Main content

Sheikh Ahmed Zaki Yamani (pictured), Sidney Alford, Alison Lurie, Chris Barber

Matthew Bannister on oil minister Sheikh Ahmed Zaki Yamani, explosives expert Sidney Alford, author Alison Lurie and jazz musician Chris Barber.

Matthew Bannister on

Sheikh Ahmed Zaki Yamani, the Saudi oil minister who presided over the 1970s embargo that caused crises for Western economies.

Sidney Alford, the maverick explosives expert who created methods of defusing improvised explosive devices used in Northern Ireland, Afghanistan and the Middle East. He also demolished large buildings and created spectacular effects for film makers.

Alison Lurie, the American novelist whose biting satires on academic life and manners have been compared to Jane Austen.

Chris Barber, the jazz trombonist and band leader who was a leading figure in the trad boom of the 1960s.

Producer: Neil George

Interviewed guest: Dr Mai Yamani
Interviewed guest: Javier Blas
Interviewed guest: Jeffrey Robinson
Interviewed guest: Roland Alford
Interviewed guest: Prof Judith Newman

Archive clips used: Panorama: ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One, TX 20.11.1973; Book at Bedtime – Foreign Affairs: Radio 4, TX 11.10.2004; Desert Island Discs: Radio 4, TX 9.3.1985; 15 Minute Drama - Imaginary Friends: Radio 4, TX 11.7.2011; Chris Barber - Leader of the Band: Radio 2, TX 20.4.2011

Available now

28 minutes

Last on

Sun 7 Mar 2021 20:30
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4

More episodes

Previous

Sir William Macpherson (pictured), Margaret Snyder, Eleanor Wadsworth, Iain Pattinson

Next

Nicola Pagett (pictured), Stan Shaw, Prof John Mallard, Rupert Neve

See all episodes from Last Word

Sheikh Ahmed Zaki Yamani

Born 30 June 1930; died 23 February 2021, aged 90.

Last Word spoke to his daughter, Dr Mai Yamani, to author and correspondent Javier Blas, Bloomberg News Chief Energy Correspondent and author of a book on the history of commodity trading, "The World for Sale" and to biographer Β Jeffrey Robinson.

Sidney Alford OBE

Born 11 January 1935; died 27 January 2021, aged 86.

Last Word spoke to Roland Alford, who followed in his father’s footsteps.

Alison Lurie

Born 2 September 1926; died 3 December 2020, aged 94.

Last Word spoke to Professor Judith Newman, author of the book β€œAlison Lurie: A Critical Study”, who knew her well.

Chris Barber

Born 17 April 1930; died 2 March 2021, aged 90.

Broadcasts

  • Fri 5 Mar 2021 16:00
    ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4
  • Sun 7 Mar 2021 20:30
    ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4

Podcast

  • Last Word

    Radio 4's weekly obituary programme