The Michael Wood BBC Collection : In Search Of The Trojan War / In The Footsteps Of Alexander The Great / In Search Of Shakespeare / In Search Of Myths And Heroes / Conquistadors (5 Disc Box Set) [DVD]

This is a brilliant boxset for anyone who enjoy the programmes of TV historian Michael Wood. In this form it is much less expensive than buying the individual series, and there's literally hours (days... weeks!) of viewing.
The earliest series don't have anything like the polish and presentation of the BBC's recent Story of India series, but even the very first (In Search of the Trojan War) offers an in-depth examination of a fascinating period in history. in fact, these programmes are almost historical documents in their own right, because they were filmed in the 1980s, back before the Berlin Wall came down, and we even get to see MW crossing at Checkpoint Charlie to see some of the finds held in an Eastern Berlin museum. This series has a very strong storyline -- not only does it examine whether the tale of Troy could possibly be true, but it also reviews the gradual uncovering of that city and how our understanding of it has changed over a century of improving archeology. However, there is quite a bit of repetition in the footage (and what on earth was the girlie doing in the opening titles?), although the computer graphics and artwork haven't worn too badly with the passage of time.
The Trojan series is also the one with the tightest trousers; something MW himself comments on in the interesting modern interview!

In Search of Shakespeare is another corker. There's precious little information about what happened during huge chunks of Shakespeare's life, but MW fills in the blanks by explaining what might have been going on. He reveals the life of an actor/writer, set against the political and religious upheaval of the Tudor years. Fascinating stuff, especially with the snapshot performances from a travelling RSC crew.

The weakest of the set is the Conquistadors series, but even that is well worth watching at least once. The others bear repeated viewing, so this box set makes for an excellent gift for anyone with an interest in world history. Michael Wood has a gift for making the events and personalities from the past seem real and relevant, and his engaging on-screen persona makes each episode eminently watchable.
Highly recommended.
(And there are other MW series to watch too, but you have to track them down individually...)

This Boxset contains all of the individual Michael Wood titles.

In Search Of The Trojan War: Filmed in Greece, Turkey and Berlin, charismatic historian, Michael Wood, attempts to discover whether there was any truth in Homer's epic poems. Is Hissalik the site of the Mighty Troy? Did Helen, Achilles and Agamemnon ever exist? What was the significance of the famous wooden horse? Be prepared for new and dramatic twists to the tale....

In The Footsteps Of Alexander The Great: Michael Wood brings his own unique approach to the story of Alexander the Great which has excited and puzzled the imagination of East and West for the past 2000 years. Alexander's extraordinary journey is now seen as a key moment in history which laid the foundations for the later dominance of Western culture, but which also, ironically, paved the way for the spread of Islam.

In this innovative and compelling account, combining travel adventure with history and current affairs, Michael Wood embarks on a 2000 mile journey in the footsteps of Alexander's army, through many of the 20th century's major troublespots, including Gaza and Afghanistan. He travels with Lebanese traders, Iranian pilgrims and Afghan guerrillas, by jeep, train, boat, camel and on foot. In an account based on the texts of Greek and Roman historians, the momentous events of the past are interwoven with present day reality.

In Search Of Shakespeare: Complete four part series exploring the life of the world's greatest and most famous writer. Presenter-led, mixing travel, adventure, live action interviews and specially shot documentary and live action sequences with the Royal Shakespeare Company on the road.

A History series - it focuses not on the plays, but on the history and sets the life of the poet in the extraordinary times in which he lived. We are introduced to the dark world of Queen Elizabeth's police state - a time of surveillance, militarism and foreign wars. We are reminded that Shakespeare lived through the Spanish Armada, the Gunpowder Plot, the colonisation of the New World and the beginnings of British power in America. But most importantly Shakespeare also lived through England's Cultural Revolution: an enforced split with the old medieval English spirit world which was to lead the English people into a brave new Protestant future. A split which defined Shakespeare's life - and our modern world.

In Search Of Myths And Heroes: Michael Wood explores four of the most famous myths in the world: Shangri-la, the Golden Fleece, the Queen of Sheba, and the Holy Grail. His journeys take him to some of the most remote and exciting places on earth - from the fantastic landscapes of Western Tibet, to the mountains of Georgia and the Caucasus; and from the plains of Southern Iraq, to the coasts of Ethiopia, Yemen and the Horn of Africa. The stories he reveals will also take in Greece and Turkey, India and Nepal, Egypt and Israel, and the world of Celtic Britain and the West of Ireland. In his investigations Michael Wood delves into the past to separate fact from fiction, and find the historical truth.

Conquistadors: In Conquistadors, Michael Wood travels in the footsteps of some of the greatest of the Spanish adventurers from Amazonia to Lake Titicaca, and from the deserts of North Mexico to the heights of Macchu Picchu. He experiences first hand the reality of epic journeys, such as those made by Hernan Cortes, and Francisco and Gonzalo Pizarro, and explores the turbulent and terrifying events surrounding the Spanish conquest of the Aztec and Inca empires, as well as Orellana's extraordinary voyage of discovery down the Amazon and Cabeza de Vaca's journey across America to the Pacific.

While this is an excellent DVD and Michael Wood is certainly one of the best television presenters of history around, it does not contain all of his work. It is missing his very first series (amoung one or two individual programmes) "In Search of the Dark Ages" from the 70's (I think).

Having seen just about every TV programme he has made, and have copies of most of them, to my mind while "In Search of the Trojan War" was far better than the ones on India which I personally found somewhat uninteresting and, dare I say it, long winded, I honestly think that the best he has ever made was the Dark Ages series of programmes. The carful use of camera work in the places that the events happened (or at least were thought to have happened in the 70's) and the very evocative music have not been bettered to my mind. A classic was when filming the gold embroidered work completed for Athelstan by ladies of his court he showed them by torchlight and commented that they were now so delicate that to shine full television lights on them would be an act nothing short of vandalism, brilliant.

If memory serves the series covered, Boadicea, Offa, Alfred, Athelstan, Eric Bloodaxe and William the Bastard.