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The Story

Wrapped up in books: What to read this Christmas

The Story

The Times

Politics, Uk News, News, Long-form Audio, Global News, In-depth Journalism, Daily News, Exclusive Interviews, Audio Storytelling, News Analysis, Current Affairs, Investigative Reporting, Daily News Podcast

3.91.6K Ratings

🗓️ 23 December 2020

⏱️ 38 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

David Aaronovitch sits down with Times Radio breakfast show host Stig Abell to share some of their most cherished festive page turners.


This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today and get one month free at: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes.


Guests: 

Stig Abell - Times Radio Breakfast show host, Sunday Times columnist.


With book recommendations from:

John Witherow - Editor, The Times.

Emma Tucker - Editor, Sunday Times.

Andrew Holgate - Literary Editor, Sunday Times.

Matt Dickinson - Chief Sports Writer, The Times.


Host: David Aaronovitch. 


The books:

David: 

Selling Hitler - Robert Harris

Out of Pure Rage - Jeff Dyer


Stig:

Things I Learned on the 6.28: A Guide to Daily Reading - Stig Abell

Summer of 1927 - Bill Bryson

A Distant Mirror - Barbara Tuchman


Matt Dickinson:

Moth and the Mountain - Ed Caesar


Emma Tucker:

The Motion of the Body Through Space - Lionel Shriver


Andrew Holgate:

English Pastoral - James Rebanks


John Witherow:

JFK: Volume 1: 1917-1956 - Frederik Logevall

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Transcript

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0:00.0

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0:46.2

dot code.uk. partner of choice. My normal Christmas is hectic.

0:55.0

Drinks, theatre, the football, a bit of ballet even.

1:00.0

That's going to the ballet, not me dancing.

1:02.0

And all on top of a year of city breaks, That's going to the ballet, not me dancing.

1:02.8

And all on top of a year of city breaks, culture chasing,

1:06.2

and of course writing, broadcasting, interviewing, and meetings.

1:10.8

Not too much time then for anything slow and leisurely. And then came you know what and the hustled

1:16.7

de-husled and the bustled de-busled and the bustled and unrushed pastimes came back into my life.

1:26.8

In particular long walks and long books. I relearned to read.

1:29.3

It helps you see the world through another person's eyes and being willing and able to see the world through another person's eyes and being willing and able to see the world

1:33.8

through another person's eyes to experience empathy is one of the great human achievements.

1:39.1

Stig Abel, their star of Page and Radio Wave. In today's episode he and I draw up our PC cameras and talk

1:46.6

about what we think you could be reading beside the blazing Yule log this holiday season.

...

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