Desert Island Discs: Flotsam and Jetsam

Fascinating facts, figures, stats, and trivia are collected here in celebration of the 70th anniversary of Desert Island Discs. Flotsam & Jetsam is the ultimate and totally irresistible trivia book for fans of the hugely popular radio program, and a fascinating introduction for all those who have yet to discover its delights. Taking the reader on a journey of discovery through seven glorious decades of entertainment, this book offers an endlessly absorbing range of facts and figures, stats and miscellany, including who chose what, and why. It also reveals much about the castaways' drives and motivations, their influences, and, of course, their dreams. Spanning the early years with the original presenter, Roy Plomley, and the present day, the Desert Island Discs story shows how each decade has brought its own unique surprises—some hilarious, such as Eric Morecambe's choice of a deckchair as his luxury and Ernie Wise's of a deckchair ticket machine—and some very touching, such as Neil Kinnock's request for a recording of his two-year-old daughter singing "Horace The Horse," and Duncan Goodhew's choice of a wig. From Beethoven to the Beatles, from chessboards and chocolate to Jane Austen and the Qur'an, and everything in between, Flotsam & Jetsam is the perfect companion guide to the national treasure that is Desert Island Discs.