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Book of the Week

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Factual

Serialised book readings, featuring works from various genres

Serialised book readings, featuring works of non-fiction, biography, autobiography, travel, diaries, essays, humour and history

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Book of the Week: Fire Season

Book of the Week: Fire Season: Episode 4

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Drama: Biographical

Fire Season

Episode 4

BBC Radio 4 - Book of the Week, Fire Season, Episode 4

May is relentless with wind, the tower vibrates and dust spirals off the mountains.

May is relentless with wind, the fire lookout's tower vibrates and dust spirals off the mountains. Read by Kerry Shale.

Written by Philip Connor. Abridged by Jane Marshall.

May is relentless with wind, the fire lookout's tower vibrates, guy wires scream and the distant hills are swallowed in dust. As he spots a cloud rise from the hills his eye is drawn to the contours but he decides the spiral is just dust, it's colour and movement don't jibe with smoke. He quits his post early and finds a spot of early evening peace by a mountain pond.

Capturing the wonder and grandeur of this most unusual job and place, Fire Season evokes both the eerie pleasure of solitude and the majesty, might and beauty of untamed fire at its wildest. Connors' time on the peak is filled with drama - there are fires large and small; spectacular midnight lightning storms and silent mornings awakening above the clouds; surprise encounters with smokejumpers and black bears.

Read by Kerry Shale 


Produced by Jane Marshall 
A Jane Marshall Production for BBC Radio 4.

BBC Radio 4

Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

Philip Connors' enchanting notes from a wilderness lookout as he watches for wildfires

Philip Connors spends half of each year in a tiny room at the top of a tower, on top of a mountain, alone in millions of acres of American wilderness, watching for wildfires

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