The Author Archive Podcast

The future of democracy is a popular talking point at the moment. It seems some democratically elected leaders would like to change the system that gave them the job in the first place. History records that we have been here before! When I talked to Dr Steve Kershaw about his book about battles in ancient Greece. it seemed that the human desire for conflict is unchanged through history.  Three Epic Battles that Saved Democracy is an entertaining and instructive read - now published in the US by Pegasus Books.  Great review in the Wall Street Journal. Will it be read in the White House?  

There are powerful politicians who have taken to denying scientific facts to futher their own ambitions. There is a new book edited by Lawrence M.Krauss - The War on Science. Among the writers and scientists who have contributed chapters is Richard Dawkins. Professor Dawkins talked to me about his chapter.

In 2019 Sir Rannulph Fiennes was diagnosed with Parkinsons disease. A few years ago as part of the Cheltenham Literary festival I interviewed Sir Rannulph on stage at the Everyman Theatre about his family history book 'Mad Dogs and Englishmen'. I remember shaking hands  - a non standard formality for him. He told me how he had to adopt a DIY approach to dealing with frost bite in his fingers. In this episode there's a conversation I had with Sir Rannulph later in a London studio, a chat with the legendary travel writer Eric Newby, and the life of the unforgettable Lucy Irvine. Lucy had replied to an advertisement in 1980 seeking a woman to spend a year on a desert island with a man she didn't know.  This  adventure became a film starring Oliver Reid. She tells me how she went on to write the story of another island dwelling family in her book Faraway. Memorable stories.  

Michael Payne has spent his whole working life in the sports marketing business. In his autobiography he tells how sport became big business. In this  wide ranging conversation we discuss how the Olympics were saved from oblivion, whether FIFA were right to award Donald Trump a special peace prize.... and the major challenges facing sport in our connected digital age.,

Unbelievably Sophie Kinsella has died.   This archive conversation was recorded at the Langham Hilton in London and I remember that Sophie ( real name Madeleine) turned up with lots and lots of shopping. That was to be expected because the conversation was to mark the publication of the third in the shopaholic series of stories. She was great fun to talk to. That  isn't PR  spin .... she really was. Huge sympathy to her husband and five children.     

Putin seems determined 'to make Russia great again' His motivations are difficult to understand but listening to historian Simon Sebag Montefiore might go some way to explaining his thinkng. Simon Sebag Montefiore explains the mythic status of  this eighteenth century Russian statesman, and military leader Grigory Potemkin.  In this conversation recorded in London in 2000 Simon Sebag Montefiore tells David Freeman about practical politics in 18th century Russia and how Potemkin made his way in society with the help of the love of Catherine the Great. Their relationship has been told in films but the way Simon tells the story is probably more gripping and unbelievable. Simon told the story in full in his the books, Prince of Princes, and Catherine the Great and Potemkin, The Imperial Love Affair. Interesting to hear Simon say that Putin read this book and what he learned has informed his political views. This lead to the invasion of Ukraine  and a significant incident when Russian troops broke into the crypt of the cathedral in Kherson and removed the bones of Grigory Potemkin.  This is history to remember. Putin uses this history to justify his actions.          

Sir Anthony Seldon has written about a 1,300 kilometre walk he took across Europe from Southern France, through Austria and the Czech Republic finally reaching his destination, Auschwitz in Poland. On the journey he seeks out inspiring stories of the lives of 'figures of light'. As he tells me , while he was walking through places associated with fascism and the second world war he was well aware of the worrying state of global politics in the 21st century. A thought provoking conversation.  

The cover of this new book declares that in it Marcus Chown explains the simple way to understand the most important ideas in science. Marcus is one of the very best science writers on the planet. Listening to this conversation you might marvel at his patience as he explains the workings of a quantum computer to me. I learned a lot!

Steve Ashley has had a long illustrious career in music and political activism. This conversation was recorded in November 2025, a few months before Steve's 80th birthday.  His passions, enthusiasms and commitment remain undimmed. In this informal interview Steve tells of his influences and motivation. He clearly has a lot of fight and lyricism left! A very entertaining musician and stimulating conversationalist.  

This engrossing book is subtitled 'how to listen to what animals are trying to say' Amelia, the author, is passionate and thought provoking. Hearing this conversation or reading the book just might drive you to the edge of becoming a vegetarian. An excellent gift book for any animal lover.

When this interview was recorded in August 2015 Andrew was a prince and a duke living in a very big house. That is now history. Andrew Lownie has spent four years researching the lives of Andrew Windsor and Sarah Ferguson, who used to be the Duke and Duchess of York. The book is full of dramatic details of lives spent sailing very close to the wind but mostly protected by their royal status. Not anymore. What Andrew Lownie tells me will stop you in your tracks.    

Halloween again! Everything weird is celebrated. Does this include UFOs? In this interview on the subject David Freeman, a UFO skeptic, met UFO true believer Timothy Good when his book Unearthly Disclosure was first published. The conversation was friendly but inquisitive! So are UFOs real?  Are those little creatures with three fingers that are on the TV screens real aliens?  

Hearing Ross talk about the Ancient Romans is an entertaining revelation.  I didn't know that the 'no kings' movement is a Roman invention as is the tradition of reminding would be absolute rulers that they are as human as the rest of us. Ross is a riveting writer of history and a great story teller.

Roger Hammond writes in fearless detail how he was his wife's carer for thirty of their forty seven years of marriage. Lyn was diagnosed with MS when they were a family of four with two young daughters. Roger writes about the challenges but he also recounts how they dealt with them and enjoyed a happy and fulfilling marriage. They never forgot how to enjoy life ...... their holidays were fabulous!      

Sad to report that Jilly Cooper has died. She was always great fun to chat to and consistently jolly. Hugely successful but not grand at all! This conversation was recorded when her novel Pandora was first published. 

Some interviewees I remember as 'troupers'. At the very top of that tree were the Collins sisters. Joan is now 92. I remember a televised conversation I had with Joan. Her assistant decreed that the lighting must be subtle but Joan herself insisted on full on straight in the face spots. I had theories why this might be her preference. Over the years I interviewed Joan and her sister Jackie a few times. It was always 'an event'. The Collins sisters spoke to me in London at the end of the last century. Jackie was promoting her novel 'Thrill' about the glamorous world of Hollywood, and Joan was encouraging interest in her autobiography 'Second Act'. Both sisters were happy to talk about themselves. Sadly Jackie died in 2015 .... but Joan marches on!

Ross King is a superb history storyteller. He will be talking to me here at the Author Archive soon about his new book 'The Shortest History of Ancient Rome'. His previous book is tells of a different dimension of Italian history. .'The Bookseller of Florence'   is all about the surprising trade in manuscripts and books in Renaissance Italy. Adrian Levy tells David about his visit to the Jade mines of Myanmar and the inhuman conditions that he found there. This visit was 20 years ago and one can only hope that conditions have improved.

James Patterson is a phenomenon. His skill as a storyteller has made him very wealthy. His wealth allowed him to buy a house in Palm Beach, near to Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein. Interestingly James is the producer of 'Filthy Rich' the Netflix documentary about the scandalous behaviour of Epstein. David Freeman met him in London to talk about his sixth Alex Ross story 'Roses are Red', when the paperback was first published in the UK.

Prince Andrew has been in the news. In this episode Hugo Vickers discusses  his biography of Alice, Princess Andrew of Greece mother of the Duke of Edinburgh: Donna Leon tells the story of her novel “Wilful Behaviour “ set in Venice: R.J.B. Bosworth recounts his research into the life of Mussolini and Gitta Sereny remembers Germany in the 1930s as told in her book “The German Trauma” We have seen the power of the political rally to stir followers. Gitta Sereny actually attended a Hitler rally. With the spectre of authoritarianism on the rise again this is frighteningly relevant. Lessons from history.

This unsettling  book examines the astonishing extent of American ownership of UK business. In a Trump world this could be even more of a  cause for concern Whether you are interested in 'taking back control' or how much of our day to day financial transactions happen via the US, you will find this fascinating and possibly horrifying.