The Penguin Podcast

Penguin Podcast 56 - Serious Horsing Around

In today's podcast we welcome our new host, Hannah Flyn, and hear from Rupert Isaacson, father of The Horse Boy

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About this podcast

For information about any of the authors and books featured in these podcasts, plus features, interviews and news on the best in UK fiction and non-fiction, visit Penguin Books.

When their son Rowan was born, Rupert and Kristin's dream had come true. But the dream became a nightmare when their beautiful boy developed a disorder that left him incapable of communication, tormented by raging fits, requiring 24-hour care - and shattering their lives.

Then, one day, father and son were walking in the woods near their house and stumbled across their neighbour's old brown horse, Betsy. What happened next was unlike anything Rupert had ever seen. Certainly, the effect on Betsy was extraordinary: she went stock-still and bowed her head, wide-eyed and quivering before the child. But when Rupert lifted Rowan onto Betsy's back, the effect on his son was nothing short of miraculous: Rowan started to speak...

Shaken but exhilarated, Rupert proposed that the family make a journey to the ancient homeland of the horse, deep in the wilds of Mongolia, where he'd heard astonishing stories of healing and transformation. So began an epic journey on horseback, from their home in Texas to the furthest reaches of the planet - a journey that would test their love, challenge their beliefs, and change their lives.

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Visit the Horse Boy Foundation



Black Beauty is a handsome, sweet-tempered colt with a strong spirit. As a young colt he is free to gallop in the fresh green meadows with his beloved mother, Duchess, and their kind master. But when his owners are forced to sell him, Black Beauty goes from a life of comfort and kindness to one of hard labour and cruelty. Bravely he works as hard as he can, suffering at the hands of men who treat animals badly. But Black Beauty has an unbreakable spirit and will, and is determined to survive...

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PenguinPodcast54 - Grandparenting

Today's podcast features Simon Winchester and Penguin's own grandparents, Tony Lacey and Eleo Gordon

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About this podcast

For information about any of the authors and books featured in these podcasts, plus features, interviews and news on the best in UK fiction and non-fiction, visit Penguin Books.

Before fate intervened, Joseph Needham was a distinguished biochemist at Cambridge University, married to a fellow scientist. In 1937 he was asked to supervise a young Chinese student named Lu Gwei-Djen, and in that moment began the two greatest love affairs of his life – Miss Lu, and China.

Miss Lu inspired Needham to travel to China where he initially spent three dangerous years as a wartime diplomat. He established himself as the pre-eminent China scholar of all time, firm in his belief that China would one day achieve world prominence. By the end of his life, Needham had become a truly global figure, travelling endlessly and honoured by all - though banned from America because of his politics. And in 1989, after a fifty-two year affair, he finally married the woman who had first inspired his passion.

The Magnificent Barbarian is Simon Winchester at his best - at once a magnificent portrait of one man's remarkable life and a riveting exploration of the country that so engaged him.

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The Really Useful Grandparents' Book is the perfect book to share with your grandchildren and help you plan your time with them. Packed with information on the kinds of things a child will want to know about, from the world's most dangerous animals to Mount Everest and Alexander the Great, it also shows how together you can plan a camp in your garden, learn to do cross-stitch or make pop-up cards, do some basic carpentry, make your own fish fingers, play racing demon or learn chess, write a rap or a poem, make a curiosity box, decorate the table, create a special playlist on your iPod and many other activities which will truly enhance your relationship with your grandchild and leave both of you the richer for it. 

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Penguin Podcast 53 - Summer of Hits!

Today's podcast features three of our top summer titles, Marian Keyes' This Charming Man, the new James Bond adventure Devil May Care and a brand new Artemis Fowl novel from Eoin Colfer.  

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Penguin Podcast 52 - Englishmen and Englishwomen

Today's podcast, guest hosted by Anna Ridley, features popular blogger turned author Catherine Sanderson and popular poet turned pop star Simon Armitage.  

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Penguin Podcast Christmas Special

A special christmas podcast featuring one of the most anticipated titles for 2008. Tim Piggott-Smith reads a seasonal extract from Karen Maitland's Company of Liars. You will be hearing much more about this title in the new year!

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Penguin Podcast 47 - Spook Country

Preorder Spook Country today In this edition of the Penguin podcast, check out the first chapter of William Gibson's new novel, Spook Country. William Gibson will be appearing in Second Life on 2nd August on the first stop of his world tour - join the Penguin Readers group in SL today for more info. 

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Penguin Podcast 46 - Different Glass Books

In this edition of the Penguin podcast, we hear from award-winning 'Young-Adult' novelist Linzi Glass who talks about her new book, Ruby Read and tells us about growing up in South Africa in the 1970s. 

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Penguin Podcast 44 - Audiobook Special

Welcome to the Penguin podcast, where today we preview two of our top spring audiobook titles, Booker prize-winning The Inheritance of Loss and the highly-awaited Two Caravans, follow up to bestselling A Short History of Tractors in Ukranian. 

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Penguin Podcast 43 - The Teleconference

Welcome to the Penguin podcast, where today we're proud to present an experimental interview with Joshua Ferris, author of the celebrated debut novel Then We Came to the End. Enjoy. 

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Penguin Podcast 42 - Air War

Welcome to the Penguin podcast, today featuring an extraordinary interview with a former RAF airman who describes evading capture after his bomber was shot down during WW2. The other side of the air war is presented by Niall Ferguson who describes the human toll of the allied bombing campaigns.

Sorry if the audio is a bit echo-ey this week - we're playing with some new kit and should have learned how to use it for the next episode ;-)
 

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