Desert island discs : flotsam & jetsam

"Flotsam and Jetsam" is the ultimate trivia book for fans of the popular BBC Radio 4 programme "Desert Island Discs", and a fascinating introduction for all those who have yet to discover its delights.

Taking the reader through seven decades of wonderful entertainment, here is an absorbing range of facts, figures and miscellany - including who chose what, and why.

It also reveals much about the castaways' drives and motivations, their influences and, of course, their lives.

Spanning the early years with the original presenter, Roy Plomley, and the present day, the "Desert Island Discs" programme has brought its own unique surprises to listeners, some very personal, some humorous, such as Eric Morecambe's choice of a deckchair as his luxury and Ernie Wise's of a deckchair ticket machine.

From Beethoven to the Beatles, from chessboards and chocolate to Jane Austen and Zola, "Flotsam and Jetsam" is the perfect companion guide to the national treasure that is "Desert Island Discs".