Great Disasters

On a foggy day in 1945, the busy streets of New York City were interrupted by a sound that shouldn't have been there - a plane, flying between the skyscrapers, and set on a collision course with the tallest building in the world.

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Every year brings its share of tragic events. A few are somewhat predictable - we will always expect a number of hurricanes, typhoons and cyclones, for example - while others are more unusual. Some grab headlines and make history, and others are quickly forgotten. These are the events which shaped 2023.

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How much tragedy can a single year bring? From the Hunga Tonga volcano to the Buffalo snow storm, let's take a look at the disasters which shaped the year 2022.

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The story of 33 men trapped deep within a Chilean mine gripped not only their nation, but the whole world. This episode of Great Disasters draws on contemporary reporting and the survivors' accounts to tell a fascinating story of  hope and survival against the odds.

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In this episode of Great Disasters, I'll be looking at the shipwreck of a migrant boat off the coast of Lampedusa in 2013.

The beautiful Italian island of Lampedusa is accustomed to the arrival of migrant boats, and the frequent need to rescue their occupants, since it's the closest European land to the coast of Libya. However, this incident was on an unprecedented scale.

Drawing on contemporary reporting and the accounts of witnesses and survivors, I'll tell the full story of what went wrong.

Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more.

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A look back over the disasters and tragedies which shaped 2021, from COVID-19 to the Surfside Condo Collapse, the La Palma Volcano, and more.

(Apologies if my narration isn't as precise as usual - I am in the middle of some significant dental work.)

Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more.

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It was one of the most shocking events of modern times; an attack on an a scale previously unimaginable, and a day that should never be forgotten.

Using contemporary accounts, the stories of witnesses and survivors, and the words of the victims, I'll tell the story of 9/11.

This is a series in six parts. This episode looks at the hijacking of United Airlines Flight 93, and the brave actions of the passengers and crew on board.


Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more.

Check out the Great Disasters Podcast on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram - let me know what you think of the show.

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It was one of the most shocking events of modern times; an attack on an a scale previously unimaginable, and a day that should never be forgotten.

Using contemporary accounts, the stories of witnesses and survivors, and the words of the victims, I'll tell the story of 9/11.

This is a series in six parts. This episode looks at the hijacking of American Airlines Flight 77 and events at The Pentagon in Washington DC.


Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more.

Check out the Great Disasters Podcast on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram - let me know what you think of the show.

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It was one of the most shocking events of modern times; an attack on an a scale previously unimaginable, and a day that should never be forgotten.

Using contemporary accounts, the stories of witnesses and survivors, and the words of the victims, I'll tell the story of 9/11.

This is a series in six parts. This episode looks at aspects of events in New York, not covered in the previous episodes.


Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more.

Check out the Great Disasters Podcast on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram - let me know what you think of the show.

Support the show

It was one of the most shocking events of modern times; an attack on an a scale previously unimaginable, and a day that should never be forgotten.

Using contemporary accounts, the stories of witnesses and survivors, and the words of the victims, I'll tell the story of 9/11.

This is a series in six parts. This episode looks specifically at the hijacking of United Airlines Flight 175, and events at the South Tower of the World Trade Center.


Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more.

Check out the Great Disasters Podcast on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram - let me know what you think of the show.

Support the show