Brian Johnston

Possibly the most distinctive voice in British broadcasting, Brian Johnston was best known as the jovial, chocolate-cake-eating "Johnners" of the BBC's "Test Match Special" team. But in a 48-year career at the microphone, he was also a commentator for royal weddings and other state occasions, a live reporter of crazy charades for "In Town Tonight", and the presenter of 733 editions of "Down Your Way". This biography, which draws on unpublished sources including Johnston's diaries, reveals him as a man of versatility and courage, and shows that he had a serious side, while doing justice to the triumphant sense of fun for which he is remembered.