Christopher Lee's history of Britain, This Sceptred Isle, provided the definitive radio account of the nation from the arrival of Julius Caesar to the death of Queen Victoria. This Sceptred Isle, The Twentieth Century, continues the story, taking us through decades of whirlwind change and technological advancement in the diverse and colourful country that now stands on the brink of the millennium.

Volume 3, covering the years 1939-1959, takes a global perspective. Following the horrors of the Second World War, culminating in the horrific bombing of Hiroshima and the onset of the Cold War, came the beginnings of popular culture: Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley and the Mini.