List of Desert Island Discs episodes (1971–1980)

The BBC Radio 4 programme Desert Island Discs invites castaways to choose eight pieces of music, a book (in addition to the Bible - or a religious text appropriate to that person's beliefs - and the Complete Works of Shakespeare) and a luxury item that they would take to an imaginary desert island, where they will be marooned indefinitely. The rules state that the chosen luxury item must not be anything animate or indeed anything that enables the castaway to escape from the island, for instance a radio set, sailing yacht or aeroplane. The choices of book and luxury can sometimes give insight into the guest's life, and the choices of guests between 1971 and 1980 are listed here.

1971 DateCastawayBookLuxuryMoreinfoEnglish DictionaryGuitarmoreEncyclopediaPainting materialsmoreNovels of P. G. WodehouseWriting materialsmoreThe Science of Mind by Ernest HolmesPianomoreThe Atlantic Book of British and American Poetry by Edith SitwellMaterials for making wine or beermoreOxford Book of English VerseModel-making toolsmoreA selection to sampleRadio receivermoreComplete works of Oscar WildeToothbrushesmorePoems of Rabindranath TagorePerfumemorePoems of George Herbert and John DonneTartar saucemoreThe Spotlight casting directoryHis Bentley carmoreThe Oxford Dictionary of QuotationsFour-poster bedmoreThe Godfather by Mario PuzoPrawn cocktailsmoreHis own book My World of TheatrePicture of his familymoreA set of Wisden Cricketers' AlmanacksTelephone line to a sports newspapermoreCookery encyclopediaFamily photographmoreThe Road to Xanadu by John Livingston LowesRazormoreCookery bookMake-up boxmoreBack numbers of the Reader's DigestOrganmoreCollected poems of John BetjemanRené Magritte's The Empire of LightmoreScience and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker EddyWriting materialsmoreHandbook on tropical vegetationGolf clubs and ballsmoreEncyclopediaWriting materials and playing cardsmoreOxford Book of English VersePianomoreEncyclopediaSoapmorePalgrave's Golden TreasuryWriting materialsmoreA Book of Beauty by John HadfieldCherry treemoreCome Hither by Walter de la MareMagnifying glassmoreVincent Price's Cookery BookLife-sized model of Margaret Thatcher and a baseball batmoreOxford Book of English VerseBuddhist altar in the British MuseummoreCollected works of EpictetusChess set with a problem bookmoreCollected works of Jane AustenWriting materialsmoreMichelin Guide to FrancePinmoreVolumes on astronomy and astrologyForty yards of flowered chintz, a needle & cottonmoreBook from his libraryRevolvermorePersuasion by Jane AustenQueen Mary's Dolls' HousemoreVolume on Elementary CalculusThe Black Prince Steam Locomotive, canvases and oil paintmoreDo-it-yourself manualBinocularsmoreIn Search of Lost Time by Marcel ProustTypewriter and papermoreNovels by James A. MichenerEnglish pubmoreWar and Peace and Anna Karenina by Leo TolstoyRefrigeratormoreLondon Sparrow by Phyllis ThompsonPianomoreHistory of England by Keith FeilingCanvas and tapestry toolsmoreNovels by Georgette HeyerSelf-portrait painted by his wifemoreAutobiography of Winston ChurchillPiano, manuscript paper, pencils and a rubbermoreThe Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. TolkienHot water and bath oilmoreLieder by Franz SchubertBavarian rococo churchmoreDictionary of Musical ThemesBinocularsmoreEncyclopaedia of Ancient CivilisationsWinemoreIllustrated HerbalDart board and darts of different weightsmoreElizabeth RSeedsmoreSet of HansardPaper and felt-tipped pensmore

1972 DateCastawayBookLuxuryMoreinfoCookery bookWriting materialsmoreEncyclopædia BritannicaRefrigeratormoreWinnie-the-Pooh by A. A. MilneJeroboam of Taittinger ChampagnemoreTeach yourself piano tuningPianomoreComplete works of Oscar WildeSoapmoreRoute 69 by Floyd CarterPaper, pencils and a battery-operated sharpenermoreLes Misérables by Victor HugoBedmoreDeath in the Afternoon by Ernest HemingwayTypewriter and papermoreGuinness World RecordsmoreIliad and Odyssey by HomerGin, Dry Martini and lemonsmorePoetry by W. B. YeatsWood and stone-carving toolsmoreSurvival manualJohn Constable landscapemoreScotch Whiskymore by Emlyn Williams12th-century candlestick in Victoria and Albert Museummore by J. R. R. TolkienSpanish guitarmoreDiary of a Country Parson by James WoodfordemoremoreEncyclopediaWriting materialsmoreEncyclopedia of GardeningGolf clubs and ballsmoreCollected works of James JoyceYellow Lamborghinimore by J. R. R. TolkienCrystal rock specimensmoreComplete works of Leonardo da VinciPainting materialsmore48 Preludes and Fugues by Johann Sebastian BachPianomoreOxford English DictionaryTape recordermoreBook of KellsBasil Brush films and projectormoreDictionary of National BiographyTypewriter, paper and a hostess gownmoreAnthology of English VerseCigarsmore by Henry Watson FowlerAspirinmore by Hendrik Willem van LoonRadio receivermorePainting materialsmore by Johann David WyssBinocularsmore by Charles DickensMalt whisky and drawing papermoreAtlasKoh-i-Noor diamondmoreBook on plant geneticsStillmoreEncyclopædia BritannicaGolf clubs and ballsmore by Henry Watson FowlerPadded deckchairmoreIn Search of Lost Time by Marcel ProustTwo armchairsmoreEncyclopædia BritannicaPianomoreDo it yourself manualPainting materialsmoreAnthony Adverse by Hervey AllenPainting materialsmoreHistory of the WorldPianomore by J. R. R. TolkienStillmore and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark TwainSpyglassmoreDiaries of Francis KilvertSpyglassmoreEncyclopædia BritannicaStamp albummoreEncyclopædia BritannicaSun-barrier cream and a straw hatmoreGone with the Wind by Margaret MitchellTelephonemoreRobinson Crusoe by Daniel DefoemoreHistory of the United StatesCrochet needles and woolmorePrefaces by George Bernard ShawGolf clubs and ballsmoreI ChingSnorkelmoreAnthology of Poetry and Novels by Charlotte BrontëPiano and sheet musicmoreSurvival manualHarpsichordmore

1973 DateCastawayBookLuxuryMoreinfoLanguage coursesScotch and ChampagnemoreVolume of colour reproductions of paintingsDaily newspapermoreEncyclopædia BritannicaFamily photographmoreEncyclopædia BritannicaMoët & Chandon Champagne 1966moreAtlasSketching materialsmoreAnthology of PoetryOil-painting equipmentmoreDiary by Samuel PepysSmall distillerymoreSand iron and golf ballsmore by Gustav KobbéPianomoreVolume of colour reproductions of paintingsBinocularsmoreIn Search of Lost Time by Marcel ProustPianomoreCollected works by Michel de MontaigneDuvetmoreDiary by Samuel PepysEquipment for winemaking and brewingmoreCartoons by Carl GilesAccordionmore by Charles DickensCardsmoreMarlborough: His Life and Times by Winston ChurchillRadio receivermoreNovels by Jean PlaidyBrandymore Swiss Family Robinson by Johann Wyss Painting materials Plato's dialoguesHavana cigarsmoreCome Hither by Walter de la MareDummy piano keyboardmoreBrewer's Dictionary of Phrase and FableFour-poster bedmorePapillon by Henri CharrièreChess setmoreAnthology of PoetryWhiskymoreHistory of MankindSaxophonemoreBhagavad Gita by Christopher IsherwoodWriting materialsmoreShort Stories by W. Somerset MaughamRadio receivermoreBlank paper and a typewriterKnitting needles and woolmoreOxford Rhyming DictionaryWinemoreEnds and Means by Aldous HuxleyRadio receivermoreOxford English DictionaryBedmorePenguin Book of QuotationsGrapevinesmoreDo it yourself manualTape recordermoreShort Stories by P. G. WodehouseGolf clubs and ballsmoreTranscript of the Watergate hearingsBernini columns from The VaticanmoreOxford Book of English VerseBox of oddments from her dressing tablemoreEnglish DictionaryTobacco seeds and a brewing vatmoreHow to be Your Own Best Friend by Mildred NewmanSoapmoreTimetable of passing SteamersBrandymoreComb and manicure setmoreGrove's Dictionary of Music and MusiciansGerman white winemoremore by William WordsworthWriting materialsmoreBradshaw's railway timetableWinemaking kitmoreAnthology of World Poetry by Mark Van DorenOxford World Atlas and an Ordnance Survey map of the British IslesmoreAnthology of PoetryMadonna and Child by Jacob EpsteinmoreCollected works of Max BeerbohmPainting materialsmoreOxford English DictionaryGold bracelet called The Lion of JudahmoreCollected works of Dylan ThomasCornetmoreGrove's Dictionary of Music and MusiciansRadio-controlled aircraftmoreBook on zoologyPianomoreGoethe's FaustScore of Mozart's The Magic Flutemore

1974 DateCastawayBookLuxuryMoreinfoVolume on chess championship playAntique chess setmore by Edward GibbonDom Pérignon ChampagnemorePoetry by Roland HolstDutch Winter Landscape by BruegelmoreBurke's Landed GentryBedmoreElectric blanketmore by James StephensTypewriter and papermoreRadio receivermoreBradshaw's railway timetableCouchmoreTranquillizersmore by Thor HeyerdahlWriting materialsmoreFunny way to be a Hero by John FisherBowling machine and cricket ballsmoreThree Men in a Boat by Jerome K. JeromeBedmoreIvory chess setmoreWar and Peace by Leo Tolstoy and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis CarrollPiano and winemoreBlank bookWood-carving kitmoreAnthology of poetryVarieties of tea and a tea-making outfitmoreOxford English DictionaryHavana cigarsmoreNovels by P. G. WodehouseNougatmoreSnoopy Dog by Charles M. SchulzBedmoreTape recordermoreMusical arrangements by Dave BrubeckPianomoreBiography of Leonardo da VinciSilver singing bird box containing a miniature singing birdmore by Nancy MitfordTriple-folding screen and personal photographsmore by Sheridan Le FanuGinmoreGuitarmoreCollection of Welsh PoetryElectronic pipe organmorePuck of Pook's Hill by Rudyard KiplingCellini Salt CellarmoreShort stories by W. Somerset MaughamRadio receivermoreNovels by Anthony TrollopeColin Cowdrey's bowling machinemore by H. G. WellsmoreOxford Book of English VersePainting materialsmoreKaleidoscopemoreIn Search of Lost Time by Marcel ProustSketching materialsmorePlays and Prefaces by George Bernard ShawCardsmore by Charles DickensBinocularsmoreFamily photograph albumDavid Wynne's The DancersmoreSurvival manualStillmoreGin and vermouthmoreMen and Animals in ItalianPianomoreMr Sponge's Sporting Tour by Robert Smith SurteesAirmail edition of The TimesmoreNovels by P. G. WodehouseTobacco plantmoreVictoria R.I. by Elizabeth LongfordGroup photograph of friendsmoreOxford Book of English VerseWriting materialsmoreAct One by Moss HartMellotronmoreCollected stories by Albert CamusDrawing and writing materialsmoreMa Cuisine by Auguste EscoffierPianomorePride and Prejudice by Jane AustenHarmonicamoreWinnie-the-Pooh by A. A. MilneInflatable womanmoreCollected poems by Edward ThomasPair of shoesmoreDebrett'sRadio receivermoreAlice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis CarrollPortrait of her husbandmoreThree Men in a Boat by Jerome K. JeromeBinocularsmore

1975