Sir Terence Conran nominates the makers of pneumatic tyres. Read more
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Michelin Brothers
Sir Terence Conran nominates the makers of pneumatic tyres.
Friedrich Nietzsche
Cartoonist Ralph Steadman and translator Adam Czerniawski discuss the philosopher's life.
Sylvia Pankhurst
Barbara Castle and biographer Mary Davis discuss the life of suffragette Sylvia Pankhurst.
Henri Matisse
Writer Frank Delaney and biographer Hilary Spurling discuss the painter Henri Matisse
Marshall McLuhan
Kim Henry Veltman joins director Jonathan Miller to discuss the Canadian writer on media.
HG Wells
Writer Fay Weldon and biographer Vincent Brome discuss the life of the visionary novelist.
Vivekananda
Rabbi Lionel Blue and Gwilym Beckerlegge discuss Swami Vivekananda.
King Hussein
Jackie Stewart discusses his good friend King Hussein of Jordan with writer Patrick Seale.
Sir Donald Wolfit
Humphrey Carpenter invites Ned Sherrin to discuss actor Sir Donald Wolfit.
George Eliot
Ex-parliamentary standards commissioner Elizabeth Filkin chooses novelist George Eliot.
Franz Schubert
Cellist Steven Isserlis and musicologist Brian Newbould on the composer Franz Schubert.
Viscount Slim
Lord Carrington and Lord John Slim discuss military leader, Field-Marshal Viscount Slim.
Alexander the Great
Writer Frederic Raphael chooses part man, part myth Alexander the Great.
Louis Armstrong
Band leader Chris Barber chooses legendary jazz trumpeter, Louis Armstrong.
Lord Byron
Sue Limb nominates 'mad, bad and dangerous to know' poet, Lord Byron.
Tom Spring
Sports writer Frank Keating nominates 19th century bare knuckle boxer, Tom Spring.
Katherine Graham
Broadcaster Kirsty Young chooses newspaper publisher Katherine Graham.
Bernard Manning nominates Mother Teresa
Comedian Bernard Manning assesses the achievements of Mother Teresa of Calcutta.
Erasmus Darwin
Paul Nurse discusses scientist, inventor and poet Erasmus Darwin, grandfather of Charles.
CLR James
Darcus Howe discusses his uncle, the sportsman, writer and revolutionary CLR James.
Rachel Carson
Writer Bea Campbell chooses pioneering environmental protection scientist Rachel Carson.
MR James
Muriel Gray chooses the ghost story writer MR James.
Umm Kulthum
Novelist Ahdaf Soueif chooses acclaimed Egyptian singer Umm Kulthum as his great life.
Benedict Spinoza
Nobel Prize-winning chemist Sir Harry Kroto chooses the philosopher Benedict Spinoza.
Richard Crossman
Politician Tam Dalyell chooses cabinet minister and political diarist Richard Crossman.
James Gillray
Political cartoonist Steve Bell chooses the 18th-century caricaturist James Gillray.
Captain James Cook
Media executive and broadcaster Greg Dyke chooses explorer Captain James Cook.
Scott of the Antarctic
Author Beryl Bainbridge selects explorer Robert Falcon Scott as a hidden romantic.
Rachmaninov
Conductor Leonard Slatkin proposes composer Sergei Rachmaninov for great life status.
Bob Marley
Poet Benjamin Zephaniah explores the life of reggae legend Bob Marley.
James Hogg
Geneticist Steve Jones chooses 19th-century fiddle-playing shepherd and writer James Hogg.