Home Front: The Complete BBC Radio Collection, Volume 1

By: Lucy Catherine, Katie Hims, Sebastian Baczkiewicz, Richard Monks, Sarah Daniels, Shaun McKenna

Narrated by: full cast, Toby Jones, Ami Metcalf, Keely Beresford, Mark Stobbart, Michael Bertenshaw, Freddie Fox, Harriet Walters

Series 1-5 of the groundbreaking BBC Radio 4 drama charting life on the home front during World War One

First heard on radio between 4 August 2014 and 9 November 2018, each episode of Home Front is set exactly one hundred years before the broadcast date, and each follows one character’s day. Together they create a mosaic of experience from a wide cross-section of society, mixing historical fact with enthralling fiction to explore how ordinary people coped with daily life in wartime Britain.

The story begins in Folkestone, as the first troops march off to the front lines. Soon, families such as the Grahams and the Wilsons begins to feel the impact of war, as the wounded return and first Belgian refugees, then Canadian troops, arrive in the seaside resort. In addition, the White Feather and suffragette movements grow in popularity, and a tide of grief increasingly leads people to thoughts of the hereafter.

Industrial Tynemouth, meanwhile, is experiencing a quite different war. The factories and shipyards are at peak production, and more women are joining the workforce. At the munitions factory, owner Geoffrey Marshall and his family must adapt to the changing times – as must workers like Fraser and Edie Chadwick.

Tackling themes including the outbreak of war, recruitment, industry, profiteering and spiritualism are some of radio’s foremost dramatists including Katie Hims, Sebastian Baczkiewicz and Shaun McKenna. Among the extensive cast are Michael Bertenshaw, Keely Beresford, Freddie Fox, Ami Metcalf, Edmund Wiseman, Barbara Flynn, Mark Stobbart and Toby Jones, with Dame Harriet Walter making a cameo appearance as Emmeline Pankhurst.

©2018 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2018 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Excellent Radio Drama!

This is an incredibly well done radio drama. It can be tough to keep track of all the characters, but if you go to the BBC 4 website you can see a list of them. It touches on virtually every aspect of World War One on the British Home Front.

Exceptionally engrossing drama

This is a most wonderful drama set during the turmoil of WWI in Britain. The only thing that one needs is a character list to keep up, although you can get on the BBC 4 website and print one off. It comes in handy! The characters are voiced to perfection, capturing all of the emotional spectrum, just like in a stage play. I can’t wait for the next volume! I wish it would keep going and going. But at 38-39 hours per volume times three, that’s not a bad set up.

love love love

Great storyline and performance. It was my cross Atlantic companion. lost myself in the performance and was annoyed that I had to come back to reality. Bought series 2 and 3. I am escaping again.

What a treat for the ears!!

Loved this audio book got lost in the characters and story. Every character was genuine and the story kept me coming back for more . Will get the other 2 volumes as well.