A History of Britain: Amazon.ca: Simon Schama, Michael Kitchen, Samuel West, Lindsay Duncan, David Threlfall, George Anton, Matthew Rhys, Christian Rodska, Anthony Bate, Timothy West, Emilia Fox, Gerry O'Brien, Philippa Daniel, Ben Ledden, Clare Beavan, Helen Nixon, Martin Davidson: DVD

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Product Description

From 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

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Customer Reviews

33 Reviews

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

Average Customer Review

4.2 out of 5 stars (33 customer reviews)

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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must for any Anglophile..., Mar 25 2004

By

JR Pinto (New Jersey) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A History of Britain: The Complete Collection (DVD)

A History of Britain is a wonderful but pricey treat for any fan of British history. Some of the negative reviews complain that it is too superficial. How, I would ask, can you give a COMPLETE history of a country that spans 5,000 years? The collection consists of 15 hour-long documentaries starting from Britain's earliest past, five-thousand years ago. We see the still-standing stone communities where the ancient British dwelled.

Of course, Simon Schama must be selective in what he chooses to discuss. Each episode has a theme. Although all the major points of British history are touched upon, Schama will focus on the most interesting bits of each event - how and why they happened and what they meant. He tries to give us a sense of reasons behind historical events and not just dates and places. My favorite episode deals with Henry II - arguably England's greatest and most under-appreciated monarch. We see his troubles with Thomas a Beckett. Schama re-creates, in vivid detail, what the "Murder in the Cathedral" was like: Beckett was not a plaster saint, but a street-wise tough kid from the wrong side of the docks who fearlessly faced down his murderers.

Visually, the series shows some re-enactments with actors. There are many voice-over readings of historical documents. Schama is the only featured performer. He takes you to the various places and narrates in a very distinctive, clipped manner of speaking. Ultimately, it is the shots of the timeless Britain that are the most effective - the hills, the meadows, and especially the sea. These are the bits that have remained the same and convey the greatest feeling of history.

I can't imagine anybody not being fascinated by this program. They are very re-watchable. Having examined them, you will feel a much deeper understanding of British history - and indeed world history. Perhaps no other country has a story as fascinating, as rich, or as varied as Britain's. Watch this and you will know why.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Effortless History, April 19 2003

By

J. Mir (El Paso, Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: A History of Britain: The Complete Collection (DVD)

Unlike James Burke whose popular connections series made no apologies for appealing to a mass audience, Professor Schama lays out the subject matter and simply assumes one can "keep up". And indeed, one can. It is a brilliant overview of the History of Britain; moreover, the visual combination of still photos and comtemporary video is mixed nicely throughout. Best viewed with a straight shot of Midelton and a pint of Stout.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars History of Britain, Sep 3 2009

By

J Laraman (Vancouver Island Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Comp History of Britain (DVD)

The history of Britain is great for anyone who wants to have a better understanding of the last two thousand years of British history. Brian Schama is entertaining and reasonably thorough in his approach. Only complaint is that there a somewhat strong reliance on pictures, artifacts and scenic locales. Most likely all that can be done when you are dealing with historical data unless there were re-enactments which is not the focus of this material.

Overall if you want a better understanding of British history in chronological order - this is it.

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Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A History of Britain
A History of Britain: The Complete Collection

A fasinating account in dramatic fashion, of a powerful nation's past. Read more

Published on May 8 2009 by Allan Johnson

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent tour through time
A great series. I bought this after thoroughly enjoying Schama's "Power of Art". I wasn't disappointed. Read more

Published on Mar 4 2009 by M. Anstey