Showing results by narrator "Alistair Petrie" in All Categories

Don Quixote has become so entranced by reading romances of chivalry that he determines to become a knight errant and pursue bold adventures, accompanied by his squire, the cunning Sancho Panza. As they roam the world together, the ageing Quixote's fancy leads them wildly astray. At the same time the relationship between the two men grows in fascinating subtlety.

Erno Rubik was a child when he first became obsessed with puzzles of all kinds. "Puzzles", he writes, "bring out important qualities in each of us: concentration, curiosity, a sense of play, the eagerness to discover a solution". To Rubik, puzzles aren't just games - they're creativity machines. He encourages us to embrace our inner curiosity and find the puzzles that surround us in our everyday lives. "If you are determined, you will solve them", he writes. Rubik's own puzzle, the Cube, has been solved by millions worldwide for more than 40 years....

It took three tortured days in 1876 for Charles Bravo to die from the poison that burned its way through his body. The subsequent investigation revealed many people with a grudge against the young barrister. The dramatic inquest was covered in sensational detail by the press, but no one was convicted of his murder. Over a century later, James Ruddick draws on new evidence to solve one of the most famous murders in criminal history.

What value can be put on a human mind? How Joe Roberts does what he does is a mystery. He has a brain that seems able to outperform a computer. To a games company like Venstrom that promises big profits if his abilities can be properly exploited. So they send Nicole Nevinson to track him down and make him an offer too good to refuse.

On June 6th 2004, in a quiet suburb of Riyadh, BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner and cameraman Simon Cumbers were filming a programme on al-Qaeda when they were ambushed by Islamic gunmen. Simon was killed outright. Frank was shot and lay pleading for his life. A figure pumped four more bullets into his body at point blank range. Against all the odds, he survived. This is the remarkable account of his agonising journey to where he is today.

In Cubed Rubik covers more than just his journey to inventing his eponymous cube. He makes a case for always being an amateur (which he considers himself). He discusses the inevitability of problems during any act of invention. He reveals what it was like to experience the astonishing worldwide success of an object he made purely for his own amusement. And he offers what he thinks it means to be a true creator (hint: persistence). Steeped in the wisdom and also the humility of a born inventor, Cubed offers a unique look at the imperfect science of creation.

Lukas has been apprenticed to work for Emperor Rudolph II. The reclusive emperor collects wonders from around the world, all crammed into four rooms. Not everyone is charmed by his eccentricity though, and when a group of diplomats arrives, sent by the King of Spain, Lukas senses danger. But if he is to protect the great Bohemian from tyranny Lukas must first learn the true meaning of trust, honour and friendship.

When Connor starts creating a map of an imaginary world for his school project he has no idea where it will lead. As he draws the islands and the mountains, the map begins to take shape. And then there’s the tower - ominous and threatening - but so necessary that without it the map would not be complete. Perhaps without the tower, the map might not even exist. But the map does exist, and so does the tower. As Connor enters the world he’s created he meets others who have their own tales to tell.

After escaping an assassin who tries to kill him Max Gordon learns that his explorer father is missing. Determined to find him, Max discovers a clue which leads him to the inhospitable wilderness Namibia and the discovery of a potential ecological disaster masterminded by the ruthless Shaka Chang.

Research biologist, Piers Egerton, has been working on a top-secret project for a number of years and has finally realised it is something he wants no part of. But the people he works for think he knows too much. Lee Barber is a train driver, whose career is seemingly ruined through one simple error. Frustrated and desperate, the two strangers are thrown into each other’s paths at a pivotal moment. As Thames Valley Serious Crimes Squad, headed by Mike Yeadings, investigates the disappearance of one of the men, grim secrets of national importance emerge.