Great Lives Folgen

"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 WardeFirst broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 2018.

"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 KhatkarFirst broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in July 2018.

Catherine the Great assumed power in a St Petersburg coup, extended the empire into Crimea, Ukraine and Alaska. is Russia's longest lasting female ruler, and wasn't even Russian herself. All of this intrigues Dame Barbara Stocking, former head of Oxfam, who admires Catherine's leadership style. Biographer Virginia Rounding provides the details of her background and her lovers, and Matthew Parris presents. The producer in Bristol is Miles Warde.