Batting the Breeze

29/30 April 1975 - Vietnam War: The fall of Saigon - 50 years ago today

How would you react if you had commandeered a Chinook helicopter and were flying over the South China Sea with little fuel, nowh…

What does an astronaut fear most? Believe it or not, it’s not dying. What tricks do you play on yourself to get to sleep the night before lift-off? What do you feel when you are standing in front of …

Your son has a life expectancy in the 20’s. What are you going to do about it?

Today’s guest is the embodiment of triumph over adversity, as are her family. Emma Hallam’s life is marked by extraordin…

If I suggested that you spend nine months away from home and family and sail 32,000 miles around the world the hard way around (ie against prevailing winds and currents), what would you say? And supp…

In 1993, Chris Moon MBE was taken prisoner while clearing landmines in Cambodia by Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge, the most feared and brutal regime in the country's history. No Western prisoner had ever surv…

If you ever seriously considered a career as a TV Anchor, you had better listen to this episode first. Elizabeth Pearson Garr has been there.  After growing up at Stanford and studying at Harvard, sh…

 WARNING: Today’s episode contains adult themes, specifically sex trafficking and human trafficking, so please take that into account.
 
 Amanda Blackwood is a gem.  She’s fun. She’s full of life. She’…

In 1958, Sir Patrick Hine was part of a team of elite RAF pilots, the Black Arrows, who broke the world record for an aerobatic display manoeuvre that has never been equalled - and might never be.  T…

The America's Cup - the pinnacle of professional sailing and one of the oldest and most prestigious trophies in international sport. The 2003 America's Cup: 10 teams, 1 winner. What was it like to be…

Do you pride yourself on your infallible memory? Well think again. Memories about ourselves and the events of our lives are nurtured by our Autobiographic Memory and, shockingly, it turns out that it…

Documentaries such as Blue Planet and The Great Reef have brought new wonder and awareness into our living rooms. Former Royal Navy underwater bomb disposal expert turned submarine pilot Mark Taylor …

In October 1988, the Hong Kong police executed Operation Clinker and achieved the largest ever drug haul in Hong Kong history.  Bill Renwick was undercover with the team of four who heroically overca…

Can you imagine a silence so intense that brushing your teeth could be painful? Argentinian-born Nico Marino is a traveller.  It’s in his roots. Having travelled on his bicycle across Europe, Asia an…

It's 1968. The Vietnam War is at its fiercest. Robin Bartlett is a platoon leader with the U.S. 1st Air Cavalry Division.  Robin’s platoon is deployed on regular helicopter combat assaults, sometimes…

Rebecca Bratspies, New York environmental and human rights lawyer, shared with me the extraordinary and inspirational life story of Jackie Robinson, the first black player in US Major League Baseball…

Forced to escape from a war-torn Sri Lanka with his family and move to London, Pradeep Kumar Sachitharan experienced a life of crime as a London teenager before his love for weightlifting gave him di…

Today was a quickie just to let you know that Batting the Breeze is taking a short break. But don't worry; behind the scenes, everything is still going strong. I'm busy lining up amazing guests to sh…

During the Vietnam War, a group of courageous women embarked on an extraordinary mission to uplift the spirits of American troops stationed far away from their loved ones. The Donut Dollies. With unw…

At 22, Brad, an Aussie thrill-seeker, invited his family to watch his first skydiving experience. It was nearly his last. The thrill turned to panic as the first parachute failed to open.  Then the u…

Jazz musician Rick DellaRatta witnessed the 9/11 attacks from a rooftop in New York City. While watching the unfolding tragedy in front of him, he was inspired to write a poem which later became know…