In 2010, the BBC and the British Museum embarked on an ambitious project: to
tell the story of two million years of human history using one hundred objects
selected from the Museum's vast and renowned collection. Presented by the
British Museum's Director Neil MacGregor, each episode focuses on a single
object – from a Stone Age tool to a solar-powered lamp – and explains its
significance in human history. Music, interviews with specialists and quotations
from written texts enrich the listener's experience. On each CD, objects from
a similar period of history are grouped together to explore a common theme and
make connections across the world. Seen in this way, history is a kaleidoscope:
shifting, interlinked, constantly surprising and shaping our world in ways that
most of us have never imagined. The landmark series on BBC Radio 4 that tells
the story of humanity through 100 man-made objects from the British
Museum's unique collection.
Accolades
Shortlisted for Galaxy National Book Awards: More4 Popular Non-Fiction Book of
the Year 2011.
Author Biography
Neil MacGregor has been Director of the British Museum since August 2002. He
was previously Director of the National Gallery in London, from
1987 to 2002.
