A History of the World in 100 Objects: The landmark BBC Radio 4 series

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 100 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. This box set also includes an illustrated booklet with additional background information and photographs, and each CD includes PDF images of the featured objects.

20 CDs. 25 hrs.

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.