List of Desert Island Discs episodes (1991–2000) explained

The BBC Radio 4 programme Desert Island Discs invites castaways to choose eight pieces of music, a book (in addition to the Bible – or a religious text appropriate to that person's beliefs – and the Complete Works of Shakespeare) and a luxury item that they would take to an imaginary desert island, where they will be marooned indefinitely. The rules state that the chosen luxury item must not be anything animate or indeed anything that enables the castaway to escape from the island, for instance a radio set, sailing yacht or aeroplane. The choices of book and luxury can sometimes give insight into the guest's life, and the choices of guests between 1991 and 2000 are listed here.

1991

DateCastawayBookLuxuryMore
info
Lord GoodmanWho's Whomore
Adelaide HallA book about American historyBox of seedsmore
Fred ZinnemannWar and Peace by Leo TolstoyVery large self-renewing bottle of scotchmore
Brian EnoContingency, Irony, and Solidarity by Richard RortyRadio telescopemore
A book of Greek poetryDice to test the luck of a ship rescuing himmore
Paddy Ashdown MPThe collected works of John DonneLaptop computermore
Dame Ninette de ValoisA collection of poemsAn everlasting bottle of sleeping pillsmore
Ronald EyreA talking book by Judi DenchSupply of flower bulbsmore
Raj Quartet by Paul ScottSatellite dish and TVmore
Jeffrey BernardThe Complete Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doylemore
Collected Plays of J. B. Priestleymore
Marti CaineDo-it-yourself manualmore
Naomi MitchisonBook of modern poetryEndless supply of writing materialsmore
Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and FableSupply of cigars and matchesmore
Dr Jonathan SacksThe TalmudLarge supply of pencilsmore
Dame Shirley PorterSAS Survival ManualLarge Swiss Army Knifemore
Cecil LewisSagittarius Surviving by C. S. LewisFax machinemore
John SimpsonAnything in French by Marcel ProustFlutemore
Rt. Hon. John SmithAnthology of poemsCase of champagnemore
Marco Pierre WhiteMa Gastronomie by Fernand PointPicture of his daughtermore
Derek WalcottUlysses by James JoyceCarton of cigarettesmore
A. S. ByattA la recherche du temps perdu by Marcel ProustLarge filing cabinet full of A4 paper and pensmore
John HegartyThe Crock of Gold by James Stephensmore
Ron ToddThe collected works of Robert Burnsmore
Lord ShawcrossThe Way We Live Now by Anthony TrollopeCD player/solar-powered radiomore
Alan BleasdaleCatch-22 by Joseph Hellermore
Maxwell HutchinsonFour Quartets by T. S. Eliotmore
Poems For Joy and Sermons For Solace by John Donnemore
John BanhamThe collected works of A. E. Housmanmore
Klaus Tennstedtmore
David BaileyVoices of Silence by MalrauxNelson's Columnmore
Imran KhanBang-E-Dara by IqbalShotgun and clay pigeon trapmore
John SchlesingerDictionary of QuotationsMagimix (battery powered)more
Elizabeth Esteve-CollFour Quartets by T. S. EliotExpensive perfumed hand creammore
Alan AldaRobinson Crusoe by Daniel DefoeItalian pastamore
E. P. ThompsonSongs of Innocence and Experience by William Blakemore
Lord Delfont1515–1985 British Music Theatre BookCigars and matchesmore
James LovelockThe Golden Treasury by Francis PalgravePen and papermore
Dilys PowellOliver Twist by Charles DickensMouth organ with instructionsmore
Fred DibnahBound volumes of the Engineer magazineSteamrollermore
Sue TownsendLucky Jim by Kingsley AmisSwimming pool of champagnemore
Gorden KayeA clock given to him for turning on the Oxford lightsmore

1992

DateCastawayBookLuxuryMore
info
Steven BerkoffPianomore
Reverend David JenkinsThe Complete Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan DoyleBinocularsmore
John MajorThe Small House at Allington by Anthony TrollopeThe Oval cricket ground replica and bowling machinemore
J. G. BallardMoby Dick by Herman MelvilleUnicyclemore
Robbie ColtraneThe Lady in the Lake by Raymond ChandlerPencils and papermore
Sir Roger BannisterAnthology of Russian, American and English storiesSolar-powered receiver to receive BBC Radio 4more
Elvis CostelloSelected Works of James ThurberUpright pianomore
Valley of Bones by Anthony PowellStuffed body of the Minister of Educationmore
Jocelyn StevensOther Men's Flowers by Lord WavellOne mile stretch of the River Test in Hampshiremore
Sir Isaiah BerlinWorks, prose and verse by Aleksandr PushkinLarge armchair stacked with cushionsmore
Lady SoamesMemories from Beyond the Grave by ChateaubriandSupply of fine Havana cigarsmore
Sir Ernst GombrichGoethe's Poems by Johann Wolfgang GoetheBathtub with an endless supply of hot watermore
Anthony Rolfe JohnsonParquet floor and tap shoesmore
History of the English-Speaking Peoples by Winston ChurchillTriangular pillowmore
Will CarlingThe Hobbit by J. R. R. TolkienFlotation tankmore
Michael GradeThe Wind in the Willows by Kenneth GrahameSports resultsmore
War and Peace by Leo TolstoyPianomore
Prunella Scalesmore
Duncan GoodhewThe Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. TolkienWigmore
Robert LindsaySons and Lovers by D. H. LawrenceComputer chess setmore
Terry WaiteComplete Cambridge Historiesmore
Vivienne WestwoodMulti-lingual dictionarymore
Clare Short MPGeometry tutorPianomore
Life of John F. Kennedy Satellite dish and television set more
Vile Bodies by Evelyn Waughmore
David MellorThe Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas HardyTelephone (disconnected)more
Bob GeldofThe Diary of Samuel PepysMetropolitan Museum in New Yorkmore
Penelope LeachThe Complete Works of Sigmund FreudCoffeemore
Raymond BlancThe Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-ExupéryA good luck stone (from his wife)more
Chad VarahOwn bathroom run by solar power with hot and cold water and a video player attachedmore
Juliet StevensonThe Complete Works of W. B. YeatsMasaccio Frescos in the Brancacci Chapelmore
Lord SainsburyBedmore
Julie AndrewsThe Once and Future King by T. H. WhitePianomore
Gavin LairdThe Diary of Samuel PepysYear's recording of the Today programmemore
General H Norman SchwarzkopfThe Prophet by Kahlil GibranHis dog, Bearmore
War and Peace by Leo TolstoyA comfortable chairmore
John Eliot GardinerMemoirs by Hector BerliozSancerremore
Lord TebbitHistory of the English-Speaking Peoples by Winston ChurchillDrinking fountain with taps for sancerre and claretmore
Carmen CallilMaurice Guest by Henry Handel Richardsonmore
The Natural History of Selborne by Gilbert Whitemore
Paul SmithNotebook and pencilmore
Stephen HawkingMiddlemarch by George EliotCreme bruleemore

1993

DateCastawayBookLuxuryMore
info
Elizabeth JenningsThe New Oxford Book of American Versemore
Barbara Mills QCHistory of the Crusades by Steven RuncimanTennis court, balls, racket and wallmore
Dervla MurphyThe Diary of Samuel PepysA still to distill berries, etc., into drinkmore
Evelyn GlennieWay of the Peaceful Warrior by Dan MillmanChocolatemore
Anthony StorrA la recherche du temps perdu by Marcel ProustPianomore
Sir Robin ButlerRise and Fall of the Great Powers by Paul Kennedymore
Elijah Moshinskymore
Ken Livingstone MPThe Myths of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradleymore
David CroftCollected Poems of Sir John BetjemanPianomore
Richard GregoryAn astronomy book by Patrick Mooremore
Mr Mulliner's Memoirs by P. G. WodehouseCargo of champagnemore
Anton EdelmannTibetan Book of Living and Dying by Rainer Maria RilkeWokmore
Baroness BlackstoneMiddlemarch by George EliotTennis balls and racketmore
John BoormanMemories, Dreams and Reflections by Carl JungTelescopemore
John ColeTypewritermore
Eva BurrowsFaber Book of Religious VerseGame of Scrabble with paper and pencilmore
Lord WeinstockIf This Is a Man by Primo LeviPhotograph album of family, friends and colleaguesmore
Kaye WebbPoetry of Naomi LewisVery big photograph album on a wheeling tablemore
Frank BrunoRobinson Crusoe by Daniel DefoePicture of his familymore
Rt Hon Betty Boothroyd MPA Suitable Boy by Vikram Sethmore
Joan BaezThe Diary of Anne FrankPersonal pouch with a silver lion on itmore
Sir Leon BrittanThe collected works of Chaucermore
Peter MayleThe Leopard by Giuseppe di LampedusaThe menu from his favourite Parisien restaurantmore
Nicholas HytnerThe collected works of Samuel Taylor ColeridgeLarge supply of total block suncreammore
Isabel AllendeAll correspondence between her and her motherPaper and pencilsmore
Paul MertonBedmore
On the Road by Jack KerouacTelescopemore
Rt Hon Virginia Bottomley MPNorton's Star Atlasmore
Lesley GarrettPhotograph albumTightropemore
Raymond SeitzOxford Anthology of Modern PoetryBig box full of family albumsmore
Kenny EverettEagle annualBathroom suitemore
Judge Stephen TumimTristram Shandy by Laurence Sternemore
Sybil MarshallHuckleberry Finn by Mark TwainInexhaustible supply of Swiss lawn handkerchiefsmore
Shirley Anne FieldReader's DigestLarge Chippendale mirrormore
Doris LessingMagic carpetmore
TakiEssential Hemingway by Ernest Hemingwaymore
Phil CollinsPianomore
Lord Ashley of StokeA book about warfareSmoked salmon and winemore

1994

DateCastawayBookLuxuryMore
info
Oliver SacksDictionary of Musical Themesmore
Ian HislopCivilisation by Kenneth Clarkmore
Sir Harrison BirtwistleChainsawmore
Willy RussellEnglish meadow with an oak treemore
Oxford Dictionary of QuotationsPen and papermore
Douglas AdamsOmnibus of Golfing Stories by P. G. WodehouseMartin D28 left-handed guitarmore
Rosemary VereyA Celebration of Gardens by Sir Roy StrongWaterproof pens, paper and foldersmore
Rt Hon Kenneth Clarke MPThe Life of Lord Melbourne by Lord David CecilTenor saxmore
Frances PartridgeMemoirs by Duc de Saint-SimonFlower pressmore
Christina DodwellThe Prophet by Kahlil GibranPen and papermore
Conrad BlackOxford Book of English VerseModel of HMS Hoodmore
Sir Ranulph FiennesGormenghast by Mervyn PeakeAntisan for insect bitesmore
Roger McGoughBlack cabmore
Alan HackerMiddlemarch by George EliotHovercraft wheelchair with cappuccino machinemore
Trevor McDonaldAnthology of poetryBox of paints, brushes and papermore
Garrison KeillorRoget's ThesaurusSet of china (four place settings)more
Sir John WilsonA chess strategy book (in Braille)A sonic probemore
Kate AdieThe Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucermore
Britt EklandRecent editions of magazines, e.g. Vanity Fair, VogueCase of Evian water and champagnemore
Peter ScudamoreBook of verse by Rudyard KiplingSnorkeling equipmentmore
Milton ShulmanThe Cookery Book by Constance SpryTennis racket and ball machinemore
Zoë WanamakerGreek Myths by Robert GravesSamson tobacco and liquorice Rizla papersmore
Brian SewellSongs from the 1880s with piano accompaniment by SchubertSculpture by Michelangelomore
John DrummondEncyclopaedia of all the well-known operasSmall theatremore
Derek JamesonThe Grapes of Wrath by John SteinbeckWord processormore
Biography of Churchill by Martin GilbertA parking spacemore
Joanna TrollopeOxford Book of English VerseBed and white Egyptian sheetsmore
John TavenerApophthegmata Patrum (early writing of Egyptian fathers)Upright pianomore
Mary StottThe Act of Creation by Arthur KoestlerWatercolours for paintingmore
The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighierimore
Jeanette WintersonFour Quartets by T. S. Eliotmore
Sir George ChristieOrigin of Species by Charles Darwinmore
Lynda La PlanteFairy Stories by Honoré de BalzacMouth organmore
Kathleen HaleA la recherche du temps perdu by Marcel ProustA gilabra (cloak of gold)more
Archbishop Desmond TutuParting the Waters by Taylor BranchIce-cream maker (especially for rum and raisin flavour)more
Berthold GoldschmidtJoseph and His Brothers by Thomas MannVanity case including metal mirror and shaving kitmore
Glenys KinnockAtlas of the Third WorldToilet bag full of skin-barrier creamsmore
Sir Howard HodgkinJournal De Eugène Delacroix by Eugène DelacroixMayonnaise – permanent supplymore
Margaret ForsterA House For Mr Biswas by V. S. NaipaulUnlimited supply of A4 white paper and cartridges for fountain penmore
Penelope HobhouseThe Golden Bowl by Henry JamesLaptop computermore
David Jason OBEA complete carpenter's toolboxmore

1995

DateCastawayBookLuxuryMore
info
Alan ClarkA History of Western Philosophy by Bertrand RussellPianomore
Patricia HodgeA compendium of the plays of Harold PinterSupply of embroiderymore
Phil RedmondThe collected works of Charles DickensMagnifying glassmore
Dr. Richard DawkinsThe Jeeves Omnibus by P. G. WodehouseComputer (solar-powered)more
Sir Adrian CadburyDr. Johnson's Lexicographic Works by Samuel JohnsonFibreglass sculling boatmore
Jimmy KnappThe Socialist Sixth of the World by Hewlett JohnsonCase of Talisker whiskymore
Christopher LeeThe Sword in the Stone by T. H. WhiteSet of golf clubsmore
Canto General by Pablo NerudaBinocularsmore
Nigel NicolsonA Guide to the UniverseTelescopemore
Felix AprahamianDu Cote De Chez Swann by Marcel ProustSwiss army knifemore
Nina BawdenThe Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward GibbonPlain paper, plastic folders and ballpoint pensmore
James BowmanRebecca by Daphne Du MaurierFabergé eggmore
Hugh GrantKing Ottokar's Sceptre by HergeSupply of handkerchiefsmore
George LloydPiers Plowman (in Middle English) by William Langlandmore
Pete WatermanA history of Great Western Railway enginesHavana cigars and matchesmore
Four Quartets by T. S. EliotComputer and an empty bottlemore
Neil SimonHow To SwimLarge harmonicamore
Sir Bernard InghamColin Cowdrey's bowling machinemore
Marianne FaithfullRobinson Crusoe by Daniel DefoePen from Asprey's with attached magnifying glassmore
Brian BlessedIn Search of the Miraculous by Peter OuspenskyScarf given to him by the Dalai Lamamore
John Lee HookerA book with pictures of pretty womenHis guitarmore
Sir Magdi YacoubPluto's Republic by Sir Peter MedawarHammockmore
Jasper ConranTales by HoffmanVintage Krug champagnemore
Through Russian Snows by G. A. HentyTelescopemore
Wendy RichardWilt by Tom SharpeTapestry to makemore
John UpdikeThe collected works of Marcel ProustSilken tent (for luxury, not survival)more
Max NicholsonThe Phenomenon of Man by Pierre Teilhard De ChardinBinocularsmore
Maurice SaatchiHamlet (1875 edition) by William ShakespeareVirtual-reality headsetmore
Jenny PitmanVeterinary Notes For Horse OwnersTelevision setmore
Alan YentobEssays by Michel de MontaigneVideo recordermore
Richard HoggartEssays by Michel de MontaigneFountain pen and papermore
Don Black14,000 Things to be Happy About by Barbara Ann KipferSnooker tablemore
Elizabeth Jane HowardAll the sonatas by ScarlattiPianomore
Rt Hon Gillian Shephard MPThe Warning of the Middle Ages by Johan H. HuizingaMadame Rochas scentmore
Umberto EcoThe New York Phone BookLaptop computermore
George MartinA book on how to build a boatElectric keyboardmore
Alison SteadmanOne Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García MárquezHot lemon flannels (as provided in Chinese restaurants)more
Barbara DicksonEnglish & Scottish Ballads by Francis Childmore
Petula ClarkAnything by Peter UstinovHer pianomore
An endless team of Man Fridaysmore

1996

DateCastawayBookLuxuryMore
info
Christopher HamptonAnything by Marcel ProustPen and papermore
Jimmy McGovernUlysses by James JoyceHaemorrhoid ointmentmore
Chili BouchierIn Tune With The Infinite: Fullness of Peace Power by Ralph Waldo TrineMake-up kitmore
Julian BarnesLetters of Gustave FlaubertWriting equipmentmore
Eve ArnoldArabian NightsDark room, film and cameramore
Susan HillThe Pursuit of Love by Nancy MitfordThe Barnes Collection (paintings)more
500 year ahead calendar and appointment bookComputermore
Sir Roy CalneGlobal Biodiversity by Brian GoombridgePaints and canvasmore
Gordon BrownThe Story of Art by Sir Ernst Gombrichmore
Other Men's Flowers by Lord WavellPaints and canvasmore
Kyra VayneA culinary bookPeanuts and treats to tame animals and birdsmore
Simon WestonSharpe's Eagle by Bernard CornwellDaily newspapersmore
Dickie BirdTV and satellite to watch Test matchesmore
The Divine Comedy by Dante AlighieriA pair of scissorsmore
Hanif KureishiThe Complete Works of Sigmund FreudMarijuana seedsmore
Mitsuko UchidaAnything by Leo Tolstoy (in Russian and English)Pianomore
Pauline QuirkeCrying With Laughter by Bob MonkhouseShampoomore
Hugh LaurieA self-learn Italian book (slowly)Family photo albummore
Janet Holmes à CourtTourmaline by Randolph StowJar of vegemitemore
Michael WhiteAnything by Marcel ProustBicyclemore
Gerry RobinsonThe History of the World by John RobertsPainting kit (easel, oils, brushes)more
Peggy MountThe Diary of Noël CowardTea in abundancemore
Quentin CreweEssays by Michel de MontaigneThe cellar from Trinity College, Cambridgemore
André PrevinThe collected works of Anton ChekhovPianomore
Anita Lasker-WallfischThe History of the World by John RobertsCellomore
Sir Terence ConranEndless supply of A4 paper and 4B pencilsmore
The Discoverers by Daniel BoorstinSolar-powered Internet (to receive, not send)more
Kevin WhatelyThe Moor's Last Sigh by Salman RushdieNorthumbrian pipesmore
Fran LandesmanRebel Without Applause and Jaywalking by Jay LandesmanCannabis seedsmore
Ben EltonHis wedding photo albumThe British Museummore
Lewis WolpertEnquiry Concerning Human Understanding and The Principles of Morals by David HumeBicyclemore
Rumer GoddenThe Atlantic Book of British and American Poetry by Edith Sitwellmore
Jack CharltonEncyclopaedia of How to SurviveFishing rodmore
Jancis RobinsonMiddlemarch by George EliotCellar of wines and a corkscrewmore
Chris PattenA Brief History of Time by Stephen HawkingBathmore
The Golden Bough by James FrazerPianomore
Tessa SandersonThe History of the World by John RobertsToothbrush and toothpastemore
Tony BlairIvanhoe by Walter ScottGuitarmore
Bruce ForsythThe collected works of Omar KhayyamSand iron (golf club)more
Robert WinstonThe Koran (in Arabic and English)Glass and tools to make a telescopemore
Ian DuryMacmillan Dictionary of ArtMixing desk (solar-powered)more
Jennifer SaundersTraveller's Prelude by Freya StarkTribute Heads by Elisabeth Frinkmore
Martin AmisThe Complete Works of John MiltonCable televisionmore

1997

DateCastawayBookLuxuryMore
info
John CleeseStand By Your Man by Tammy WynetteMichael Palin – stuffedmore
Irene ThomasComplete score of Fidelio by Beethovenmore
Gene WilderThe Notebooks of Captain Georges by Jean RenoirEarl Grey teamore
Terry PratchettEdible Plants of the South Seas by Emile MassalThe Chrysler Buildingmore
Mary BensonUnpublished Notes by Athol FugardTelescopemore
Nico LadenisBeau Geste by P. C. Wrenmore
The Leopard by Giuseppe di LampedusaEndless supply of currymore
Redmond O'HanlonWar and Peace by Leo TolstoyPair of green, insulated Leica binoculars 8 X 20more
Nina CampbellPhotograph albumBedmore
Peter BlakeLemprieres' Dictionary by Lawrence NorfolkGymmore
Virginia IronsideThe Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent PealeBig bag of plaster to make heads of friendsmore
Saeed JaffreyThe Complete Works of Mirza GhalibCase of Black Label and Dom Pérignonmore
Andy HamiltonThe Physics of Immortality by Frank J. TiplerFootballmore
Sir Martin ReesCollective cartoons of Gary LarsonJefferson reclining chairmore
David WynneThe Iliad and The Odyssey by HomerHarmonicamore
Harry EnfieldBleak House by Charles DickensBeer and a cigarette machinemore
Sian PhillipsThe Medical Care of Merchant Seamen by William Louis WheelerPencils and papermore
Joanna MacGregorThe Sleep Walkers by Arthur KoestlerSampler to record the noises of the islandmore
Benjamin ZephaniahPoetical Works of ShelleyLaw of the island (so he could break it)more
Christina NobleThe Book of KellsPhoto of an Irish cottagemore
Eric SykesRipley's Believe It or NotSand wedge and crate of golf ballsmore
Iain BanksThe Complete Monty PythonFront seat of a Porschemore
Cleo LaineThe Jazz Revolution by John DankworthPerfumemore
Sir Frank KermodeThe Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward GibbonSamuel Palmer's painting Moonlit Landscapemore
Ursula OwenThe collected works of Anton ChekhovFamily photo albummore
Mike Leigh OBEOne Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquezmore
Peter O'SullevanEnds and Means by Aldous HuxleyBottle of Calvadosmore
Jools HollandThe Four Books of Architecture by Andrea PalladioPianomore
Rose TremainA Brief History of Time by Stephen HawkingWord processormore
Richard Rodney BennettThe Atlantic Book of British and American Poetry by Edith Sitwell6mm 36 inch circular knitting needle with a point at each endmore
Richard MabeyThe Wind in the Willows by Kenneth GrahameGuitarmore
John Julius NorwichThe Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward GibbonLaptop computermore
Anthony MinghellaCollected piano works by BachPianomore
Thelma HoltUtopia by Thomas MooreRosary beadsmore
Loyd GrossmanTreasure Island by Robert Louis StevensonFishing rodmore
Paula RegoTender is the Night by F. Scott FitzgeraldPencil and papermore
Chris HaskinsThe collected works of Seán O'CaseyPen and papermore
Sir Harry SecombeThe Pickwick Papers by Charles DickensGuitarmore
Glenda Jackson MPThe History and Creation of a Japanese Sand GardenBathmore

1998

DateCastawayBookLuxuryMore
info
Collection of Landscape pictures (with book)Collection of landscape picturesmore
Paul HogarthSolar-powered Apple Macmore
John TomlinsonFlora and Fauna of tropical desert islandA box of lensesmore
Helena Kennedy QCAeneid by VirgilGoose down duvetmore
Colin DexterManicure setmore
Richard NobleWar and Peace by Leo TolstoyGuitarmore
David PountneyAnthology: The English Year by Geoffrey GrigsonCroquet lawnmore
Archie Norman MPThe Compleat Angler by Isaac WaltonJar of Marmitemore
Sir Anthony DowellThe Wind in the Willows by Kenneth GrahameSketch pad and paintsmore
Ian StewartGödel, Escher, Bach by Douglas HofstadterMargaret Thatcher pickled in a Damien Hurst sculpturemore
Andrew MotionPrelude by William WordsworthPencils and papermore
Alice Thomas EllisCome Hither – An Anthology by Walter de la MareVery comfortable sofamore
Gavin BryarsScience and Civilisation in China by Joseph NeedhamGravity chairmore
Ordnance Survey map of the worldThe Man with a Glove, painting by Titianmore
Sir Terry FrostBlank sheets to write his thoughts on imagination and memoryMirrormore
The collected works of William BlakePianomore
Susan BlackmoreOrigin of Species by Charles DarwinHandful of cannabis seedsmore
Antony GormleyPrinciple of Hope by Ernst BlochSnorkel and maskmore
Sir David WillcocksBook on astronomyKing's College Chapelmore
John HarleThe Aesthetics of Music by Roger ScrutonLute and stringsmore
Geoffrey SmithHistory of viticulture, with instructions on how to make wineBundle of prunings from a good vineyard so he can plant his own vinesmore
Bill KenwrightEverton – The Complete Record by Steve JohnsonGuitarmore
John BirdMont Blanc pen, notebook and inkmore
Jack RosenthalFinnegans Wake by James JoyceClay for making sculpturemore
Sybille BedfordA la recherche du temps perdu by Marcel ProustA French restaurant in full working ordermore
Rt Hon Jack Straw MPThe Franco Prussian War – The German Invasion of France 1870–1871 by Michael HowardSaxophonemore
Howard BrentonThe Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey ChaucerChampagnemore
Chris De BurghMoonfleet by J. Meade FalknerSnorkelmore
Ralph SteadmanThe New La Rousse Encyclopaedia of MythologyChiselsmore
David Hempleman AdamsJonathan Livingstone Seagull by Richard BachSaxophonemore
Les MurrayMarble four-poster bedmore
Ralph KoltaiFrench dictionaryCigarsmore
Lucy GannonThe Faber Book of Reportage by John CareyJaguar XK8more
Paul DanielBeautifully bound blank bookCello and music for Bach's cello suitesmore
Joseph RotblatSolar-powered laptopmore
Nicole KidmanCollected Poems of Emily DickinsonSun blockmore
Bill MorrisLong Walk to Freedom by Nelson MandelaCricket bat signed by "the three Ws" – Sir Frank Worrell, Everton Weekes and Clyde Walcottmore
Eileen AtkinsMoments of Being by Virginia WoolfAn Atkinson Grimshaw paintingmore
John KeeganThe Thirty-Nine Steps by John BuchanFrench-speaking man robotmore
Dick FrancisMen and Horses I Have Known by George LamptonWaterbedmore
Bob MonkhouseClarinetmore
Shifts and Expedients of Camp Life by W. B. LordGuitarmore

1999

DateCastawayBookLuxuryMore
info
Dave BrubeckThe Spear in the Sand by Raoul C. FaureGrand pianomore
Clare HollingworthHistory of England by G. M. TrevelyanPaper and pens (with thick nibs)more
David ShepherdCollected works of Beatrix PotterWind-up video playermore
Ruth Prawer JhabvalaThe Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor DostoyevskyA chaise longue by a windowmore
Bill BrysonThe Lost Continent by Bill BrysonBasketball and hoop with a little hard standingmore
Andras SchiffThe Divine Comedy by Dante AlighieriPianomore
Nina CassianWinnie the Pooh by A. A. MilneCigarettes and whiskymore
Maria EwingCollected Poems of John DonnePianomore
Richard CurtisGuinness Book of PopPizza Express in Notting Hillmore
Sir Charles MackerrasIf a hot island – a huge bottle of suntan lotion and if a cold island – a pillowmore
Fay MaschlerCold Comfort Farm by Stella GibbonsHuge supply of ouzomore
Rt Hon Mo Mowlam MPThe collected works of Seamus HeaneyGlobemore
Luise RainerThe Proper Study of Mankind by Isaiah BerlinTo be missed by the people she lovesmore
Richard DunwoodyThe Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. TolkienEndless supply of ice-creammore
Paco PeñaAnthology of poetry by Jose BerguaVirtual reality modulemore
Ken LoachGolden Treasury of English Songs and Lyrics by Francis PalgraveRadio (for football results)more
Stan TraceyCrazy Like A Fox by S. J. PerelmanThe film – Oh, Mr Porter!more
Helen BamberPoet For Poet by Richard McCainRadio to listen to the World Servicemore
Richard DreyfussA Tale of Two Cities by Charles DickensBooks delivered to the island on a regular basismore
Michael GreenThe Complete Works of Sigmund FreudDigital TVmore
Christopher BruceTeach yourself FrenchSuncreammore
Anthony HowardDictionary of National BiographyMagnifying glassmore
Chris BoningtonHistory of the English-Speaking Peoples by Sir Winston ChurchillPower Book G3 (laptop computer)more
John BarryEternal Echoes by John O'DonohueGrand pianomore
James DysonOlive: The Life and Love of a Noble Fruit by Mort RosenslumOlive oilmore
Rt Hon Ann Widdecombe MPCollected Poems of Thomas GrayHot showermore
Igor AleksanderCompanions to the Mind by Richard GregoryA virtual reality London Symphony Orchestra so he can conduct itmore
Paddy MoloneyThe Book of Lempster (old Irish textbook currently in The Hague)Tin whistlemore
Martin PipeHorse Management by R. S. TimmisWinning post from Cheltenham race coursemore
Rod SteigerComplete book of poetry by e e cummingsSelf-contained external electric fanmore
Rick SteinAnna Karenina by Leo TolstoyThai fish saucemore
Patricia RoutledgeThe collected works of John DonneTea service with teamore
Sir Roger NorringtonThe Complete Works of Thomas HardyChocolatemore
Rita DoveOne Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García MárquezBallroom and robotic dance instructormore
Rolf HarrisThe Magic Pudding by Norman LindsayChisel for sculptingmore
Ralph FiennesA la recherche du temps perdu by Marcel ProustPen and limited supplies of ink and papermore
Willard WhiteThe Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent PealeSeedsmore
William GibsonThe Complete Works of Jorge Luis BorgesJunk yardmore
Clarissa Dickson WrightThe Complete Works of SakiWind-up radiomore
Warren MitchellMaster and Commander by Patrick O'BrianOrgan (from the Royal Albert Hall)more
Telescopemore
Oz ClarkeFrench Provincial Cookery by Elizabeth DavidHis memorymore
Michael NymanTristram Shandy by Laurence SterneToiletmore
Michael CrawfordThe complete book of self-sufficiency by John Seymourmore
Sir Andrew Lloyd WebberEngland's Thousand Best Churches by Simon JenkinsHerb gardenmore

2000

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "List of Desert Island Discs episodes (1991–2000)".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.

DateCastawayBookLuxuryMore
info
The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. TolkienPencil and papermore
Ian McEwanUlysses by James JoyceItalian leather hand-stitched hiking bootsmore
Neil JordanTypewritermore
Peter MelchettField guide to the islandSnorkel and maskmore
Simon CallowDictionaryNose hair trimmermore
Portrait of a Lady by Henry JamesPianomore
Michael HolroydThe High Hill of the Muses (anthology by Hugh Kingsmill)Waterbedmore
Sheila HancockAnything by Marcel ProustGrand piano (and music scores)more
Robert McCrumThree Men in a Boat by Jerome K. JeromeSt. John's Wortmore
Colin MontgomerieAnything by Michael CrichtonNo luxury chosenmore
Al AlvarezInterpretation of Dreams by Sigmund FreudLaptop computer with poker game softwaremore
Adrian NobleThe Art of Memory by Frances A YatesWinemore
Harold EvansHistory of the American Civil War by Shelby FooteSilk pyjamasmore
Claire TomalinGardenmore
War and Peace by Leo TolstoyGluemore
Leonard SlatkinNotes of a Native Son by James BaldwinWinemore
A book on celestial navigationWindsurfermore
Sir John MillsThe Warden by Anthony TrollopeHis pianomore
Kathleen TurnerEmma by Jane Austenmore
Nine Tailors by Dorothy L. SayersSolar laptopmore
John BirdThe collected works of Wallace Stevens2,000 soft loo rollsmore
The Complete Works of Flavius JosephusComfortable armchair/deskmore
Clive JamesMy Method of Singing by Enrico Carusomore
Donald SutherlandDistant Mirror by Barbara TuckmanCase of really good vintage winemore
Max PerutzOrigin of Species by Charles DarwinSkismore
Peter NicholsHis diary (which he has kept since he was 18, to relive his life since 1945)Cyanide tablet (if he can't a tower and telescope, or a full-size snooker table)more
Alan ParkerA giant photo album of his children and grandchildren which goes back over 20 yearsWatercolour paint box plus brush and paint padsmore
Michael PortilloSolar-powered laptopmore
Sir Roger PenroseThe biggest book by Michael Frayn19-note pianomore
Volume 1 of biography of the Duke of WellingtonYear of the Sword by Lady LongfordSurfboardmore
Sir Norman WisdomReach for the Skies by Sir Douglas BaderPot of stew with two dumplingsmore
Robert SwanHuge copy of The Times atlas – largest available so he can see where he has been (168 countries so far)An accountancy coursemore
Christopher LloydLetters of Gustave FlaubertSyndicate whiskymore
Ronald HarwoodDecline and Fall by Evelyn WaughHis bathroommore
J K RowlingSAS Survival GuidePen and unlimited papermore
Des LynamEncyclopaedia of Natural MedicineDrum kitmore
Albie SachsCharterhouse of Parma by StendhalLittle bottle of aftershavemore
Tina BrownMiddlemarch by George EliotRollercoastermore
Tim SmitBook with plain pagesPianomore
Richard BriersGreat Expectations by Charles DickensHuge supply of Chardonnaymore
The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor DostoyevskyBook on how to sketch and some paper and pensmore
An orrary(sic) – an electronic toy for looking at the sky more
Stephen SondheimThe collected works of E. B. WhitePianomore