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Last broadcast on Mon, 12 Oct 2009, 21:30 on BBC Radio 4 (see all broadcasts).
Synopsis
Andrew Marr's guests include writer Audrey Niffenegger on her new novel, historian Robert Service on his biography of Trotsky and the Economist's Edward Carr on why polymaths are an endangered species. Also, with an election on the horizon, Anthony Seldon explores the nature of trust.
AUDREY NIFFENEGGER
Audrey Niffenegger’s debut novel, The Time Traveler’s Wife, sold nearly 5 million copies worldwide and was made into a Hollywood film. Her latest novel, Her Fearful Symmetry, eschews time travel to play with the themes of a Victorian gothic novel. Set in London, this ghost story has the requisite large house by the cemetery, a rich aunt who leaves a strange and unexpected legacy, and two sets of identical twins. Niffenegger is also a successful artist whose graphic novels marry her love of words with her art.
Her Fearful Symmetry is published by Jonathan Cape.
EDWARD CARR
The Economist's Foreign Editor Edward Carr explains why he thinks polymaths are an endangered species in our age. It's never been easier to find out information with hundreds of sources on the web, but growing specialization means it's increasingly difficult to make significant contributions in a wide range of fields. He ponders if we are missing out on big breakthroughs that perspectives from other disciplines can bring.
Edward Carr's article on polymaths is in the autumn edition of Intelligent Life magazine.
ROBERT SERVICE
After his two acclaimed biographies of the Russian revolutionaries Lenin and Stalin, the historian Robert Service tackles Trotsky. Drawing on hitherto unexamined archives, Service reassess the established view of Trotsky. He questions his status as the pure revolutionary unjustly hounded into exile by Stalin, and argues against the romanticising of his life and career.
Trotsky: A Biography is published by Macmillan.
ANTHONY SELDON
With the party conferences over, and a general election on the horizon, Dr Anthony Seldon discusses the holy grail of politics: Trust. He analyses what role trust plays in society and puts forward solutions for creating a more trusting world.
Trust: How we lost it and how to get it back is published by Biteback Publishing.
Broadcasts
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Mon 12 Oct 200909:00
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Mon 12 Oct 200921:30
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