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  • David Attenborough - Life on Air

  • Memoirs of a Broadcaster
  • By: David Attenborough
  • Narrated by: David Attenborough
  • Length: 19 hrs and 23 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (2,992 ratings)
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David Attenborough - Life on Air

By: David Attenborough
Narrated by: David Attenborough
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Summary

David Attenborough reads his own bestselling memoir

David Attenborough is the acknowledged voice of nature, loved and revered worldwide for his groundbreaking wildlife documentaries. Over the course of his long BBC career, David has risen from trainee producer to award-winning film-maker, and in Life on Air, he tells the extraordinary stories of the people and animals he has met along the way.

We hear of his earliest days in television; his stint as Controller of BBC2, during which he introduced colour TV to Britain; and his encounters with luminaries such as Montgomery, Anthony Eden, Benjamin Britten and the Queen. Here, too, are tales of his travels to some of the most far-flung corners of the globe, including New Guinea, Borneo, Paraguay and the Australian outback, and the rare creatures he captures on film: from the exotic birds of paradise and the elusive Indri lemurs to the endangered Komodo dragon.

Featuring behind-the-scenes accounts of the making of his landmark natural history series, beginning with the pioneering Zoo Quest and concluding with Life in Cold Blood, this wonderful memoir - read by David Attenborough himself - recounts the highlights of a remarkable life in broadcasting.

Production credits

Read by David Attenborough

©2010 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2010 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Critic reviews

'An enthralling autobiography from one of the linchpins of television' Good Book Guide

What listeners say about David Attenborough - Life on Air

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Unforgettable David

This was the second David Attenborough book I have listened to (the first being Life Stories) and I was yet again totally enthralled. Informative, witty, well-paced and read with the wonderful soothing voice of David himself, this audible book is a pleasure to listen to.
To be honest, I wasn't overly sure I would be as interested in his broadcasting memoirs, as I was in his adventures in the natural world, but I was certainly wrong - these are, after all, the memoirs of a marvelous man and not of the BBC. And anyway, there were plenty of natural world tales to keep me satisfied. There were a few small overlaps of recounts from the Life Stories book - but these were enjoyable as the re-telling differed, expanded and added to the previous listening. Also, it felt like I was re-visiting an old friend as I listened to a part-recognised tale.
David's memories of the early days of broadcasting and of the BBC are a wonderful window into long-gone days, of the people, the trial and error learning and of the adventures that were encountered. David manages to recount these with such warmth and feeling that you can almost imagine yourself there, alongside him. Through highs and lows, this book takes you along. I found the background to the making of the various television series very interesting, bringing a new perspective to when I now watch them. The hardest part to listen to was when David recounted the loss of his Wife - I freely admit to moist eyes and a tight throat at his words.
Broken down into 3 downloads, this book was thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish, I hastened from the end of one part to the start of the next. If you are wondering if it is worth downloading - it is. If you are asking yourself 'Will I find it interesting?'- you will. If you are thinking there are better books to listen to - there are few. Download this book and enjoy.

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79 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

David Attenborough - Life on Air

David Attenborough, in my eyes, is one of the last great adveturer's, try to remember when listening to this production that he, and his crew were there, in the face of danger, breaking new ground (in more ways than one!).
He pioneered many TV milestones, and has become the voice of nature.
I highly recommend this book.

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28 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

A captivating account of an adventurous life

David Attenborough is a giant of natural history and this book charting his many TV series brought home to me just what a contribution he's made to our understanding of the natural world. I hadn't really realized what hardships and privations he's had to go through to capture the footage of unusual life forms in inaccessible places. It's fascinating to hear how the advances in technology have aided his work and enabled him and his team of dedicated camera and sound men bring the natural world into our living rooms. This is a wonderful book and I enjoyed every minute of it. Attenborough is an excellent raconteur with a lively sense of humour. Unreservedly recommended as a great listen.

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20 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant! A must if you like Attenborough

I'm still only on the first section but this is brilliant. I'm very fussy about my audiobooks and if the voise of the narrator isn't pleasing to my ears then it's a major turn-off. Of course David Attenborough has a brilliant voice, so that coupled with his interesting lifestory makes this the perfact book for me. I'm listening to it while working in the office and it's a great background sound track. Well worth getting if you have enjoyed any of his TV or Radio shows

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19 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Utter wonderful. Download; you won't regret it.

Hours upon hours on delightful listening. This gentle, humble, tenacious man takes us on the journey of his life and, if like me you grew up with him on the television, our lives too. Always compelling, sometimes a little sentimental but always delightful I sometimes sat on a bench once getting off the tube before going to where I had to just to here the end of a story. It's an utter delight and I will easily, nay definitely, listen to it more than once.

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15 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Outstanding

The most engaging and awe inspiring biography I have ever had the pleasure to listen to. Genuinely moving scenes interspersed with humorous tales of events of his travels around the globe. He reads, as anyone would expect, superbly and the hours pass by remarkably quickly. My only disappointment was there was not more to listen to as it was that perfect a listen. My thanks, David Attenborough for sharing this with us.

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14 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

I didnt want it to end

I loved every minute of listening to the Author reading his memoirs, he has such an amazing voice and is a brilliant story teller. I raced through it but towards the end started rationing my listening because I simply didnt want it to end. Thank you David for a wonderful listen.

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12 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Outstanding!

This has been a brilliant book to listen to - such value for money! David Atenborough writes eloquently and with a breadth of vocabulary, and reads with such clarity - the voice of an experienced broadcaster! The book goes through his life in chronological order giving a fascinating insight into both David's life and the development of the BBC, television programming, filming and scheduling over recent decades. I was amazed by how much David had done beyond the wildlife programs for which he is so well known. He comes across as a humble, highly intelligent and ever curious individual. A long and interesting life!

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Magical

19 hours of a pleasure able journey with a very charming chap, than you for sharing this with us Sir David

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

What a fantastic life he is leading.

I did not know half of what David has done in his past and having grown up watching him on TV, I had no idea of the talent that this gentleman has.

This is by far the best audio book that I have listened to and would recommend to all.

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7 people found this helpful