@@tatalito there's one here on RU-vid about the British monarchy starting from the Norman conquest of 1066 CE to QE2. It's in six parts, and the host, Alan Ereira, is great. Dry, irreverent, very funny, and very smart. I highly recommend it.
It doesn’t happen often for me as an student of history, but this program really made me feel like I had travelled back 700 years!!! Beautiful vistas and historical artifacts! Thank you Michael Wood!!🇬🇧🇬🇧
I don't know how many times I've watched this, but it is always delightful. Michael Wood starts with sound scholarship and then spins a tale of the real life of an ordinary person with such skill that one really remembers the history. This documentary, along with his "Christina: A Medieval Life" form a lesson on how to tell history.
@@terrapinalive6192 Such a giggle, here. He was really pushed as the hot/glam historian back in about 1980. Snug jeans and a sherpa jacket and shaggy hair. He did a lot of good for history documentaries!
Michael Wood changed my life. I watched his documentary In Search of the Troyan war when I was 14 and it made the greatest impression. I've been fascinated by history ever since, read many of the classics, learned to love art and the subtle things of life. My gratitude Michael!
He also wrote and presented documentaries about European history, such as the Trojan War and Alexander the Great, and one on China, as well. They’re all here, just search by his name.
If only history was taught at school in such a fascinating way. Michael Wood knows how to guide you through the lapse of time, without loosing your attention for one second. All his documentaries are worth watching and gems for future generations.
Yes, no excuses when there are such good documentaries This beings it alive, and it's impressive to me how beautiful the houses and churches were for the peasants. In America we see how really primitive things were even in the 1800s for many pioneers out West, so this is very interesting, never too old to learn and be fascinated!
I just love this presenter!!! He is an overall wonderful person, so kind and gentle, so modest (unlike many other presenters who inevitably put themselves in the first place or at least on a par with the topic of the documentary)! He is so honestly fascinated by the story he is telling us, he is so absorbed by it, he gives me the feeling of being a close friend who shares this long-forgotten world with me and gives me the feeling of being absorbed in it myself. While, ever so often, the presenters' whole appearance and attitude cries out "look, this is me who is telling you the story, look at ME, hear ME, admire ME!" Ah, modesty, such a precious virtue, but so easily forgotten and unappreciated!!!
You'd either love or hate Lucy Worsley, I'm not sure. She's a large personality, but takes a childlike delight in getting to really be places and look at real things from history that is just a joy to behold.
I too am from the Philippines who had a chance to live in Europe for 5 yrs. and visited England several times while there and became fascinated by its rich history.
@@clitering At least as insightful as your sentimental bilge about making "history so human" The fakers of history love to pull the heart strings get the tear ducts going that makes people more credulous. Adults should not fall for more BBC lies.
For anyone interested in this kind of thing, I recommend saving up for a trip to England! You can actually tour Shakespeare's birthhome, his sisters's home, the church where he is buried, and his mother's home and farm. It's a blast!
They care very much for tourists ,British and foreign.The welcome is much better than London,which can be distant towards visitors and expensive.Having been there myself,I can recommend holidaying in that whole mid country area.
@@CradleEpiscopalian56 go figure what? You need to be respectful and not garish and loud when visiting these places. The whole of the United Kingdom is full of very interesting history. Shakespeare Country is scenic and very welcoming, but avoid the busy summer months
Excellently executed! Yes, mother's have a great influence on her children, and William was not only very creative but was blessed with a wise and creative mother.
Because you speak every language on earth and have examined thoroughly the documentary offerings of the French, Germans, Swedes, Indians, Japanese etc. etc...
kay jay Even if our universe is only English-speaking docs I have clearly committed the hasty generalization fallacy. I therefore insist that you apologize for making me feel stupid :)
+Eli Arnold This is the type of "TV" we routinely watch! BBC and British television programing leaves much of our (US) shows, in the dust. We are nuts about John Alderman and Pauline Collins in P.G. Wodehouse's collection. Cracks us up! It's funny! It's CLEAN! It's well-done! I'd love to meet that Great Couple of Comedy! (Also, that classic goof-tastic great, "Heavy Weather"-------- another of P.G. Wodehouse's fun-times!) We have AppleTV attached to our television to stream-in to these fantastic shows.
@@MrYorickJenkins Well, so is a lot of fiction. Nevertheless, if such stories as this result in a viewer learning something about Shakespeare or reading his works then that’s a good thing. There’s not a great deal of factual information about him so much is just pure speculation based on what is known. Despite that, the world is still talking about him, reading his plays, quoting him 500 years after he left this earth. Relax, read his work and enjoy.
@@laurahoward5426 There is nothing fabulous about the sentimental gush aand mendacity about the Stratford man. BS propaganda fantasy. The story of the man from Stratford is a hoax starting with his birthday falling just by chance (!) inbSt George's Day going on with the claim that he went to grammar school with ZERO evidence.. The man from Stratford couldnt write let alone write the plays of Shakespeare. His wife was illiterate, his parents were illiterate. The reason this fake Shakspear is created is to push a popualr myth of a very English Shakespeare ("he is such a great English writer") and secondly to imply that anyone can be Shakespeare with a bit of luck and regardless of Shakspear's miserable beginnings his behaviour as a speculator and nouveau riche of their utter prvincialism and inexperience and forStratford of course to enjoy a boom town staus as the place where "the Bard" was born. The perople who believe the Shaspear myth will propabaly believeanything a government ever tells them and its media. Blatant Bias Corporation should not be believed in anything it claims; lies about Shakspear are in the long tradition of that propaganda service
I am an American, but my great aunt used to live about a mile from Shakespear's home in Stratford. I've visited there several times and am always blown away with the history. What a wonderful experience. I love these documentaries as they round out what I learned while there. Thank you so much. I recognized many places.
Jenny Burrow I myself live about a thirty minute drive from there. It really is a very pretty part of the country. We take the grandchildren to enjoy breaks at Warwick castle too. History can be a great subject if it’s made interesting.
Blown away with all the disgraceful lies. They are just creating a British version of Disney Land. There is no evidence for half of what they say. Dont be so naive
I simply adore Michael Wood's films. I am not English, but I am proud for them :) These films are absolutely fabulous, no feature film can give one so much pleasure as these documentaries!!!
@@Jeffhowardmeade well i did mean she didn't know it at the moment she gave birth to him, but i guess he is only the worlds greatest poet in retrospect. Shakespeare was not widely hailed the worlds greatest poet when he was alive. People thought of him more as a playwright than a poet. But i did intend it as a literature/poet joke or rather really bad pun, not a literal thing.
@@Toscalily I know. I was just, as the English say, taking the piss. At the time of her death in 1609, Mary Arden Shakespeare was probably most proud of her son's social and business success, raising the Shakespeare family closer in status to her Arden relations. We have no idea if she ever even saw one of her son's celebrated plays.
Plainly, this was a brutal and tough time, where you would have to be very skillful and strong to survive. That proofs that Mary obviously was tough. Even though there were so many troubles in her family, she made it to 70 years old, which is really a big deal for that time. Also, She gave birth to a son who literally changed the English language. My Respect for Mary.
Super documentary, bringing history to life through the lives of ordinary ( and extraordinary) people. Thank you Michael Woods. I still have VHS copies of your series "Legacy". That should be re-aired!
a very informative documentary! Took a trip to England about five years ago, and I will never forget it! Went to Kenilsworth, and Stratford upon Avon, visited Anne Hathaway's home, and Shakespeare's childhood home. Lovely, lovely trip...
How wonderful, an enchanted hour. The very best documentaries are definately British The gentleman presenting has a voice and empathy. That one could listen to for hours . Thankyou I've learnt so much.
Kimdino1 I don’t , my family had nothing to do with the slave trade, they were working in factories for the rich industrialists where they worked long hours, including the children for minimal wages and usually lived in filthy conditions under the constant threat of cholera and TB. It was slavery of another kind. I’d suggest you read Charles Dickens. I also say thank you to Sophia but with a nod of recognition not shame.
@@scarletpimpernelagain9124 I take your point. Slavery is slavery, whether the threat is the whip or starvation. And as for being forced from your homeland to a horrible life a long way away, does it matter whether you were dragged or pushed?
I love The Brits, and British History I started to be fascinated with their history, documentaries and movies since grade school and I’ve visited England many times. I’m American.
Claudia A Beltran you can stay overnight in Warwick castle, quite close to where all this is filmed. It’s a terrific experience. We have taken the grandchildren there many times. I highly recommend it to you if you enjoy history. www.warwick-castle.com/
Great documentary; thanks for posting. One thing that wasn't clear, that also appears in many other history docs: life expectancy 38 was AT BIRTH, and it was so low because the mortality in young childhood was so high. The average person who made it to age 15 could expect to live another 40 - 50 years, or even more.
Thank you. I was trying to explain this, but you did it so well. I really get ticked at the shows about historical eras that misinterpret life expectancy. so egregiously
My ancestors from this time lived to ripe old ages into their 80's. Most of their children survived as well. It is a good thing because they took a four year old and a new infant across the Atlantic to settle in Rhode Island.
@@judithhuling-cadieux1700 From St Albans. Direct descendant of Roger Williams. You probably are too since they all married the same families. Nice meeting you cousin. :)
+Snuggles McSquishbottom Thanks for the tip. Mystery to be resolved ... were Grendel and his mother Dane, Angle, Saxon, Geatish, Jutish or just brutish? (Indubitably they are British bekommen.)
You literature and actors are your greatest gift. Ive read a lot of novels and watch BBC all the time. Lately I have to read TV captions for some British accents. One journalist talks like he has marbles in his mouth (looks of India birth). The really good Masterpeice presentations I never have trouble understanding them.,
Here I am, an Anglophile who has wanted to visit/live in England since I was 3, watching wonderful images of the most beautiful countryside in the world, sitting on a couch in Australia with the air conditioning on as it's 34c outside as we are coming into the 3rd week of a heatwave. *sigh*
+james colvin I'm sorry but I see no point in replying to your off the wall comments as I am anti gun ownership, as are most Australians. I am also not a bigot and I am an altruistic socialist and a Buddhist. Your misappropriation of a quote of Lennon's is very sad- he also was anti violence and killed by an American with a gun. When he said "power to the people" he meant peaceful community as opposed to the violence of the State and the military. Please do not respond to me again- I will not reply to you whatever the provocation.
+james colvin I can afford to be "docile", although I prefer the more accurate terms 'happy', 'content', 'safe' and 'loved' because I know it's highly UNlikely I'll encounter anyone apart from a police officer with a hand gun, or anyone with a high powered automatic weapon solely built to mow down humans in my life time. I'm an opponent of our current government and am willing to go to prison for my deeply held beliefs that contrast with the neo liberal conservative rich thugs who treat the rest of humanity like peasants and finally, Eleanor Rigby was lonely- I live with my sons and husband of 24 years in a house filled with laughter and love. Stop making uninformed, erroneous assumptions about people just because you are a bored troll. There must be something better and more productive and positive you could be doing with your life than ranting at strangers. If you can't be nice, then say nothing. Being condescending and rude to people will NOT make you a happier, more successful person, despite what you currently believe. Get out and do something to improve the lives of others- it is the only path to genuine happiness.
mindrolling, I am curious about the aborigones( I know that is spelled wrong, sorry)It seems as though there are oppressed people everywhere.I am sure you are aware of the USs problems, how is it in Australia. In America there has been alot of progress, but we still have a way to go.
I wonder if people 100 years from now will look at our generation (early 21st century) with as much interest?? It's sort of strange to think one day WE will be the history.
Aileen _ Oh come on, big hair was interesting, disco wasn't that bad.......and as for those other 2 things....well, I'd rather they be remembered and NOT REPEATED!
@@stormwatcher59 i feel nostalgic thinking on the 70s and 80s i find it interesting to see the styles change and yes looking back at big hair was funny i see pictures of myself and just laugh.
@@1m2rich Hi! I live in a small town called Wimborne on the South Coast and the town square has victims of the Plague buried beneath it; there was an archaeological dig a few years ago now and I believe some of the objects are in the local museum.
This documentary on the Mother of the Bard of the World is one of the best that the BBC ever produced. How on earth that they could collect that many factual biographical records of a struggling woman of a person whose biography itself is undocumented and who would later on conquer the heart and imagination of the whole world, is a mystery. Nonetheless, I appreciate the BBC journalists for their painstaking efforts to bring to fact the times and the lives of neglected woman of the time who gave birth to one of the most celebrated luminaries of the world and who seldom was the topic of discussion among the elites of her and the contemporary time despite being associated with her most talked about sibling of the world.
This gentleman is super! He has the necessary modesty an inteliigent , well prepared and educated person should always possess. Bravo! GREAT Job! Thank you very much! Best wishes from Uruguay, Southamerica.
My fathers family came from Brailes in the Feldon and my mothers father from Alcester. My parents were born in Birmingham in the 1920's and I remember the turns of phrase they had. I have since discovered, partly due to Michael Woods book on Shakespeare, that they were old Warwickshire sayings dating back to Shakespeare's time and beyond. I love that link to our past.
Michael Wood is my favorite British historian/presenter of history documentaries. I’m impressed that all of the presenters of British history docs are enthusiastic about their subjects, but Wood tops them all because he always has a different take on any subject and he is full of new tidbits that can’t be found anywhere else. Other than Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and Ken Burns we Americans don’t have any historians who make interesting documentaries. What a shame because American History is a fascinating subject.
Another wonderful documentary from the great Michael Woods! I am reading his book on William Shakespeare at present and I am finding it extremely informative and entertaining. By the way, at age 73 I enrolled in a class on Shakespeare at my local U.S. university (non credit) and the professor was outstanding; I also enjoyed my interactions with the much younger students. The kids are all right and Shakespeare is doing quite well here in midwest USA.
Good for you for increasing your education at 73. I just completed my 2nd master's degree and have applied for a PhD program at 72. I love history as well..
@@annemccarron2281 That is simply wonderful. At age 72 you will throw all your energy and focus into securing a PhD. Sending you early congratulations!
Thank you so very much, I feel more blessed then every learn of my descendants this helped so very much. I just put 2 and 2 together. My heart feel so very loved for everyone who has helped me find just who I belonged to. My soul is so happy. Thank you!!
My Dad's Ma's Parents were born quite close to here in Worcester. I can only assume their family's life was like this. But my Great Grandma's Father was a Baronett, so they were more well to do than most. Still, it must have been a very hard life in Tudor times.
I accidentally found these amazing videos. Lo and behold...this one, I only recently discovered on my DNA tour and ancestry search, is my very own family. I’d love to know if I can buy a copy of this episode. Our family is just delighted. Thank you!
Michael Michaelson, you might want to search out Amelia Bassano Lanier with your mulleto 3rd grandfather. Here is a link on Amelia. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-LBwFARoGsc4.html