This time on How I Got There Matt welcomes Sir Simon Schama (CBE) into the studio. From nation-building and revolution to the power of art and human memory, Simon has authored eighteen books which have been translated into sixteen languages. He’s a prolific writer, art sleuth, travel journalist, political pundit and university professor, who's summed up life using these six words: “recklessness undeservedly rewarded by good fortune”. Together Matt and Simon discuss the influence of Dickens and Shakespeare, his formidable mother: “she used to stick me in a basket and put me on the door steps on one of the neighbouring houses”, his father’s fantastical story-telling and financial ruin, as well as the importance of hard work and savouring the finer things in life.