Robert Fisk

Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the journalist Robert Fisk. He is one of our most distinguished foreign correspondents and has spent his life covering conflicts around the world - the past 30 years immersed in the life and politics of the Middle East. He formed his ambition at a young age - he saw Hitchcock's film Foreign Correspondent when he was just 12 years old and was determined to join their ranks. War, too, was a strong influence - his father had fought on the Western Front and was haunted by his experiences. He insisted that young Robert should learn about the war and his first foreign holiday was a tour of the Somme.

He has become used to living in a war zone - he has escaped a kidnap attempt, survived an attack by Afghan refugees and risked his life to secure interviews of which other journalists dream. Perhaps his greatest scoop was securing a series of face-to-face interviews with Osama Bin Laden.

[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs]

Choices

1.

Benjamin Britten

Dies irae (from War Requiem)

Choir: The Bach Choir Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra and Choir Conductor: Benjamin Britten

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2.

Castaway's favourite

Samuel Barber

Adagio For Strings

Orchestra: City of London Sinfonia Conductor: Richard Hickox

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3.

Winston Churchill

This Was Their Finest Hour (speech, 18 June 1940)

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4.

Donovan

Mellow Yellow

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5.

Johann Pachelbel

Canon in D major

Orchestra: Academy of St Martin’s in the Fields Conductor: Neville Marriner

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6.

Irvine

The Lord is My Shepherd

Choir: The Huddersfield Choral Society

7.

Fairuz

Beirut Hal Zarafat

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8.

Symfonický orchester Slovenského rozhlasu

Hatikiva - the National Anthem of Israel

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Book

Le Mort D'Arthur by Thomas Mallory

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Luxury item

A violin

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