The Author Archive Podcast

There is an article in the Daily Telegraph written by Petra Khasoggi.

When she was a teenager she discovered that her biological father is Jonathan Aitken. It is not a consistently happy story. 

We are used to politicians , particularly Tory politicians, being untruthful.

Twenty five years ago Jonathan Aitken was a high profile journalist and Tory politician who found himself in very hot water

He was pursued mercilessly by sections of the British press when they gathered evidence to show that he had encouraged one of his daughters to lie in court to get him out of a tight legal corner into which his own lies had lead him.

He was found guilty and sentenced to a jail term

As a sideshow to his public fall from grace he ran up a huge legal bill which he could not pay. Bankruptcy was inevitable.

Many were sceptical when he 'found God' in jail. He confounded his critics however by sticking with religion and becoming ordained as a vicar. Later he returned to jail as a chaplain.

There was a book published in 2003 called 'Pride and Perjury'. Jonathan Aitken talked to David Freeman about it, and his life,  soon after publication.

 

Sir Ranulph Fiennes is still in the news. Where he is still unknown but he is often referred as a national treaure.

Sir Ranulph Fiennes met David Freeman when his book 'The Secret Hunters' was published in 2001.

The book tells the story of a diary that was found in a shelter in Antarctica in 1997. This opens the door to a world of deprivation, war, survival and revenge.

It's a gripping page-turning read, but is it fiction?

There is huge interest in the latest Charles Spencer book, but he has written about his family before.

They started as sheep farmers. They were successful!

This conversation was recorded in the 90s at Althrop the Spencer family stately home. Interesting to hear his view , all those years ago , of his sister Diana.

It was memorable to talk to the author in one of the grand rooms surrounded by portraits of his ancestors.

The purpose of the interview was to promote his family history book that was about to be published.

 

There is a press story telling how Sir Rannulph Fiennes seems to have disappeared. The facts seem to suggest that he is being held in a care home and his friends are discouraged from visiting him. If any friends manage to find him they have to sign an NDA. This seems very odd.

Obviously I have no idea where he is. I remember him as a fascinating, engaging and memorable interviewee.

In 2019 Sir Rannulph was diagnosed with Parkinsons disease.

A few years ago as part of the Cheltenham Literary festival I interviewed Sir Rannulph on stage at the Everyman Theatre about his family history book 'Mad Dogs and Englishmen'.

I remember shaking hands  - a non standard formality for him. He told me how he had to adopt a DIY approach to dealing with frost bite in his fingers. He no longer has the standard issue 10.

In this episode there's a conversation I had with Sir Rannulph later in a London studio, a chat with the legendary travel writer Eric Newby, and the life of the unforgettable adventurer Lucy Irvine.

Lucy had replied to an advertisement in 1980 seeking a woman to spend a year on a desert island with a man she didn't know.  This  adventure became a film starring Oliver Reid. She tells me how she went on to write the story of another island dwelling family in her book Faraway.

Memorable stories.

 

The American president now suggests that he is closely associated with Jesus. He has distributed pictures. He is performing Bible readings. Will he include the bits from Matthew 5:9? Blessed are the peacemakers?

He declares that he has been saved by God to make his country great again, I find it impossible not to wonder about the precise nature of the deity that he professes to believe in. Are Donald and his advisers familiar with the writings that are the basis of his religion? 

This book by Catherine Nixey is terrific - its a revelation and it's now available in paperback format.

Catherine has studied texts written around the same time as the writings we know as the gospels. 

Some of these ancient documents tell the story of the bible characters we are familiar with in a totally different way.

Listen to Catherine talk about her research and you will be surprised ..... probably very surprised!!

Every time I see a politician leaning in a faith direction I want to urge them to read this book!

Antonio Forcione is a brilliant guitar player.

Antonio really likes to entertain and he is joined by comedian, singer and songwriter Boothby Graffoe.

When we talked Antonio was in a museum in Rome and Boothby was in Portugal.

I'm David Freeman and I was in Cheltenham.

I saw the show last night - it was brilliant.

Joseph Millson is an author but he is also a stage actor.

Currently he is starring in the hugely successful West End revival of Phantom of the Opera.

He tells me about his first novel - Miller Rose Roberts. Who she is, what she does and the role of tinnitus in the story.

Joseph is an entertainer.... great fun.

Amongst other stories he describes how his dad became fused to a bass guitar. He didn't mean to!

 

Jeanette Winterson celebrates her 67th birthday on August 27th.

This interview was recorded when Jeanette was a 20 something brand new literary force and a CD was cutting edge technology.

I remember this conversation with huge affection. Mostly I would talk to an author for 20 minutes or so but this conversation is twice that. It was recorded in the spring of 1984 when 'Oranges are Not the Only Fruit' was first published.

I was very fortunate because I was one of the very first broadcasters to interview Jeanette.

I had been reading the book in bed the night before and was buzzing with enthusiasm for it when I met her.

Hear the author talk about her life in religious Accrington and why she rejected the faith.

A superb book!

This archive interview dates back to March 2014. Jim Lovelock was in his mid nineties. I was delighted to interview him. As I said at the time for me it was like meeting Elvis!

He was energetic, effervescent and wise. His wife Sandy was in the front row and he shone with contentment.

When the conversation started I had no idea we were going to end up talking about microwave ovens .... but we started discussing climate change. And then moved on to falling in love !

2014 is not long ago but the full ferocity of the effect of the increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere hadn't really been felt in the way it has now. So what did Jim think?

It is five years since the Taliban regained control in Afghanistan. Science is one of the many things they disapprove of. Religion is believed more than evident truth.

All over the globe there are powerful politicians who have taken to denying scientific facts to further their own ambitions.

This took another massive leap into the abyss when President Trump removed all the limits on greenhouse gas emissions in the US.  Not a solution to the problem - just a denial of its existence. Inconvenient scientific facts denied and dismissed. Unbelievable in our heating world

There is a new book edited by Lawrence M.Krauss - The War on Science.

Among the writers and scientists who have contributed chapters is Richard Dawkins.

Professor Dawkins talked to me about his chapter.