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Radio 2 Book Club with Philipp Meyer

Simon welcomes Philipp Meyer to the Radio 2 Book Club to discuss his novel The Son, and launches our Book Club competition to win signed copies of all of this year's book choices.

Simon welcomes Philipp Meyer to the Radio 2 Book Club, to discuss his novel The Son, and launches our Book Club competition to win signed copies of all of this year's book choices.

We'll also unleash a brand new Confession and help you with your homework.

Plus, Matt Williams will have the latest sport and Rebecca Pike keeps us up to date on the money news.

1 hour, 55 minutes

Last on

Tue 16 Jul 2013 17:05
麻豆约拍 Radio 2

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Clips

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Music Played

  • 补鈥恏补

    Take On Me

    • Fantastic 80's Disc 1 (Various Artis.
    • Columbia.
    • 1.

  • Eliza Doolittle

    Big When I Was Little

    • (CD Single).
    • Parlophone.

  • The Velvelettes

    Really Saying Something

    • Leaders Of The Pack (Various Artists.
    • Polygram Tv.
    • 5.

  • Fleetwood Mac

    Say You Love Me

    • 50 Years - Don't Stop.
    • Warner Bros.
    • 004.

  • Cliff Richard

    We Don't Talk Anymore

    • Cliff Richard - Private Collection.
    • EMI.

  • Scouting for Girls

    Millionaire

    • (CD Single).
    • Epic.
    • 1.

  • The Animals

    Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood

    • The Hits Of 1965 (Various Artists).
    • MFP.

  • Squeeze

    Up The Junction

    • Big Squeeze: The Very Best Of Squeeze.
    • Universal/A&M.

  • Fun Boy Three

    Our Lips Are Sealed

    • Now 1983 - The Millennium Series.
    • EMI.

  • Status Quo

    Looking Out For Caroline

    • Bula Quo.
    • Fourth Chord Records.
    • 1.

  • Crash Test Dummies

    Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm

    • Driving Rock (Various Artists).
    • Global Records & Tapes.

  • Bonnie Tyler

    This Is Gonna Hurt

    • Rocks And Honey.
    • ZYX Music.
    • 1.

  • Thelonious Monk

    Straight, No Chaser

The Radio 2 Book Club - The Son by Philipp Meyer

The Radio 2 Book Club - The Son by Philipp Meyer

Philipp聽will be on Drivetime from 18:00 to talk about his book.

About the Book

An epic yet intimate American novel. Meyer鈥檚 The Son is the best kind of historical fiction.聽聽 This is a book filled with vivid characters and great storytelling, of a distant time, whilst also exploring themes that are completely relevant to our time.聽聽 The interwoven perspectives of the three generations of the McCullough family create a counterpoint as each comments on the others, their mores, and their expectations and how these change over time.

About Philipp

Philipp Meyer grew up in a working class neighborhood in Baltimore. His mother is an artist; his father taught college science for twenty years after working variously as a cabinet maker, electrician, and art installer. Meyer attended city public schools until dropping out at age 16 and getting a GED. He spent the next five years working as a bicycle mechanic and occasionally volunteering at Baltimore鈥檚 Shock Trauma Center.

At age 20, he began taking classes at a variety of colleges in Baltimore and decided to become a writer. He also decided to leave his hometown, and at 22, on his third attempt at applying to various Ivy League colleges, he was admitted to Cornell University. He graduated with a degree in English and a mountain of debt and headed for Wall Street to pay off his student loans.

After getting a job with the Swiss investment bank UBS, Meyer did training in London and Zurich and was assigned to a derivatives trading desk. After several years at UBS, he鈥檇 paid off most of his student loans and decided to pursue his dream of becoming a writer. When his savings ran out he took jobs as an emergency medical technician and construction worker. He was preparing for a second career as a paramedic when he was admitted to the MFA program at the Michener Center for Writers in Austin, TX. While attending grad school he continued to do emergency medical work, driving to New Orleans just as Hurricane Katrina hit and working as an EMT during that storm.聽聽




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How to get involved

  • You can tweet questions to聽Philipp - Send your tweets to using the hashtag: #R2BookClub

  • You can also submit questions in advance, by email to simonmayo@bbc.co.uk

  • If you wish to be considered as one of our reviewers for this year, you can fill in the form on our pages.

Broadcast

  • Tue 16 Jul 2013 17:05
    麻豆约拍 Radio 2