The Madman's Library By Edward Brooke-hitching

Episode

Title

First
Broadcast

Repeated

Comments

A Journey Begins

20210712

20250428 (BBC7)
20250429 (BBC7)

Edward Brooke-Hitching's curiosity over books made him seek out many oddities.

Edward Brooke-Hitching's father was an antiquarian book dealer. So began his fascination.

Edward Brooke-Hitching's father was an antiquarian book dealer. So began his fascination, leading to a unique journey through the entire history of literature, delving into its darkest territories to hunt down the very strangest books ever written, and uncover the stories behind their creation.

This is a madman's library of eccentric and extraordinary volumes from around the world, many of which have been completely forgotten. Books written in blood and books that kill, books of the insane and books that hoaxed the globe, books invisible to the naked eye and books so long they could destroy the Universe, books worn into battle, books of code and cypher whose secrets remain undiscovered - and a few others that are just plain weird.

Abridged by Polly Coles

Read by Arty Froushan

Produced by Clive Brill

A Brill production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in July 2021.

Inspired by his father, Edward Brooke-Hitching's curiosity over books made him seek out many oddities. Read by Arty Froushan.

[LISTEN NOW]

Book Bindings

20210713

20250429 (BBC7)
20250430 (BBC7)

Books bound in skin, written in blood, and a very cryptic manuscript.

Edward Brooke-Hitching's father was an antiquarian book dealer. So began his fascination.

Books can be bound with the strangest things. Including human skin. Not to mention written in blood. And possibly the most cryptic manuscript of all - The Voynich Manuscript.

This is a madman's library of eccentric and extraordinary volumes from around the world, many of which have been completely forgotten. Books that kill, books of the insane and books that hoaxed the globe, books invisible to the naked eye and books so long they could destroy the Universe, books worn into battle, books of code and cypher whose secrets remain undiscovered - and a few others that are just plain weird.

Abridged by Polly Coles

Read by Arty Froushan

Produced by Clive Brill

A Brill production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in July 2021.

Book oddities bound in human skin, books written in blood, and a very cryptic manuscript. Read by Arty Froushan.

[LISTEN NOW]

Hoaxes, Encyclopaedias And Fish

20210714

20250430 (BBC7)
20250501 (BBC7)

Literary hoaxes, lexicons, phrasebooks and the birth of the encyclopaedia.

Edward Brooke-Hitching's father was an antiquarian book dealer. So began his fascination.

Literary hoaxes, lexicons, phrasebooks and the birth of the encyclopaedia. Medieval bestiaries and 800 page books about fish.

Abridged by Polly Coles

Read by Arty Froushan

Produced by Clive Brill

A Brill production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in July 2021.

Book oddities from literary hoaxes, the birth of the encyclopaedia and medieval bestiaries to fish books. Read by Arty Froushan.

[LISTEN NOW]

Bibles And Magic Texts

20210715

20250501 (BBC7)
20250502 (BBC7)

Bibles, magic texts and the Grand Grimoire - a guide to summoning a prime minister of hell. Not to mention the discovery of the last will and testament of Jesus Christ.

Abridged by Polly Coles

Read by Arty Froushan

Produced by Clive Brill

A Brill production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in July 2021.

Bibles, magic texts, the Grand Grimoire and the last will and testament of Jesus Christ.

Bibles, magic texts, the Grand Grimoire and the discovery of the last will and testament of Jesus Christ. Read by Arty Froushan.

[LISTEN NOW]

05 LAST

Prodigy Books, Insects And Record Breakers

20210716

20250502 (BBC7)
20250503 (BBC7)

The proliferation of 'Prodigy' books and the first book to detail insects - Micrographia. The shortest poem in history and the longest, largest and smallest books.

Abridged by Polly Coles

Read by Arty Froushan

Produced by Clive Brill

A Brill production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in July 2021.

The proliferation of 'Prodigy' books, the first book to detail insects and record-sized books and poems. Read by Arty Froushan.

[LISTEN NOW]

OMNI

20250504

20250505 (BBC7)

Edward Brooke-Hitching's father was an antiquarian book dealer.

So began his fascination, leading to a unique journey through the entire history of literature, delving into its darkest territories to hunt down the very strangest books ever written, and uncover the stories behind their creation.

Omnibus of five parts abridged by Polly Coles.

Read by Arty Froushan.

Producer: Clive Brill

A Brill production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in July 2021.

Edward Brooke-Hitching's curiosity over books made him seek out many oddities.

Inspired by his father, Edward Brooke-Hitching's curiosity over books made him seek out many oddities. Read by Arty Froushan.

[LISTEN NOW]

Episodes

Episode	Title	First Broadcast	Repeated	Comments
01	A Journey Begins	20210712	20250428 (BBC7) 20250429 (BBC7)	Edward Brooke-Hitching's curiosity over books made him seek out many oddities. Edward Brooke-Hitching's father was an antiquarian book dealer. So began his fascination. Edward Brooke-Hitching's father was an antiquarian book dealer. So began his fascination, leading to a unique journey through the entire history of literature, delving into its darkest territories to hunt down the very strangest books ever written, and uncover the stories behind their creation. This is a madman's library of eccentric and extraordinary volumes from around the world, many of which have been completely forgotten. Books written in blood and books that kill, books of the insane and books that hoaxed the globe, books invisible to the naked eye and books so long they could destroy the Universe, books worn into battle, books of code and cypher whose secrets remain undiscovered - and a few others that are just plain weird. Abridged by Polly Coles Read by Arty Froushan Produced by Clive Brill A Brill production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in July 2021. Inspired by his father, Edward Brooke-Hitching's curiosity over books made him seek out many oddities. Read by Arty Froushan. [LISTEN NOW]
02	Book Bindings	20210713	20250429 (BBC7) 20250430 (BBC7)	Books bound in skin, written in blood, and a very cryptic manuscript. Edward Brooke-Hitching's father was an antiquarian book dealer. So began his fascination. Books can be bound with the strangest things. Including human skin. Not to mention written in blood. And possibly the most cryptic manuscript of all - The Voynich Manuscript. Edward Brooke-Hitching's father was an antiquarian book dealer. So began his fascination, leading to a unique journey through the entire history of literature, delving into its darkest territories to hunt down the very strangest books ever written, and uncover the stories behind their creation. This is a madman's library of eccentric and extraordinary volumes from around the world, many of which have been completely forgotten. Books that kill, books of the insane and books that hoaxed the globe, books invisible to the naked eye and books so long they could destroy the Universe, books worn into battle, books of code and cypher whose secrets remain undiscovered - and a few others that are just plain weird. Abridged by Polly Coles Read by Arty Froushan Produced by Clive Brill A Brill production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in July 2021. Book oddities bound in human skin, books written in blood, and a very cryptic manuscript. Read by Arty Froushan. This is a madman's library of eccentric and extraordinary volumes from around the world, many of which have been completely forgotten. Books written in blood and books that kill, books of the insane and books that hoaxed the globe, books invisible to the naked eye and books so long they could destroy the Universe, books worn into battle, books of code and cypher whose secrets remain undiscovere [LISTEN NOW]
03	Hoaxes, Encyclopaedias And Fish	20210714	20250430 (BBC7) 20250501 (BBC7)	Literary hoaxes, lexicons, phrasebooks and the birth of the encyclopaedia. Edward Brooke-Hitching's father was an antiquarian book dealer. So began his fascination. Literary hoaxes, lexicons, phrasebooks and the birth of the encyclopaedia. Medieval bestiaries and 800 page books about fish. Edward Brooke-Hitching's father was an antiquarian book dealer. So began his fascination, leading to a unique journey through the entire history of literature, delving into its darkest territories to hunt down the very strangest books ever written, and uncover the stories behind their creation. This is a madman's library of eccentric and extraordinary volumes from around the world, many of which have been completely forgotten. Books written in blood and books that kill, books of the insane and books that hoaxed the globe, books invisible to the naked eye and books so long they could destroy the Universe, books worn into battle, books of code and cypher whose secrets remain undiscovered - and a few others that are just plain weird. Abridged by Polly Coles Read by Arty Froushan Produced by Clive Brill A Brill production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in July 2021. Book oddities from literary hoaxes, the birth of the encyclopaedia and medieval bestiaries to fish books. Read by Arty Froushan. [LISTEN NOW]
04	Bibles And Magic Texts	20210715	20250501 (BBC7) 20250502 (BBC7)	Bibles, magic texts and the Grand Grimoire - a guide to summoning a prime minister of hell. Not to mention the discovery of the last will and testament of Jesus Christ. Edward Brooke-Hitching's father was an antiquarian book dealer. So began his fascination, leading to a unique journey through the entire history of literature, delving into its darkest territories to hunt down the very strangest books ever written, and uncover the stories behind their creation. This is a madman's library of eccentric and extraordinary volumes from around the world, many of which have been completely forgotten. Books written in blood and books that kill, books of the insane and books that hoaxed the globe, books invisible to the naked eye and books so long they could destroy the Universe, books worn into battle, books of code and cypher whose secrets remain undiscovered - and a few others that are just plain weird. Abridged by Polly Coles Read by Arty Froushan Produced by Clive Brill A Brill production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in July 2021. Bibles, magic texts, the Grand Grimoire and the last will and testament of Jesus Christ. Bibles, magic texts, the Grand Grimoire and the discovery of the last will and testament of Jesus Christ. Read by Arty Froushan. [LISTEN NOW]
05 LAST	Prodigy Books, Insects And Record Breakers	20210716	20250502 (BBC7) 20250503 (BBC7)	The proliferation of 'Prodigy' books and the first book to detail insects - Micrographia. The shortest poem in history and the longest, largest and smallest books. Edward Brooke-Hitching's father was an antiquarian book dealer. So began his fascination, leading to a unique journey through the entire history of literature, delving into its darkest territories to hunt down the very strangest books ever written, and uncover the stories behind their creation. This is a madman's library of eccentric and extraordinary volumes from around the world, many of which have been completely forgotten. Books written in blood and books that kill, books of the insane and books that hoaxed the globe, books invisible to the naked eye and books so long they could destroy the Universe, books worn into battle, books of code and cypher whose secrets remain undiscovered - and a few others that are just plain weird. Abridged by Polly Coles Read by Arty Froushan Produced by Clive Brill A Brill production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in July 2021. The proliferation of 'Prodigy' books, the first book to detail insects and record-sized books and poems. Read by Arty Froushan. [LISTEN NOW]
OMNI		20250504	20250505 (BBC7)	Edward Brooke-Hitching's father was an antiquarian book dealer. So began his fascination, leading to a unique journey through the entire history of literature, delving into its darkest territories to hunt down the very strangest books ever written, and uncover the stories behind their creation. This is a madman's library of eccentric and extraordinary volumes from around the world, many of which have been completely forgotten. Books written in blood and books that kill, books of the insane and books that hoaxed the globe, books invisible to the naked eye and books so long they could destroy the Universe, books worn into battle, books of code and cypher whose secrets remain undiscovered - and a few others that are just plain weird. Omnibus of five parts abridged by Polly Coles. Read by Arty Froushan. Producer: Clive Brill A Brill production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in July 2021. Edward Brooke-Hitching's curiosity over books made him seek out many oddities. Inspired by his father, Edward Brooke-Hitching's curiosity over books made him seek out many oddities. Read by Arty Froushan. [LISTEN NOW]