The Author Archive Podcast

In this early Author Archive podcast John Le Carre talks about writing politics , and Mallory Blackman explains the political thinking behind Noughts and Crosses. 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 the American Vice President would have thought it part of his task to question the Pope's understanding of theology? 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.

The American president now suggests that he is closely associated with Jesus. He has distributed pictures. He is performing Bible readings. Will he include the bits from Matthew 5:9? Blessed are the peacemakers? 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!

The war that is spreading across the Middle East has a religious dimension. 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?

THis book is number 10 in the Sunday Times General Hardbacks chart 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!!!    

  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.

The man who used to be Prince Andrew is now back at his new Norfolk home with dogs for company. 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'.      

There are powerful politicians who have taken to denying scientific facts to further their own ambitions. 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.

Eric Bibb is a blues music legend. 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.

Nina Simone was born on February 21st 1933. 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.    

The future of democracy is a popular talking point at the moment. It seems some democratically elected leaders would like to change the system that gave them the job in the first place. 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?  

In 2019 Sir Rannulph Fiennes was diagnosed with Parkinsons disease. 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.  

Michael Payne has spent his whole working life in the sports marketing business. 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.,

Unbelievably Sophie Kinsella has died.   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.     

Putin seems determined 'to make Russia great again' 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.          

Sir Anthony Seldon has written about a 1,300 kilometre walk he took across Europe from Southern France, through Austria and the Czech Republic finally reaching his destination, Auschwitz in Poland. 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.  

The cover of this new book declares that in it Marcus Chown explains the simple way to understand the most important ideas in science. 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!

Steve Ashley has had a long illustrious career in music and political activism. 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! A very entertaining musician and stimulating conversationalist.  

This engrossing book is subtitled 'how to listen to what animals are trying to say' 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.

Halloween again! 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?  

Hearing Ross talk about the Ancient Romans is an entertaining revelation.  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.

Roger Hammond writes in fearless detail how he was his wife's carer for thirty of their forty seven years of marriage. 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!      

Sad to report that Jilly Cooper has died. 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. 

Some interviewees I remember as 'troupers'. At the very top of that tree were the Collins sisters. Joan is now 92. 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!

Ross King is a superb history storyteller. 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.

James Patterson is a phenomenon. His skill as a storyteller has made him very wealthy. 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.

Prince Andrew has been in the news. In this episode Hugo Vickers discusses  his biography of Alice, Princess Andrew of Greece mother of the Duke of Edinburgh: 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.

This unsettling  book examines the astonishing extent of American ownership of UK business. 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.

Recently there has been a surge of on line interest in the  anarchic radio comedy The Goon Show. 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.

The Cotswolds are in the news,but before the area was discovered by rich Americans it was a fertile area for thought and creativity. The village of Great Tew was where  John Lloyd and John Mitchinson met. They both lived there in historic cottages. This is where they came up with the idea of the TV show QI. 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.    

Edwina Currie was a Tory MP from 1983 to 1997. 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??

There is much thought about memoirs at the moment. Salt Paths etc. 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.

This book is as exploration of the rich and varied cultural worlds shaped by the Rhine, the Rhone and the Po. 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!

Twenty five years ago Julian Hoffman and his wife Julia decided to leave their life in London and make a dramatic change. They would leave the city life with it's commuting hassles and move somewhere and live very different life 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 effect of the Trump win reverberates around the globe. There seems to be perceived electoral advantage in fanning hate and intolerance and spreading intolerance the idea around the world. 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?

Colin Dexter was a splendid writer. His creation Inspector Morse is superb on the page and just as gripping on television. 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.

Joe Boyd is a man about music, record producer, a film producer and author. 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.

Billie Holiday, Eleanora Fagan  was born on April 7th 1915. 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.

Ruth Werner was born Ursula Kuczynski in Berlin. 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.

This conversation looks back at the post war time when all the world aspired to be young and American. America was really perceived to be great back then.  How times change ........ Joseph Connolly paints a rock 'n roll picture.

When one looks at the antics and attitudes of the current president of the USA it easy to see parallels  with the world view of Henry VIII. Although this account of the life lead by Henry VIII was first published at the turn of the century it is still selling well. 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.

David Sedaris now fills arenas with enthusiastic fans but when David Freeman interviewed him in 2000 he was almost unknown. 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!    

After Ashley Kahn had published his book on the Miles Davis album Kind of Blue he turned his attention to the timeless John Coltrane record A Love Supreme. 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.

Duke Ellington is famous, but what was he really like. 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 Oxford Companion to Music is probably the most famous music reference book of them all. 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?    

Jon Ronson was not so well known when this conversation was recorded in the early 2000s 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.

As war rages in Europe again it becomes clear that the capacity for cruelty of man to a fellow human is seemingly infinite. 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.  

As the news from America becomes more and more worrying it's good to look back to the last century when everything was different and some American rock musicians brought joy to the world.  Peace and Love meant something back then. 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.

Kind of Blue is the most successful jazz LP ever made. It was recorded over two sessions in New York in 1959 and is still revered as a masterpiece. Ashley Kahn told David Freeman the story behind a historic music event.