A History of Britain

Simon Schama is not a revisionist; he's a reviver; a magical veterinarian, who has resuscitated a dead horse. And that's not simple. Kudos to Simon Schama and his fabulous series. A History of Britain is exactly that: a history, not the history. It's entertaining, exactly what the teaching of history should be; it bakes, rendering couch potatoes unstrung; and it's downright riveting. The BBC have always produced the best in documentary programming, and A History of Britain does not disappoint. If you have to beg, borrow or steal, it is highly recommended that anyone with half a brain dash off and purchase this jewel. Thank you and goodnight.

This is an extremely subjective documentary series, not evenly-balanced. Yes, I enjoyed it; it was entertaining, but not purely history. 8/10.

Having recently watched the episode "A History Of Britain" with my fellow A-level class, i wanted to share my enjoyment on such a gripping documentary. I find myself able to agree with Schama's revisionist interpretation on the causes of the civil war. Simon's enthusiasm helped bring entertainment to the episode as well as portraying a picture into the audiences minds. However at times this "enthusiasm" came across as being slightly pompous and arrogant. But in comparison to David Starkey who uses more academic language, i found Simon Schama a lot easier to follow and understand. I think he did an excellent job at replaying the causes of the civil war and i would strongly recommend other A level students to watch this to help broaden their historical knowledge.

I recently watched the programme on the British Civil War. It is clear from the beginning that Simon Schama, the presenter, has taken on a revisionist view of the causations leading to the War which I personally agree with. I enjoyed Simon's dramatic presenting style and the visuals, for instance when he's standing on the battlefield where the Civil War took place, which are particularly useful in creating an image of events in your head. Some scenes of the documentary are filmed from above which helps to heighten drama and suspense. He is somewhat egotistical but I find this only adds to the entertainment value of the programme. I find Schama much easier to understand than his counterpart David Starkey who uses academic language that makes it much more difficult to follow. Overall, I enjoyed the video and found it to be an exciting and often quirky take on British history. I hope to watch more of the collection of 15 programmes in the future.

The series exists on video as "A History of Britain I (3500BC - 1603AD)" and "A History of Britain II (1603 - 1776)". The following is based upon viewing the latter.

"A History of Britain II (1603 - 1776)". This series is probably more interesting for a non British viewer because of the time period: the emergence of Great Britain out of conflict between England and Scotland, the waning of the power of the monarch, the related growth of the power of the elected assembly, catholicism vs protestantism, civil war (parliament vs the monarchy), democracy as a means of mitigating the power of the monarch, exploration and growing relationships with the world beyond Europe.

It is a recent production (2000), it meets modern production values and it is not dry - typical handicaps of this genre. The presenter has a breezy style which you'll either enjoy or it will grate! He certainly knows his stuff and sticks to the broad themes. Fascinating stuff.