Great Lives

Latest Episodes:

Samira Ahmed on Laura Ingalls Wilder Dec 04, 2018

Show notes

In the summer of 2018, the name of Laura Ingalls Wilder was erased from a children's literary medal set up in her honour six decades ago.

Readers of the 'Little House on the Prairie' series of books were widely perplexed, but the original American pioneer girl now finds herself at the centre of the culture wars in the US.

Nominating Laura is broadcaster and super-fan Samira Ahmed, who has been to Rocky Ridge Farm, now an historic museum in Missouri and Laura Ingalls Wilder's home.

Joining Samira in studio is novelist Tracy Chevalier, president of the Laura Ingalls Wilder club at the age of eight.

At the centre of the controversy - the depiction in these books of native Americans. “Her works reflect dated cultural attitudes toward indigenous people and people of colour that contradict modern acceptance, celebration, and understanding of diverse communities,” was the judgment of the ALSC.

Also featuring Laura Ingalls Wilder's biographer, Pamela Hill; plus the Commanche writer Paul Chaat Smith in an extract from The Invention of the USA. "I feel worried," says Samira Ahmed, "that we've lost the ability to have nuance. I cannot read these books without feeling aspects of racism, but why shouldn't we be able to read them and still see the beauty in them."

Presented by Matthew Parris.

Producer: Miles Warde

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 2018.

Christina Lamb on Benazir Bhutto Sep 25, 2018

Show notes

Benazir Bhutto made history when, aged 35, she became the first democratically elected female Prime Minister of a Muslim majority country.

Her family are one of world’s most famous political dynasties, but also one blighted by tragedy – murder, feud and assassinations.

Bhutto has been nominated by Christina Lamb, author and chief foreign correspondent with The Sunday Times. Bhutto was her friend and a huge influence on her life. She also expelled Christina Lamb from Pakistan.

Christina has a picture of Benazir Bhutto on her desk attending the rally in Pakistan before she was killed by a suicide bomber on the 27th December 2007. Christina was on a bus with her during a previous assassination attempt, and she recounts the horror of that day.

Her expert witness is Huma Yusuf, a journalist and columnist with Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper and a Global Fellow of the Woodrow Wilson Centre.

Presented by Matthew Parris

Producer: Perminder Khatkar

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 2018.

Helen Glover on Alison Hargreaves Sep 20, 2018

Show notes

Olympic rower Helen Glover champions the life of mountaineer Alison Hargreaves.

Alison's short life was defined by her love of the mountains. She became interested in climbing as a teenager and devoted her life to pursuing ever greater challenges.

She was the first woman to climb Mount Everest without oxygen and unsupported - before losing her life on the infamous K2 mountain in Pakistan in 1995.

Presented by Matthew Parris - with the help of Alison's biographer, Ed Douglas.

Producer: Maggie Ayre

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 2018.

Mark Carwardine on Douglas Adams Sep 18, 2018

Show notes

"Imagine a puddle waking up one morning and thinking, this is an interesting world I find myself in - fits me rather neatly, don't you think?"

Douglas Noel Adams wasn't even 50 when he died in 2001, but his imagination had already roamed far.

He created The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, the Meaning of Liff and several episodes of Doctor Who, plus the Dirk Gently character and Last Chance to See.

Nominating him is his co-writer on Last Chance to See, the zoologist Mark Carwardine.

Mark's role, Adams said later, was to be the one who knew what he was talking about. "My role was to be an extremely ignorant non-zoologist to whom everything that happened would come as a complete surprise."

Joining Mark and Matthew Parris in the bar where this was recorded, is Douglas Adam's biographer, Jem Roberts.

With archive of Stephen Fry, John Lloyd, Naomi Alderman, Griff Rhys Jones and Geoffrey Perkins.

Producer: Miles Warde

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 2018.

Cherie Blair on Dame Rose Heilbron Sep 11, 2018

Show notes

For Cherie Blair, leading barrister and QC, picking her great life was simple – her role model is Rose Heilbron, England's first woman judge.

When Cherie was growing up in Liverpool, Rose Heilbron was always the name that excited her grandmother the most. Rose was a barrister and when she was arguing a case before a jury in her home city, Cherie Blair's grandmother would follow her cases avidly, sometimes from the public gallery. Then she would come back and tell young Cherie all about what had gone on.

And so Heilbron became a great example of what a Liverpool girl could achieve in the law. And she had a remarkable career - first woman in silk, first to lead in a murder case, first woman treasurer of Gray's Inn.

Cherie is joined in the studio by Hilary Heilbron QC, daughter and author of the biography: 'Rose Heilbron, Legal Pioneer of the 20th century'; plus Dr John Tribe – senior lecturer in law from the University of Liverpool.

Presenter: Matthew Parris

Producer: Perminder Khatkar

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 2018.

Greg Jenner on Gene Kelly Sep 05, 2018

Show notes

Public historian Greg Jenner has always loved Gene Kelly.

"So much better than he had any right to be."

Born in Pittsburgh in 1912, Gene Kelly was a broad-shouldered Irish American whose first love was ice hockey. But according to his biographer, Ruth Leon, he revolutionised movie-making by making the camera dance.

Kelly's great films are Singin in the Rain, On The Town and An American in Paris - with extracts and archive of Gene speaking, this is a joyful celebration of the great age of Hollywood musicals.

Presented by Matthew Parris.

Producer Miles Warde

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 2018.

Patricia Greene on Bess of Hardwick Aug 21, 2018

Show notes

Actress Patricia Greene (Jill Archer in BBC Radio 4's The Archers) makes the case for Elizabeth, Countess of Shrewsbury, or Bess of Hardwick as she's more commonly known.

Like her heroine, Patricia was born in Derby and was aware of the nearby grand stately home Hardwick Hall. 'More glass than wall' was the local saying; as the key feature of this 1590s house was the exuberant use of this rare material. Only recently did she discover that the initials 'ES', which are blatantly carved on the turrets, stood for a woman - Elizabeth Shrewsbury.

And so began Patricia Greene's admiration and obsession. Who was this woman born in Tudor times, when women had few if any rights at all? Bess ended up becoming the richest woman in the land after Queen Elizabeth I, but she was portrayed by some as a 'cold-hearted shrew' who only became rich by marrying four husbands, Patricia's job is to defend her hero.

The expert witness is Dr Nigel Wright, the House & Collections Manager with the National Trust at Hardwick Estate.

Presenter: Matthew Parris

Producer: Perminder Khatkar

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 2018.

Simon Evans on JS Mill Aug 14, 2018

Show notes

Towards the end of his comic rant about the descent of man, Simon Evans does something very dangerous.

He starts to read out to his audience an extract of John Stuart Mill. Potential comedy death?

He tells Matthew Parris why the famous Victorian philosopher with the squirly hair is his idea of genius.

As well as On Liberty, Mill wrote The Subjection of Women and was the first member of Parliament to call for women's right to vote.

The expert witness is Professor Anne Phillips of the London School of Economics.

Producer: Miles Warde

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 2018.

Erica Wagner on Roald Amundsen Aug 08, 2018

Show notes

"We are ready to take the Pole in any kind of weather on offer," wrote the Norwegian Roald Amundsen in December 1911.

Born in 1872, Amundsen is part of a group of men - including the playwright Henrik Ibsen and the explorer Fridjtof Nansen - who gave shape to Norwegian identity just as the country broke free from Sweden and achieved independence.

He is also remembered as the man who beat the British explorer Scott to the South Pole. The different cultures of their two countries come under scrutiny in this episode.

The nominator is Erica Wagner, former literary editor of The Times and a writer who knows Norway well.

Joining Erica and presenter Matthew Parris are two experts:

* Pieter van der Merwe from the National Maritime Museum; * Roland Huntford, whose book on Scott and Amundsen caused an angry fuss when first published in 1979.

Produced at BBC Bristol by Miles Warde

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 2018.

Hanif Kureishi on David Bowie Jul 31, 2018

Show notes

"Suddenly this light comes into your life" - says Hanif Kureishi, referring to his hero, his great life, David Bowie.

Hanif, an author, screenwriter and film maker, went on to become friends with Bowie in the 1990's after they worked together when Bowie wrote the soundtrack to Kureishi's TV adaptation 'The Buddha of Suburbia'.

For Hanif it was also Bowie who inspired him to become an author and filmmaker - he says for a "mixed race Pakistani kid living in a crummy terrace bored out of my mind, I wanted to get out - I wanted to explore, I wanted to express myself, I wanted to be free".

Hanif gives his personal insight into the life of David Bowie.

The expert witness is Dylan Jones - author of 'David Bowie A Life' and 'When Ziggy Played Guitar'.

Presenter: Matthew Parris

Producer: Perminder Khatkar

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in July 2018.