the Taliban are back and the the story of The Breadwinner is all too relevant again. Did the UK let these people down?

This interview was recorded when Jeanette was a 20 something brand new literary force.

I remember this converstaion  with huge affection. Mostly I would talk to an author for 20 minutes or so but this conversation is twice that. It was recorded in the spring of 1984 when 'Oranges are Not the Only Fruit' was first published.

I was very fortunate because I was one of the very first broadcasters to interview Jeanette.

I had been reading the book in bed the night before and was buzzing with enthusiasm for it when I met her.

Hear the author talk about her life in religious Accrington and why she rejected the faith.

A superb book!

In this interview he talks to me about his book which tells the whole of African human history focussing on the Sahara.

Sir Barry takes the story of us from our evolution through to the present day. Is he optimistic about our survival?

He is involved in two new projects.

One is a magnificent illustrated childrens encyclopedia of gods, monsters and mortals from ancient Greece.

The other is a jazz trio recording. Steve is the Oxfordshire based bass player. The pianist and saxophonist Leonid and Nick Vintskevich are Russian .

As Steve tells me the wide geographical distribution sometimes make rehearsal tricky!

The record is called 'I'll Show You a Beautiful Country.

Rowland Bagnall is a different sort of poet. Near - Life Experience,  his new collection is just published

When I spoke to him we talked about his poetic motivation and the process of writing these concentrated nuggets of observation.

His replies are thoughtful and enlightening.

It is a wonderful read - inspiring, gripping and fascinating.

And just a thought .... did a deity have a hand in the story?

Tim explains his view!

On the cover of her book the author was named as 'The Troops' - the name she gave to her 90 plus identities.

When I interviewed her she was with her therapist Robert Phillips. The whole story was very difficult to assimilate as you can probably hear.

Truddi died in 2010 but there is a website dedicated to her and her autobiography is still in demand.

It seems that her condition was a result of abuse in her childhood.

A story like no other!

The winner of the BAFTA for best actor went to Timothy Spall for his performance in 'The Sixth Commandment'.

Timothy played Peter Farquar, a gay Christian teacher who was murdered by a student, Ben Field.

The horrific murder actually happened in the normally peaceful  village of Maids Moreton in Buckinghamshire.

The true story is told by David Wilson who lives in the village in his book 'A Plot to Kill'.

He told David Freeman about it.

She used to work in an office but found it dull and stressful. She  decided to go on a half day fishing trip with a couple of her friends just to make a change.

The friends sort of liked it but Ashley REALLY liked it and now does it as a full time job. She is so good at it she was awarded the title of 'Fisherman of the Year'.

In this conversation she explains her passion for the life and her fears for the future of the whole commercial fishing industry.

Rebecca is a farmer and environmental activist and writer who lives in the north of Ibiza.

Her new novel 'Lost in Ibiza' is coincidentally, about  a young environmental activist who travels to Ibiza to meet her biological father for the very first time.

It's a story of family drama, but it is also the story of a paradise island under threat.

A great holiday read!

Paul Robeson was his Godather, and a very young Bob Dylan gave him some sound advice.

Now 72 Eric is still touring, playing, and writing songs. He is one of lifes gentlemen!

Gareth tells of places he has visited to see history and extrapolates forward to imagine the world we are leaving for future generations.

There is anger, poetry, myth .... and David Bowie.

At this time Tom's wife, Linda, was still alive and Tom himself was a mere 60 years old.

It emerges from this interview that the man born Thomas Woodward was driven by two passions. What they are is revealed in this Author Archive episode.

She has ploughed this furrow before  and I interviewed her when 'Memory Maps' was published.

Lisa has lived life to the full.

She is a very beguiling woman and many men have fallen for her charms and married her.

On the day I interviewed her she was in the mood for remembering her life and loves in wonderful detail.

Maeve was always an entertaining interviewee - getting her to talk was never a problem!

Unsurprisingly her books continue to sell.  

Many of the leading players are only where they are because they are Brexiteers.

Professor Grey has made it a personal mission to chronicle the drama and effects of Brexit.

He writes a blog and now the latest edition of his book "Brexit Unfolded" is published bringing the story up to date.

Does this mean that the Brexit story has reached a conclusion?

Maybe not!!!

I spoke to Magnus when his history of Scotland was first published in 2000.

Our conversation covered thoughts on Scottish independence, the film Braveheart, Shakespeare and whatever happened to the Picts.

There was so much more to Magnus than being the chair .....I've started so I'll finish ..... of Mastermind!

This is conversation about grief and loss but it also about the lengths the bereaved will go to to re establish a link with the departed loved one.

Despite being a journalist Justine tried everything and everybody. Mediums, spiritualists and people who really thought that there could be communication with the dead via a computer spell check.

So what belief is Justine left with?

Way back in 1991 the evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins was the lecturer and his subject was Growing Up in the Universe.

He talked to David Freeman about the experience.

Before George Alagiah was known as a BBC newsreader he was a working TV journalist.

In this conversation recorded more than 20 years ago he recounts what Rwanda meant to him. Not a near perfect place to be deported to, but a country that had experienced the most horrendous genocide.

He recounts the effect of constant propaganda. How people can be turned against each other by daily repetition of untruths. 

Couldn't ever happen here ......... could it?

George Alagiah reveals himself to be both thought provoking and wise. 

Thomasina Lowe talks about her fathers photographs of the Kennedy presidential years and science writer Marcus Chown talks about his book "What a Wonderful World". that endeavours to explain almost everything.

It is the story of two young women Aisling and Maya and their love. Of course it isn't a simple story. The complications and obstacles are engagingly told. The book is a real page turner.

Both women are charismatic characters and as a reader you are supporting both of them ...... so how does it end?

In this interview recorded in 2003 the Shakespeare scholar  Sir Stanley Wells talks to David Freeman about Shakespeare the man and Shakespeare the writer.

Russian history is all too relevant. Ellen Apsten tells David Freeman about the second novel in her series telling the stories of the powerful Russian women who lived remarkable lives in the 18th century.

The Tsarina's Daughter is about Elizabeth the beautiful daughter of Peter the Great and Catherine. This is the couple that Putin has studied and have influenced his world view.

The horrific reality of a siege is being played out again in the Middle East  and Russian history is relevant to the war in Ukraine.

Helen Dunmore was a major literary talent.

Helen died of cancer in 2017.

That's the message printed on the cover of this book.

So does the author know what the desire for revenge feels like?

The story centered on the love between two women in Victorian England.

Her next novel Affinity was again set in Victorian times and centres on the spiritualism beliefs of the time.

In this interview Sarah talked to me about her novel Fingersmith.

In Victorian slang what was a Fingersmith? And how did a collector of contempory pornography have a place in the story?

It has a message of acceptance and tolerance which, sadly, is still totally relevant.

The novel was republished last year.

How did it all come to pass in the first place? How did Johnson and his coterie ever make it to the top of the pyramid?

In this detailed  and depressing book FT journalist Simon Kuper traces the idea of Brexit back to toffs in the Oxford Union in the late 1980s. 

As the UK government enters a death spiral in 2023 and the Conservative party fractures yet again the events covered in this book must surely be the base cause of the malaise.

2023 marks 50 years since the UK realised it no longer had an empire and joined Europe. And then catastrophically 52% of the electorate were persuaded that their lives would be better if we left. How wrong can you be?

I moved over to an EV 8 years ago and have never been tempted to go back. In my experience the cars keep improving and much more slowly the charging infrastructure is getting marginally better.

In Volt Rush Henry Sanderson tells the story of the electric car from the early 19th century to the current challenges facing the global industry.

Although an electric vehicle doesn't emit carbon dioxide and is thus 'clean' the raw materials in the battery have to be mined somewhere. There is big money to be made.

Who is winning the Volt Rush?

She wrote the stories and lived the life marrying four times.

She talked to me about her novel which is about a love that lasted through life even though the couple hadn't spent their lives together.

I remember her as a very attractive and sparkly interviewee.

The Kite Rider is recognised as a classic and in this conversation she tells me about the background to her story and man lifting kites!

When the book was first published it won romantic novel of the year.

For a book that starts and ends with an execution that seemed a bit odd.

Her parents were friends of Brian Epstein's parents. Brian went on to manage The Beatles, and teenage Linda was entranced by the band who went on to conquer the world.

Talking about the mechanics of writing her book Linda reveals how she felt composing her very first sex scene.

Barrie was not in the army, he was a private security contractor. What did that mean? Was he in an outfit like the Wagner group?

Towards the end of our conversation Barrie shared his thoughts on the long term outlook for humanity. He is not an optimist.

Bel Canto, describes as Ann's hostage novel won the Orange Prize.

The plot mixes the sublime power of music with political trouble and possible violence.

This novel was a finalist for the National Book Critics Award and it won the PEN/Faulkner Award

Ann lives in Nashville a place known for country music rather then opera, so does she like opera?

Miss Garnet's Angel was her very first published novel. It was an instant success and is still available in print formats and as an audiobook read by the late Anna Massey.

The story happens in Venice.

Superb holiday read.

Over a glittering career Sir Nicholas has received four Lifetime Achievement Awards from his peers in publishing.

He has been chairman of the V & A and the trading board of the Prince's Trust.

And he written a dozen books.

Seems odd that he found time to talk to me in a suite at the Langham Hotel!

He started life as Salvatore Lombino, found success as Evan Hunter and then reinvented himself as Ed McBain author of the many 87th Precinct novels.

In this conversation he mentions his link to the very first rock'n roll film and how he came to work with Alfred Hitchcock .... plus his tip for leading a happy life.

The film was The 51st State starring Samuel L Jackson and Robert Carlyle.

Around the same time Stel wrote a novel, Decipher with a plot to delight all those fascinated by Atlantis and associated myths. When Stel was writing conspiracy theories weren't such a big thing but this book will be sure get them zinging.

There was a campaign under way by Island Records to get their new signing known - Ron came to me, Russell had his photograph taken for Melody Maker. 

It was long ago. I had been listening to the album in my car on an 8 track cartridge. Real old school analogue.

Ron Mael was very patient !