In 1938 Heinrich Harrar nipped up the unconquered - and forbidden - north face of the Eiger in order to win credibility as a climber. Then he headed for the Himalayas, only to be interned in India by the British. In 1944, he escaped to Tibet. The story of his experiences as tutor and friend of the Dalai Lama is now dripping with street cred because of the pretty but unconvincing Brad Pitt movie. Seven Years in Tibet (HarperCollins, 3hrs, pounds 8.99), read by Tim Pigott-Smith, gives a much richer version of Harrar's excellent adventure.
Antony Jay, author of Yes Minister, offers brilliant and machiavellian advice on fighting officialdom in How to Beat Sir Humphrey (BBC, 2hrs, pounds 8.99). Read by Derek "Bernard" Fowles, it is both hilariously funny and an extremely useful guide to defeating red tape. Indispensable for anyone who sits on any kind of committee.
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