World Famous Comics: A History of Britain - The Complete Collection
A History of Britain - The Complete Collection
Starring: Simon Schama, Michael Kitchen, Samuel West, Lindsay Duncan, David Threlfall Average Rating: Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated) Binding: DVD Format: Box set, Color, DVD-Video, Full Screen, NTSC Label: A&E Home Video Number of Items: 5 Region Code: 1 Release Date: November 26, 2002 Running Time: 900 minutes Theatrical Release Date: October 29, 2001
Description: From the dawn of civilization to the 20th century, A HISTORY OF BRITAIN re-animates familiar tales and illuminates overlooked aspects of England's past. Written and hosted by historian Simon Schama (the bestselling author of Rembrandt's Eyes and The Embarrassment of Riches), this monumental The History Channel®/BBC co-production has been hailed by critics for its colorful--and controversial--approach, which discards timelines and tiresome lineages for a lively look at the personalities and cultures that infuse British history.
From India to Ireland, the Norman Invasion to the American Revolution, Schama spotlights the epic themes and towering figures that transformed an island "at the edge of the world" into the greatest empire on earth, examining the impact of this extraordinary heritage on the modern nation.
All 15 episodes of the landmark series are available on DVD for the first time in this extraordinary collector's set that belongs in the library of every history buff. Beginnings, Conquest, Dynasty, Nations, King Death, Burning Convictions, The Body of the Queen, The British Wars, Revolutions, Britannia Incorporated, The Wrong Empire, Forces of Nature, Victoria and her Sisters, Empire of Good Intentions, The Two Winstons.
Amazon.com: What do you get when you combine the resources and ethos of the BBC with the literary panache of one of the world's best narrative historians? The answer is Simon Schama's History of Britain television series. In this well-written and thoughtfully crafted survey, Schama, the bestselling author of books on European cultural history such as The Embarrassment of Riches and Citizens, has managed to be both conventional and provocative. He tells the official version of Britain's story--Roman Britain, the Norman Conquest, the struggles of the Henrys and Richards, Elizabeth I, Scottish rebellions and the English Civil Wars, the American Revolution, the growth of the British Empire, Queen Victoria, the industrial age, and Winston Churchill. But while sticking to a script familiar to anyone who sat up and listened during history class, Schama brings it all alive with memorable prose and presence--Simon de Montfort's rebel parliament is described as inaugurating the "union between patriotism and insubordination"; with Henry VIII, Schama says, "you could practically smell the testosterone." Schama is also particularly enlightening on the symbolism of buildings, memorials, language, and ceremonies, and on the complex relations between England and its Celtic and Catholic neighbors. If history must have gloss, then let it be presented like this. --Miles Taylor
No One Tells it Like Simon Schama There is no one quite like Simon Schama. He makes the history of Britain coherent, understandable, and unique, and he has the ability to help the viewer comprehend the great achievements of Britain while being honest, humorous, informative, clear and articulate in the presentation. His stories and visuals are very well chosen. He is one of only a few presenters of history in video - Bronowski and Clark come to mind - who can stimulate the mind and excite the viewer through audio and visual imagery that truly resonates long after the first viewing. "The History of Britain" is a worthy addition to any documentary collection, and really no one tells it like Simon Schama. And if the viewer wants more, there is always Simon Schama's "The Power of Art". Two great programs.
This series is JUST AWFUL The producers pride themselves on 'disengaging from the tedious timeline of history.' What is history without a timeline? This series is a tedious thread of pictures, images, FEELINGS. Trite drama without substantive detail, pablum for the mind-numb -- the narrator's exaggerated facial contortions gave us endless minutes of mirth (and I use the word 'endless' with great intent). Do not waste your time and money on this one.
Don't buy this American set When I started watching I expected it to be up to the ususal BBC standards, after all BBC is the producer of the mind blowing "Planet Earth" series. And I could not be more right! "A History of Britian" is nothing less than an experience that must be lived to be believed. It takes you in a time machine ride to cover 3000 years of Britian's history using stunning visuals and excellent music. Of course nowhere near the detail of the 3 books by Simon with the same title, but he manages to include as much detail in 15 hours as anyone will ever be able to do. My only take is that the 20th century, including WW1, WW2 and the struggle with the IRA, are mentioned in just few words certainly not proportionate to how big those events were. So you better think of it as a comprehensive history of Britian up to the end of the 19th century.
That said, this American release is cropped (image cut on sides) to fit 4:3 TV screens. The original program was shot in wide screen by the BBC, thus this American release is a ture mess. I bought the R2 UK set which is in wide screen, and it also comes with a bonus sixth DVD with extra material.
RULE BRITANIA!!! Very inspiring, well done series. Great photography, not the usual set of boring dates, names, etc. Makes history come alive!
A Great Series! Simon Schama's A History of Britain presents the epic history of the British Isles in a lively, engaging and beautiful manner. I have a passion for history, and have been plenty of documentaries. A good documentary gives both a thorough recounting of events and sheds new light onto them. A great one can introduce ideas that one had not previously thought of, but delight as well as inform, and Simon Schama's work definitely falls into the latter category.
An art historian, Simon Schama includes and explains many beautiful works of art, explaining how they helped tell us of Great Britain's past. It also includes plenty of panoramic views of the gorgeous English countryside, which one could make a whole seperate documentary out of. As other reviewers have noted, Schama avoids a dry recounting of events, and prevents it in an amusing fashion that can almost make one laugh out loud. By the time one is finished with the fifteen installments, one almost regrets it is over.
The episodes frequently revolve around the stories of great leaders and thinkers, and how they changed Great Britain for better or worse. Some lesser-known figures are given a much-deserved highlight. King Henry I, whose imposition of a common law upon the realm would inspire the barons to rebel against his gutless, blackmailing heir King John. King Edward Longshanks, whose utterly ruthless wars against Wales, Scotland and Ireland inspired patriotic rhetoric centuries before the age of nationalism. Finally, there is Robert "Cock Robin" Walpole, who envisioned and helped to bring about a modern Britain built around money, rather than violent sectarian fervor and the destructive wars it helped to bring about.
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