Episodes

29/30 April 1975 - Vietnam War: The fall of Saigon - 50 years ago today How would you react if you had commandeered a Chinook helicopter and were flying over the South China Sea with little fuel, nowhere to land, your wife an...

What does an astronaut fear most? Believe it or not, it’s not dying. What tricks do you play on yourself to get to sleep the night before lift-off? What do you feel when you are standing in front of 180 feet of rocket which i...

Your son has a life expectancy in the 20’s. What are you going to do about it? Today’s guest is the embodiment of triumph over adversity, as are her family. Emma Hallam’s life is marked by extraordinary resilience in the face...

If I suggested that you spend nine months away from home and family and sail 32,000 miles around the world the hard way around (ie against prevailing winds and currents), what would you say? And suppose I then told you that e...

In 1993, Chris Moon MBE was taken prisoner while clearing landmines in Cambodia by Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge, the most feared and brutal regime in the country's history. No Western prisoner had ever survived. Chris managed to ke...

If you ever seriously considered a career as a TV Anchor, you had better listen to this episode first. Elizabeth Pearson Garr has been there. After growing up at Stanford and studying at Harvard, she ventured out to the wild...

WARNING: Today’s episode contains adult themes, specifically sex trafficking and human trafficking, so please take that into account. Amanda Blackwood is a gem. She’s fun. She’s full of life. She’s also a survivor of human t...

In 1958, Sir Patrick Hine was part of a team of elite RAF pilots, the Black Arrows, who broke the world record for an aerobatic display manoeuvre that has never been equalled - and might never be. The Black Arrows performed ...

The America's Cup - the pinnacle of professional sailing and one of the oldest and most prestigious trophies in international sport. The 2003 America's Cup: 10 teams, 1 winner. What was it like to be a competitor in one of th...

Do you pride yourself on your infallible memory? Well think again. Memories about ourselves and the events of our lives are nurtured by our Autobiographic Memory and, shockingly, it turns out that it is unreliable by design. ...

Documentaries such as Blue Planet and The Great Reef have brought new wonder and awareness into our living rooms. Former Royal Navy underwater bomb disposal expert turned submarine pilot Mark Taylor now explores the planet's ...

In October 1988, the Hong Kong police executed Operation Clinker and achieved the largest ever drug haul in Hong Kong history. Bill Renwick was undercover with the team of four who heroically overcame two of the drug syndica...

Can you imagine a silence so intense that brushing your teeth could be painful? Argentinian-born Nico Marino is a traveller. It’s in his roots. Having travelled on his bicycle across Europe, Asia and Africa, he decided to se...

It's 1968. The Vietnam War is at its fiercest. Robin Bartlett is a platoon leader with the U.S. 1st Air Cavalry Division. Robin’s platoon is deployed on regular helicopter combat assaults, sometimes twice a day. Getting int...

Rebecca Bratspies, New York environmental and human rights lawyer, shared with me the extraordinary and inspirational life story of Jackie Robinson, the first black player in US Major League Baseball, back on April 15 1947, a...

Forced to escape from a war-torn Sri Lanka with his family and move to London, Pradeep Kumar Sachitharan experienced a life of crime as a London teenager before his love for weightlifting gave him discipline and prospects. Af...

Today was a quickie just to let you know that Batting the Breeze is taking a short break. But don't worry; behind the scenes, everything is still going strong. I'm busy lining up amazing guests to share their experiences with...

During the Vietnam War, a group of courageous women embarked on an extraordinary mission to uplift the spirits of American troops stationed far away from their loved ones. The Donut Dollies. With unwavering bravery, they vent...

At 22, Brad, an Aussie thrill-seeker, invited his family to watch his first skydiving experience. It was nearly his last. The thrill turned to panic as the first parachute failed to open. Then the unthinkable happened and pa...

Jazz musician Rick DellaRatta witnessed the 9/11 attacks from a rooftop in New York City. While watching the unfolding tragedy in front of him, he was inspired to write a poem which later became known as "Jazz for Peace”. Ric...

President John F Kennedy arrived in Dallas, Texas, on November 22nd, 1963, appearing to be in good health; almost exactly three hours later, he left the Lone Star State in a casket. Those two facts are the only things most A...

“Opera singing is a civilized version of what you were doing when you were a baby. We scream like a little baby. That's what opera singing is all about.” Simona Mango did clarify that you have to scream the right notes of cou...

If you have ever considered how you could reconnect with nature, here’s your answer – through bees. Have you ever wondered why bees make honey? What does a drone do all day long? Why should we care about the health of our be...

What have a psychiatrist, a psychic medium, a bodyguard, a WWII survivor, a remote settler and a parliamentary candidate got in common? They all feature in today’s episode. The podcast has now passed 25 episodes, so it felt l...