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A History of Britain - The Complete Collection (2008 Repackage)
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List Price: $39.95
Our Price: $31.99
Your Save: $ 7.96 ( 20% )
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Manufacturer: A&E Home Video (New REleaset)
Starring: History of Britain
Directed By: The History Channel
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Binding: DVD
Brand: A&E
EAN: 0733961116793
Format: Box set
Label: A&E Home Video (New REleaset)
Manufacturer: A&E Home Video (New REleaset)
Number Of Items: 5
Publisher: A&E Home Video (New REleaset)
Region Code: 1
Release Date: 2008-07-29
Running Time: 900
Studio: A&E Home Video (New REleaset)
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Editorial Reviews:
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From the dawn of civilization to the 20th century, A COMPLETE HISTORY OF BRITAIN re-animates familiar tales and illuminates overlooked aspects of Englnd s past. Written and hosted by historian Simon Schama (the bestselling author of Rembrandt s Eyes and The Embarrassment of Riches), this monumental BBC production has been hailed by critics for its colorful--and controversial--approach.
Discarding timelines and tiresome lineages, HISTORY provides a liveley look at the personalities and cultures that infuse Britain s past and examines the impact of this extraordinary heritage on the modern nation. From India to Ireland, the Norman Invasion to the American Revolution, Schama spotlights the epic themes and towering figures that transformed an island at the edge of the world into the greatest empire on earth.
All 15 episodes of the landmark series are available on DVD in this comprehensive collector s set.
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: History of Britain
Comment: I am a history buff who knows a lot, but this dvd taught me things I didn't know. I bought it in order to learn more each time I view it. It does not disappoint. It is a good mix of overall picture and minute detail.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Reproduction quality was poor!
Comment: I received the 5 discs in the set. Disc #4 is actually #5 and #5 is labelled #4. A friend of mine received the same set and lo & behold #4 is labelled #5 and the disc labeled #4 is indeed #4. The result being he has 2 #4's and no #5. You have to do better than that!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Britain, from a certain point of view...
Comment: This 2008 repackaging of 2001's "A History of Britain", featuring Simon Schama as author and presenter, is not the standard history of Great Britain. Schama is no slave to historical convention and his 15-episode retelling explores British history from a slightly different point of view.
Schama's famous BBC series traces British history from Roman Britain through the death of Winston Churchill in 1965. His focus is not timeline oriented; many prominent players in British history rate no more than passing mention. Even the iconic Churchill has to share the last episode with Eric Blair, better known by his literary name of George Orwell. Instead, Schama seeks to identify the slow, difficult steps by which Britain became a constitutional monarchy with individual freedoms and the rule of law. Those steps are found in Roman Britain, in the endless dynastic and religious wars that defined the powers of the monarchy and parliament, in the disaster of the Black Death, and in the long political and military struggles to build a united British nation and then a British empire.
The episodes feature important archeological sites, castles, ruined abbeys, and other locations where important events took place. We meet the prominent personalities of the narrative through pictures, paintings, sculptures, tomb representations, and, rarely, reenactment. Schama narrates in person, stalking through ruins, landscapes and museums while delivering his rather blunt colloquial commentary.
"A History of Britain" is not for everyone. The thematic presentation may be hard to follow for those not already familiar with British history. Those wedded to a romantic vision of a storied past may find Schama's blunt disection of power politics to be off-setting. Schama's twitchy physical presence may be distracting for some viewers.
On the other hand, this telling of British history is engaging, realistic, and thought-provoking in getting at the heart of what it means to be British. The story is as much Scottish, Irish, and Welsh as English in coverage. Prominent personalities are shown in their full rounded humanity. The presention itself is polished work. "A History of Britain" is therefore highly recommended to fans of British history looking for a fresh angle.
Customer Rating:
Summary: A History of Britain
Comment: I initially rented this series from NetFlix, and enjoyed it so much, that I decided this would be a great addition to my Library.
As a former British Subject, and a history buff, this package, had everything I wanted and more. It was very well produced and had lots of little items, that I hadn't been aware off.
I would recommend this to anyone, who is interested in British History.
Even when you go back hundreds of years ago, you can see how much of that History, matches what is happening today.
The package is well designed and at the price I paid, was more than well worth its price.
If you have a History buff in your family, this would make a great gift for them.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Required viewing
Comment: Schama is one of the polarized things: you either like him or can't stand him. This set presents the history of the Britain by NOT trudging through endless timelines. Instead, the approach is taken wherein specific people or events are examined that characterize a particular episode in British history. From each section of the DVD you end up with an impression, or at least a feeling of what they time period is thought to be like, even if you can't remember the specifics. It covers all two millenia of history of this island. The final few minutes are memorable.
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