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Simon Schama - A History of Britain : The Complete Series [DVD] [2000]
 
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Simon Schama - A History of Britain : The Complete Series [DVD] [2000]


4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Format: PAL
  • Language English
  • Region: Region 2 (This DVD may not be viewable outside Europe. Read more about DVD formats.)
  • Number of discs: 6
  • Classification: Exempt
  • Studio: 2 Entertain Video
  • DVD Release Date: 18 Nov 2002
  • Run Time: 960 minutes
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
  • ASIN: B00006JI1X
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 41,254 in DVD (See Bestsellers in DVD)

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Simon Schama - A History of Britain : The Complete Series [DVD] [2000]

Simon Schama - A History of Britain : The Complete Series [DVD] [2000]

Reviews

Amazon.co.uk Review

Stretching from the Stone Age to the year 2000, Simon Schama's Complete History of Britain does not pretend to be a definitive chronicle of the turbulent events which buffeted and shaped the British Isles. What Schama does do, however, is tell the story in vivid and gripping narrative terms, free of the fustiness of traditional academe, personalising key historical events by examining the major characters at the centre of them. Not all historians would approve of the history depicted here as shaped principally by the actions of great men and women rather than by more abstract developments, but Schama's way of telling it is a good deal more enthralling as a result.

Schama successfully gives lie to the idea that the history of Britain has been moderate and temperate, passing down the generations as stately as a galleon, taking on board sensible ideas but steering clear of sillier, revolutionary ones. Nonsense. Schama retells British history the way it was--as bloody, convulsive, precarious, hot-blooded and several times within an inch of haring off onto an entirely different course. Schama seems almost to delight in the goriness of history. Themes returned to repeatedly include the wars between the Scots and the Irish and the Catholic/Protestant conflicts--only the Irish question remains unresolved by the new millennium. As Britain becomes a constitutional monarchy, Schama talks less of Kings and Queens but of poets and idea-makers like Orwell. Still, with his pungent, direct manner and against an evocative visual and aural backdrop, Schama makes history seem as though it happened yesterday, the bloodstains not yet dry.

On the DVD: The Complete History of Britain extras are generously packaged on a separate disc and include the original score and a Simon Schama biography. There's an interesting "promotional message" to camera in which Schama explains the role of a cab driver, Wally, in inspiring the series, along with an interview with Mark Lawson in which Schama stresses the deliberate subjectivity of these programmes and an inaugural BBC History lecture in which he defends TV's ability to transpose history to camera. --David Stubbs



Special Features

English
Region 2
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Customer Reviews

17 Reviews
5 star:
 (14)
4 star:
 (1)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:    (0)
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Average Customer Review
4.6 out of 5 stars (17 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars History as it should be, 19 April 2006
Bored with the normal tedium of endless dates and names that follow on endlessly? Want to know how and why Britain was formed? If so, get this set of DVD's or indeed the books which pre-empted the TV series. It's fantastic. Schama is able to conjour up the most vivid images as he goes from one far corner of the British main land to another. The starting point of the series at Scara Brae are something which had never really been told of in any great detail. He put's meat on to the bare bones of the story of Britain. At one point he mentions a name from everybodies school memory, the venerable Bede. But he goes on to tell how that one persons accounts have led us to what we know about the so-called dark ages. This is a must, but as i said at the begining, try reading the 3 volumes first, they are fantastic.
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36 of 39 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful, but you need to concentrate, 23 Sep 2003
By A Customer
Just as with the book of the same name, Schama's marvelously poetic, yet ultra-compact use of the English language means a lot of information is crammed into the narrative. Watching these DVDs is a delight, but you really need to concentrate to get the most out of them. If you are prepared to do this, then the programmes undoubtedly offer one of the quickest ways to master English history.
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25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Riveting, 29 Jan 2005
By GeeJayBee (Cardiff) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   
This is an astonishingly good series. The history and development of Britain through the lives of the power players, gentry, ordinary citizens, and peasants presented with great enthusiasm, intelligence, sensitivity and pathos by Simon Schama. His narrative and style of delivery always keeps your attention and is underpinned by one of the most effective and haunting music scores I have ever heard on TV.
This series should form the backbone of GCSE and A-level history in our schools. It certainly presents a more cogent and informative historical perspective of Britain in 15 hours than the years of 3rd rate history we get in schools.
I cannot recomment this DVD series highly enough.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars history made easy
this history is easy and interesting especially for a young old man of 75 years who is active sportswise and mentally alert. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Mr. John Francis

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent helicopter view
This series does what it is says it does: it provides you with an overview of the history of Britain and its role in the international arena. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Y. van der Deijl

3.0 out of 5 stars useful but numbing
I liked Schama's work as far as it went, but by comparison to the video histories of Ken Burns it suffers. It was just too much Simon. Read more
Published on 1 Mar 2007 by william eastwood

1.0 out of 5 stars A little too dull for me I'm afraid
I managed to sit through the first two disks but I'm afraid I found Mr Schama's presenting style somewhat annoying and rather flat. Read more
Published on 20 Jan 2007 by David Payne

4.0 out of 5 stars Superb approach to British history
I love Simon Schama's approach, whilst it certainly isn't revolutionary he has an uncanny knack for making his subject matter both exciting and educational in equal measure. Read more
Published on 15 Oct 2006 by Mr. S. A. Brown

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent. Do not hesitate to buy this.
A truly excellent production in all respects. If only this had been around when I was at school, history would have been much more interesting. Money well spent. Read more
Published on 30 Aug 2006 by Michael Barley

5.0 out of 5 stars Should be made part of the National Curriculum
This is a marvellous series trying to take in 5000 years of history in 14 and a half hours was always going to be a massive task and Simon Schama fulfils it admirably. Read more
Published on 7 Sep 2005 by T. R. Alexander

5.0 out of 5 stars Speechlessly wanderful
I have watched Shama's "A history of Britain" so many times I lost count. It is one of the most entertaining documentary I have ever seen. Read more
Published on 12 May 2005 by M. Bertoncin

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant ...
I was first shown these in my History lessons and found them to be brilliant and very informative. I think they are great for both the average viewer and a teacher of History.
Published on 4 Mar 2005 by ossie_87

5.0 out of 5 stars Magnificent
I have just finished watching the entire series of Simon Schama's History of Britain which I thought magnificent. Read more
Published on 25 Dec 2004 by Essex Reviewer

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