Synopsis

Magnus Magnusson presided from the Great Hall of the University of Reading as four contestants from London and the south-east vied for a place in the semi-finals. Alan Samson, a book editor, presented *The Life of Harold Macmillan*. Jeanette Setterich, working as a receptionist, discussed *The 'Amama' Pharaohs c. 1417-c. 1320 BC*. David Blackman, a civil servant, spoke on *Life and Times of Emperor Franz Josef of Austria*. And Christopher Gibson, a schoolmaster, delivered a lecture on *Opera