Eyewitness provides a rare and fascinating opportunity to hear the events of the century described by those who saw them happen. A wealth of BBC archive recordings, some never previously broadcast, is interwoven with an illuminating commentary by the historian Joanna Bourke . Published in ten volumes, Eyewitness examines the role and the life of the British people in each decade of the century.

' ... mines the BBC's sound archives to produce what will surety become the greatest oral history series ' The Times

Conflict characterised the 1980s: war, the miners' strike, social and political polarisation. By 1981, unemployment had rocketed and Margaret Thatcher's popularity suffered. But victory in the Falklands revived Tory fortunes, and Conservative hegemony was assured, The Northern Ireland situation remained insoluble: the IRA's Brighton bomb nearly wiped out Thatcher and her cabinet.

But the decade included moments of celebration. Prince Charles married Lady Diana in 1981, and England won the Ashes. The Eighties ended on a note of hope: in 1989 the Berlin Wall fell, and the Cold War was over. Bystanders, broadcasters and politicians describe history in the making.

Thought-provoking and moving, these are the voices of the past, speaking to the present