What makes a truly momentous news story? Peter Barnard, a former Assistant and Executive Editor of The Times newspaper, has chosen 20 events that seem to him to stand out in the history of BBC broadcasting for the drama of the moment and, crucially, because they have "something to say about the time in which they happened". Beginning with the General Strike of 1926 (a turning point for the role of the BBC), Barnard"s selection is consciously varied, reflecting the violence of our times but also giving space to sport, science and politics. The accompanying audio compact disc, providing recordings of the actual bulletins of the events delineated in the book, has an almost eerie ability to bring past events resoundingly back to life and also illustrates how the BBC announcement style has gradually changed through the century. Some sense of the history of the BBC and the development of its role is revealed, though an interest in that institution is not a prerequisite for finding this book stimulating. It is well worth reading for its concise, clear and objective accounts of famous and notorious events that have much of the character of the ideal news bulletin about them: Pared down and to-the-point, brief enough to hold the attention but with enough detail to promote understanding. --Karen Tiley