Main content

Great Lives Episodes

  1.

    Sir Trevor McDonald on Learie Constantine

    The veteran broadcaster Sir Trevor McDonald chooses the life of Learie Constantine

  2. Charles Dickens

    Satirist and writer Armando Iannucci chooses novelist Charles Dickens.

  3. Tommy Cooper

    Writer and broadcaster Clement Freud chooses comedian Tommy Cooper.

  4. Flora Sandes

    Kate Adie discusses Britain's first commissioned female officer in World War One.

  5. Bernardo O'Higgins

    Writer Brian Keenan chooses Bernardo O'Higgins, who liberated Chile in the 19th century.

  6. Sarah Bernhardt

    Comedienne Jenny Eclair chooses one of the first acting superstars, Sarah Bernhardt.

  7. David Lloyd George

    Athlete Tanni Grey-Thompson chooses her Welsh compatriot, politician David Lloyd George.

  8. Mervyn King on Risto Ryti

    Mervyn King champions the life of the former Prime Minister of Finland Risto Ryti.

  9. The Man in the Iron Mask

    Military historian Richard Holmes nominates the mysterious Man in the Iron Mask.

  10. Eve Pollard on Nora Ephron

    Journalist Eve Pollard explores Hollywood screenwriter Nora Ephron with Matthew Parris.

  11. GK Chesterton

    Richard Ingrams nominates author and journalist GK Chesterton for regularly being right.

  12. Michael Dobbs on Guy Burgess

    Michael Dobbs looks back at the life of Cambridge spy Guy Burgess.

  13. James Hogg

    Geneticist Steve Jones chooses 19th-century fiddle-playing shepherd and writer James Hogg.

  14. Philippa Langley on Richard III

    Matthew Parris talks to Philippa Langley about the life of Richard III.

  15. Bob Marley

    Poet Benjamin Zephaniah explores the life of reggae legend Bob Marley.

  16. Tom Solomon on Roald Dahl

    Professor Tom Solomon talks about his former patient, writer Roald Dahl.

  17. Rachmaninov

    Conductor Leonard Slatkin proposes composer Sergei Rachmaninov for great life status.

  18. Brian Eno on Lord Young of Dartington

    Brian Eno champions the life and work of social reformer Michael Young.

  19. Scott of the Antarctic

    Author Beryl Bainbridge selects explorer Falcon Scott as a hidden romantic.

  20. Laura Bates on Louisa May Alcott

    Laura Bates tells Matthew Parris why Louisa May Alcott of "Little Women" is her Great Life

  21. Captain James Cook

    Media executive and broadcaster Greg Dyke chooses explorer Captain James Cook.

  22. Arthur Smith on Emil ZΓ΅topek

    Comedian Arthur Smith tells Matthew Parris about the life of Olympic runner Emil ZΓ΅topek.

  23. Richard Crossman

    Politician Tam Dalyell chooses cabinet minister and political diarist Richard Crossman.

  24. James Gillray

    Political cartoonist Steve Bell chooses the 18th-century caricaturist James Gillray.

  25. Benedict Spinoza

    Nobel Prize-winning chemist Sir Harry Kroto chooses the philosopher Benedict Spinoza.

  26. Umm Kulthum

    Novelist Ahdaf Soueif chooses acclaimed Egyptian singer Umm Kulthum as his great life.

  27. MR James

    Muriel Gray chooses the ghost story writer MR James.

  28. Rachel Carson

    Writer Bea Campbell chooses pioneering environmental protection scientist Rachel Carson.

  29. CLR James

    Darcus Howe discusses his uncle, the sportsman, writer and revolutionary CLR James.

  30. Erasmus Darwin

    Paul Nurse discusses scientist, inventor and poet Erasmus Darwin, grandfather of Charles.

  2. 1
  3. …
  4. 8
  5. 9
  6. 10
  7. 11
  8. 12
  9. …
  10. 19