A BBC Radio 4 series that has been one of the hits of 2012 is now available to buy as an audiobook. Sport and the British, a 30-part series exploring 300 years of Britain’s sporting history, was produced by the BBC in partnership with De Montfort University (DMU). The 15-minute programmes – presented by Clare Balding – proved popular with listeners, with the series’ bite-sized chunks of social and sporting history helping it to become the second most downloaded podcast in an iTunes top ten in February. Now the BBC has put the series onto six CDs as an audiobook, introducing Sport and the British to a whole new audience. “We were delighted by the reaction to the series, with some excellent feedback from listeners and some great reviews in the national media,” said Professor Tony Collins, director of De Montfort University’s International Centre for Sports History and Culture. “It’s good to know that there are so many people out there who share our interest in Britain’s sporting history and I hope that the audiobook will prove as popular with the public as the series.” With a playing time of around six hours, the audiobook covers topics such as the birth of modern sport in 18th century England, the origins of cricket, the role of gambling in horse racing, the influence of Victorian values, the export of football around the world, the effects of rugby’s great split and the impact of national cultures on sport in England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales. Sport and the British: The Landmark Radio 4 Series is available from the BBC shop| at the discounted price of £12.99. The series can also be downloaded as a podcast|.
More information about the DMU historians who helped with the production of Sport and the British is available here|.
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