Great Lives

Biographical series in which guests choose someone who has inspired their lives.

Radio 4,609 episodes

Episodes

ListGrid

Alfred Hitchcock
Anthony Horowitz champions the life of Alfred Hitchcock.
05 Apr 2016,30 mins
Eliza Manningham-Buller chooses Abraham Lincoln
Eliza Manningham-Buller on why she regards Abraham Lincoln as a great life.
23 Jan 2016,30 mins
Nitin Sawhney on Jeff Buckley
Nitin Sawhney champions the life of American singer-songwriter Jeff Buckley
19 Jan 2016,30 mins
Susan Calman on Molly Weir
Comedian Susan Calman chooses the life of actress Molly Weir.
12 Jan 2016,30 mins
Martin Jennings on Charles Sargeant Jagger
Martin Jennings nominates the British sculptor Charles Sargeant Jagger.
05 Jan 2016,30 mins
Precious Lunga chooses Wangari Maathai
Matthew Parris explores the remarkable life of Professor Wangari Maathai.
29 Dec 2015,30 mins
Alvin Hall chooses James Baldwin
Matthew Parris meets financial guru Alvin Hall, whose hero is James Baldwin.
22 Dec 2015,30 mins
Roger Saul chooses Gertrude Jekyll
Fashion designer Roger Saul chooses garden designer Gertrude Jekyll
15 Dec 2015,30 mins
Dickie Bird on the life of Sir Leonard Hutton
Dickie Bird champions his hero Sir Leonard Hutton.
08 Dec 2015,30 mins
Toyah Willcox on Katharine Hepburn
Toyah Willcox nominates her hero Katharine Hepburn who she met and worked with.
29 Sep 2015,30 mins
Nick Stadlen on Bram Fischer
Nick Stadlen champions the life of the Afrikaner Revolutionary Bram Fischer.
22 Sep 2015,30 mins
Hannah Rothschild on Thelonious Monk
Hannah Rothschild looks back at the life of jazz musician Thelonious Monk.
15 Sep 2015,26 mins
Frances Crook on Barbara Castle
Frances Crook proposes Labour politician Barbara Castle. Roy Hattersley is witness
08 Sep 2015,30 mins
Genghis Khan
American commentator Joe Queenan chooses the Mongol leader Genghis Khan.
03 Sep 2015,30 mins
Monica Ali chooses Richard Francis Burton
The author Monica Ali champions the life of the explorer Richard Francis Burton.
01 Sep 2015,30 mins
George Washington Williams
Ade Adepitan champions the life of George Washington Williams.
25 Aug 2015,30 mins
Michael Howard on Elizabeth I
Michael Howard, Conservative Party former leader, tells Matthew Parris about Elizabeth I.
18 Aug 2015,30 mins
Vicky Pryce on Melina Mercouri
Economist Vicky Pryce nominates the Greek film star and politician Melina Mercouri.
11 Aug 2015,30 mins
Ian McKellen on Edmund Hillary
Sir Ian McKellen nominates mountaineer Edmund Hillary as his inspirational figure.
04 Aug 2015,25 mins
Val McDermid on PD James
Matthew Parris talks to crime writer Val McDermid about the life of PD James.
02 Jun 2015,30 mins
David Blunkett on Louis Braille
Matthew Parris hears from David Blunkett about the life of Louis Braille. From 2015.
26 May 2015,30 mins
US Ambassador Matthew Barzun on JG Winant
Matthew Parris meets US Ambassador Matthew Barzun to talk about his wartime predecessor.
19 May 2015,26 mins
Antonia Quirke on Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando - greatest actor of the twentieth century?
12 May 2015,30 mins
Nelson
Explorer Benedict Allen chooses Horatio Nelson.
07 May 2015,30 mins
Wendy Cope on John Clare
Matthew Parris talks to Wendy Cope about her poetic hero John Clare. From 2015.
05 May 2015,30 mins
Dame Helen Ghosh on James Lees-Milne
Matthew Parris talks to the National Trust's Dame Helen Ghosh about James Lees-Milne.
28 Apr 2015,30 mins
Kulvinder Ghir on Zoran Music
Comedian and actor Kulvinder Ghir nominates the life of the artist Zoran Music.
21 Apr 2015,30 mins
Rachel Johnson on Ottoline Morrell
Rachel Johnson author and journalist champions the life of Ottoline Morrell.
14 Apr 2015,30 mins
Sir Trevor McDonald on Learie Constantine
The veteran broadcaster Sir Trevor McDonald chooses the life of Learie Constantine
07 Apr 2015,30 mins
Mervyn King on Risto Ryti
Mervyn King champions the life of the former Prime Minister of Finland Risto Ryti.
27 Jan 2015,30 mins