Simon Schama begins his history of Britain at the miraculously preserved Stone Age cottages of Skara Brae in Orkney and then moves on to the world of Anglo-Saxon England.
In nine short hours, William the Conqueror triumphed at the Battle of Hastings - and England was changed forever. Simon Schama recounts the saga of blood, betrayal and ambition that led up to this pivotal battle.
The documentary series taking a comprehensive look at British history. Henry II built a great medieval empire - which was then torn apart by his scheming family.
The story of Edward I - the Hammer of the Scots - whose attempts to force English rule on Scotland and Wales strengthened the identities of all the British nations.
Simon Schama continues his look at British history with the Black Death, the horror of medieval Britain. Those it did not kill were condemned to suffer decades of anarchy and unrest, not least King Richard II.
Simon Schama tells the story of the Reformation, from Henry VIII's love for Anne Boleyn to Bloody Mary's unsuccessful attempt to return England to Catholicism.
Simon Schama examines the long, tangled relationship between Queen Elizabeth I and her cousin Mary, Queen of Scots, who was executed by royal command in 1587.
Simon Schama looks beyond the romantic stories of Cavaliers and Roundheads to the real story of the English Civil War, in which hundreds of thousands died, countless families were torn apart and the nation was divided.
Simon Schama examines the turbulent years in Britain from 1649 to 1689, from Oliver Cromwell's republic to Charles II's restoration and James II's subsequent pro-Catholic rule from which he was quickly deposed.
Simon Schama's epic history reaches the 18th century and the birth of modern Britain. Due to an economic explosion, the consumer society is born, agriculture becomes big business and London becomes the fastest growing city in Europe.
Simon Schama traces the steps of the empire-makers to tell the extraordinary story of how this small set of islands came to rule an empire that stretched around the globe.
The French Revolution sent shock-waves through Britain. While some watched transfixed, others were horrified. Simon Schama explores why the British proved immune to the siren call of liberty, equality and fraternity.
She began the century that bears her name a princess and ended it as an empress. Queen Victoria ruled one of the most powerful empires in world history during a century of staggering change - for both good and bad.
Simon Schama looks at how the liberal politics and free-market economics of the British Empire in the 19th century unraveled, leading to the potato famine in Ireland and mutiny in India.
Simon Schama tackles the 20th century through the lives of two men - Winston Churchill and George Orwell. Both men, so very different in almost every way, lived through and wrote about the key moments of British 20th-century life.
