The Author Archive Podcast David Freeman

This glorious popular science books tells the story of how black holes that were  thought to be too ridiculous to exist in 1916 had by 1971  been proved to exist.
Einstein thought they were impossible but in 1971 Paul Murdin and Louise Webster discovered the very first black hole, Cygnus X-1
Marcus tells the story of these extraordinary people who discovered that black holes are centre stage in the cosmos. Indeed without black holes it is unlikely that we would exist.
Fasten your seat belts and prepare to be amazed.
A great book for the curious!!
 
 
 

Truddi Chase lived with dissociative identity disorder a condition that used to be called multiple personality disorder.
On the cover of her book the author was named as 'The Troops' - the name she gave to her 90 plus identities.
When I interviewed her she was with her therapist Robert Phillips. The whole story was very difficult to assimilate as you can probably hear.
Truddi died in 2010 but there is a website dedicated to her and her autobiography is still in demand.
It seems that her condition was a result of abuse in her childhood.
A story like no other!

It's Bafta time again.
The winner of the BAFTA for best actor went to Timothy Spall for his performance in 'The Sixth Commandment'.
Timothy played Peter Farquar, a gay Christian teacher who was murdered by a student, Ben Field.
The horrific murder actually happened in the normally peaceful  village of Maids Moreton in Buckinghamshire.
The true story is told by David Wilson who lives in the village in his book 'A Plot to Kill'.
He told David Freeman about it.
 
 

This interview is one I remember 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 rejecting the faith will make reading the book essential

This new book is terrific - its a revelation.
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!!

Ashley Mullinger is a commercial fisherman.
She used to work in an office but found it dull and stressful. She  decided to go on a half day fishing trip with a couple of her friends just to make a change.
The friends sort of liked it but Ashley REALLY liked it and now does it as a full time job. She is so good at it she was awarded the title of 'Fisherman of the Year'.
In this conversation she explains her passion for the life and her fears for the future of the whole commercial fishing industry.