Includes Leaders In Industry, Society, Technology, Arts, And Politics
Google has been estimated to run over one million servers in data centers around the world. Google’s meteoric rise to Internet stardom is one of the great business sagas of our time. Larry Page and Sergey Brin two brainy Stanford University grad students who founded the company say their goal was to make the entire world’s information searchable and instantly accessible.
Channel 4 Written and presented by Dr David Starkeythis is the compelling story of two of England’s most striking monarchs a brother and sister, tied by blood and affection, and torn apart by religion, power, and some of the bloodiest episodes in English history. Mary found herself cast into the shadows, ignored by her father and declared illegitimate by Act of Parliament after the birth of Edward. Nonetheless she became very attached to the motherless boy, and he to her, declaring her his dearest sister. When Edward was just nine, their father died and the young boy became King, surrounded by advisors and further distanced from his beloved elder sister. But by now they were divided not just by power and status, but also by faith Edward was dead at the tragically early age of 16 and Mary became Queen. She set about making England a Catholic country once more and hundreds of Protestants, including Edward’s most trusted advisors, were burnt at the stake because they refused to renounce their faith.
Hitler’s Henchmen and Hitler’s Warriors paints portraits of the men who consolidated Hitler’s reign and turned his plans into action. They wove the complicities and plots without which Hitler could have never perpetrated the crime of the century. They helped to sway the judges and the bureaucratsthe armed forces and the police, the scientists and the industrialists, the students and their teachers to the regime’s ways of thinking. What kind of people were they? What inspired them to serve a corrupt administration with such enthusiasm and devotion? How did their careers unfold and their fates end? These documentaries by Guiddo Knopp and ZDF looks at the high ranking officers who aided the dictator in his war of aggression and managers who turned his plans into reality.
This series follows local man Francis Campbell in his role as the UK’s ambassador to the Vatican. Delving beneath the ceremonial dutieswe get an unique glimpse into the real life of a diplomat operating within the hidden world of the Vatican. Episode 1 – This episode sees Francis hear the Pope’s new year address to the diplomatic corps, and he also deals with news of a hastily arranged visit by the prime minister to the Vatican.
The period of over 125 years from the beginning of the 19th century saw the creation of some of the world’s most remarkable feats of engineering. Seven of the most notable are described here each one proving that human creativity is as much alive in the modern world as it was in ancient times. Episode 1 The Great Ship – In the early 1850s, Brunel hoped the Great Eastern would be his masterpiece, and that it would provide an enduring link to even the most far flung parts of the empire. His concept became the blue print for ship design for years to come. At a time when most ships moored in the Thames were built to traditional designs in wood, and powered by sail, Brunel’s Great Ship was almost 700 feet long, a floating island made of iron.
It was a time of great bitterness and hatred in Britaina war that set father against son and brother against brother. The breakdown in relations between a Parliament with a strong purpose and a King who believed in his divine right to rule, set the scene for a series of brutal battles that were truly a struggle for the soul of a nation. The outcome of the English Civil War shaped the course of the nation’s history, and laid the foundations of the country as it is today. Episode The Trial of the King Killers – When Oliver Cromwell died in 1658, the republic died with him. Two years later, when Charles’s son was restored to the throne as Charles II, anyone who had signed the warrant or had assisted in its creation became a marked man. Quite a few fled abroad, the remainder were put on trial. The gripping exchanges that emerged as they argued for their lives in court reveal the very different motives of the group of men who reached the decision to kill the king. Taken from the original trial transcripts, Trial of the King Killers is a fact based drama with a cast led by Corin Redgrave. It tells the bloody story of the most revolutionary episode in all of English history, when a king was brought before a people’s court accused of war crimes, and of what happened to his executioners when the wheel of history turned again and they were called to account for their actions.
This series of programs consists of 16 episodes which profile 16 evil men and women throughout history who have used their power to torturekill, maim and eradicate millions of people. A discovery channel/UK channel five series, this is actually a collection of independently produced one off documentaries that were packaged into a series. The list of Most Evil/Women is based on books by Miranda Twiss. Rasputin – He was an uneducated peasant who gained a reputation as a faith healer. His strange behavior and incredible influence over the imperial family made him notorious and his death made him a legend. Gregory Rasputin dominated the final years of imperial Russia. The mysterious monk who enjoyed the favour of the Czar was rumoured to be a Holy Devil, who preached the word of God but practiced every form of corruption.
Presenter Mike Loadesan expert who trains people how to use medieval weapons, takes the viewer on a tour of medieval arms and armour, and demonstrates their central role in key events in British history. Learn about much more than the weapons themselves as the series draws in themes of technology, religion, geography and even music. Episode 1 The sword – A deadly weapon that was used throughout the Middle Ages and was standard army issue until the late 19th century. In the 1471 Battle of Barnet (during the War of the Roses), fighting eventually came down to the sword despite the availability of gunpowder by that time. Mike teaches 10 students how to wield a sword using the same techniques that would have been employed in medieval sword schools. Mike visits the site of the Battle of Barnet to retrace the battle step-by-step and to explore the crucial role of the sword in deciding the outcome.
Photographer Jayne Fincher shares her experiences as part of Princess Diana’s press corps in this documentary. Fincherwho photographed Diana for 17 years, reveals behind the scenes insight into the media phenomenon surrounding the famous royal. Often called the Most Photographed Woman in the WorldDiana was under the media’s constant glare, but who created her public image, the monarchy, the press, her devoted fans or Diana herself?
60 years after the Korean WarJackie Bird investigates why one of the biggest conflicts of the 20th century has slipped from public memory. The war, in which thousands of young Scottish national servicemen fought, caused more British deaths than the Afghan, Iraq and Falklands wars combined. Jackie Bird discovers her own personal connection to the conflict and traces what happened to one of its forgotten victims. She also travels to Korea with some of the surviving Scottish veterans, on an emotional journey to reclaim their past. Although their numbers are dwindling with the passage of time, many of the Korean War veterans still have to come to terms with a war the rest of the country has largely forgotten.
A departure from other documentaries that observe history as the actions of great men, People’s Century considers the Century from the view of common people. Most persons interviewed were ordinary men and women who closely witnessed various events and they give personal accounts how developments in the Twentieth Century affected their lives. The opening credits depict various images from the century and a very short introduction. Episode 25 People Power 1989 – By the 1970s the people in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe were becoming aware of the economic failures of central planning. Propaganda and an intrusive security apparatus were now needed to maintain control, particularly after the appearance of Western consumer goods and culture in the Eastern Block, and Pope John Paul II’s visit to Poland, raised public discontent with their entrenched governments. From 1985 new Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev introduces reforms to encourage openness and initiative to stop stagnation. Gorbachev also allows Eastern Europe to set their own destinies. In 1989 Hungary begins dismantling the Iron Curtain and Poland holds free elections; the absence of a Soviet response encourages people in the more hard-line states of East Germany, Czechoslovakia and Romania to eventually overthrow their leaders. Gorbachev’s reforms triggers an unsuccessful coup in 1991, eventually leading to the end of the Communist Party and the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The introductory scene shows the fall of the Berlin Wall.
This is the 6 episode BBC docudrama with voiceovernot the 13 episode History channel documentary with recreations. The rise and fall of Ancient Rome through six key turning points. Factually accurate and based on extensive historical research, it reveals how the greed, lust and ambition of men like Caesar, Nero and Constantine shaped the Roman Empire. CGI is mixed with compelling drama and spectacular live-action battles. Episode 1 Caesar – Risked everything to tear down the government he served and bring revolution to Rome. In Greece, Caesar is forced to retreat inland by Pompey but is victorious when the Senators force Pompey into the Battle of Pharsalus. Caesar overturns the Republic and has himself made dictator for life (essentially the first emperor), only to be assassinated by rivals just four years into his rule.
In March 1984 the government announced plans to close 20 coalmines, with the loss of 20,000 jobs. National Union of Mineworkers leader Arthur Scargill led his workers out on strike. This documentary uses extensive archive footage and the recollections of an eclectic mix of the key players from both camps, including politicians, policemen, comedians, pop stars and, of course, miners and their wives, to recount the events of this unique and formative period in modern domestic history: the year Britain went to war.
Series detailing the lives of 12 significant English rulers between 1066 and the present day. Dr. Nigel Spivey takes the viewer through the agesdescribing the political intrigue, lust, battles and bloodshed that make up the histories of monarchs. In a thousand years, the British monarchy has evolved from divinely appointed warrior kings to benign political figureheads. He pieces together the incidents, battles and motivations that shaped British lives. Episode 1 William the Conqueror, 1066 – 1087 – By leaving his fortune and name to his illegitimate seven year old son, William, Robert the Magnificent out maneuvered the Norman barons who sought to usurp his power. In doing so, he placed his young heir in mortal danger. However, the assassination attempts and conspiracies against him instilled the boy duke William with a ruthless and cunning sense of survival. He ruthlessly suppressed Anglo-Saxons and imposed law and order in Britain’s first centralised state bureaucracy. He did much to influence the positive development of England.
When Adolf Hitler bought Eva Braun a movie camerato film the people and parties which occurred at their expansive and heavily guarded Bavarian retreat, the technology to include synchronized sound had not yet been developed. So when soldiers discovered Hitler’s private home movies, in the Berlin bunker where the Nazi leader took his own life, the tantalizing clips they unearthed, featuring leading members of the SS in a more relaxed mode, remained silent for over 60 years. Now, leading edge lip reading software has enabled German experts to re-voice these films and provide us with a chilling insight into Hitlers private world.
Buckle on your armor and pick up your lute. Legendary Monty Python star and medieval scholar Terry Jones opens your eyes to the truths behind nine medieval characters you thought you knew. Through a lively mix of humor and researchyou’ll see beyond Renaissance myths and time worn stereotypes. The Philosopher – Since the age of science and reason, the Middle Ages has been dismissed as a period shrouded in ignorance and superstition. But the reputation of medieval scientists, known then as philosophers, has been unfairly blackened. They understood far more than we give them credit for, and had a more ethical approach that we could learn from today.
First broadcast in 1964The Great War was the definitive film account of the world shattering events of World War I (1914 – 1918) a landmark history series widely regarded as a documentary masterpiece. 26 Episodes. The main narrator was Michael Redgrave. It was a co-production involving the resources of the Imperial War Museum, the BBC, CBC and ABC. The series, unparalleled at the time for its depth of research, range of source material and historical accuracy – all presented in a sequence of clear narratives – is now considered one of the finest achievements of BBC documentary. With few exceptions, successive blocks of episodes are devoted to each year of the war episodes 1 – 6 to 1914, 7 – 10 to 1915, 11 – 14 to 1916, 15 – 19 to 1917, 20 – 23 and 26 to 1918.
A new season of four programmesToffs and Crims , explores the affinity between the upper echelons of society and the criminal underclass. Episode 1 The Princess and the Gangster – Focuses on Princess Margaret’s association with one of London’s most notorious and violent criminals, John Bindon. A chance meeting in Mustique started a chain of events that included rumours of compromising photographs, secret meetings at Kensington Palace and a High Court murder trial.
Who Do You Think You Are? is a British genealogy documentary series. In each episodea celebrity traces their family tree. Episode Boris Johnson – He compares himself to a jar of honey found on a supermarket shelf, the product of many countries. He thinks he is part Jewishpart French, part English, part American, part pterodactyl and, unpredictably, part Turkish. He knows that his grandfather, “Johnny”was the son of a Turkish journalist and politician who was ultimately kidnapped and lynched in the early 1920s, but knows little about his life, reputation and the circumstances of his death. He learns more about the political climate of his great-grandfather’s era in Turkey and discovers personal details about his life and death. Returning to western Europe, Boris sets off in search of the truth about Granny Butter’s background, and follows an intriguing family trail that leads him to a surprising conclusion.
Documentary looking at the relationship between Hitler and Himmlerand how the latter made secret approaches to the Allies as the Second World War in Europe drew to a close, a betrayal of the Nazi principle of absolute loyalty and obedience to the Fuehrer. Also looks at his failed attempts to use Jewish hostages to barter for money or equipment with the Allies, and at instances where other SS generals contradicted or refused to follow unnecessary suicidal military orders from Hitler. By the spring of 1945, Himmler had lost faith in German victory. He came to the realization that if the Nazi regime was to have any chance of survival, it would need to seek peace with Britain and the United States.
Dr Saul David investigates the violent world of the medieval melee tournament. Forget the images of chivalric knightswell-dressed damsels and dropped handkerchiefs associated with the joust. The melee tournament was a brutal free-for-all with sharpened weapons, few rules and one undisputed champion, William Marshal. His story reveals a very different kind of tournament, one in which brute force ruled, handkerchiefs stayed in pockets and where money was more important than manners.
Battlefield Britain is about famous battles in the history of Great Britain. From Boudicca’s destructive rebellion against the Romans to the incredible feats of The Few who saw off the Luftwaffethese battles all had wide reaching consequences and implications for the future of the British isles. Presented by father and son team Peter and Dan Snow. Peter explains the battleplans, Dan the perspective of the common soldier, sailors and airmen. The episodes also featured interviews with soldiers from both sides, re-enactments of the battles and computer generated scenes with bird eye views and blocks to show troop movement. Episode 1 Boudicca’s Rebellion Against The Romans – Find out what really happened when Boudicca stood up against the mighty Roman Empire in 60 A.D.
Decisive Battles of the Ancient World presents the 13 defining points of ancient warfare moments that altered the course of history and shaped the modern world. It is a comprehensive account of the famed leaders that commanded victory and the brilliant military tactics that swayed destiny. The show used the game engine from Rome: Total War to present 3-D versions of the battles. Attila the Hun 451 A.D. Battle of Chalon – No ruler in history represents the barbarian brutality as much as Attila the Hun who swept through 5th-century Europe and emerged holding its future in his grasp.
Hitler’s Henchmen and Hitler’s Warriors paints portraits of the men who consolidated Hitler’s reign and turned his plans into action. They wove the complicities and plots without which Hitler could have never perpetrated the crime of the century. They helped to sway the judges and the bureaucratsthe armed forces and the police, the scientists and the industrialists, the students and their teachers to the regime’s ways of thinking. What kind of people were they? What inspired them to serve a corrupt administration with such enthusiasm and devotion? How did their careers unfold and their fates end? These documentaries by Guiddo Knopp and ZDF looks at the high ranking officers who aided the dictator in his war of aggression and managers who turned his plans into reality.
This is USA condensed version of David Starkey’s Monarchy Series. In this version the 6 episode Series 1 and 5 episode Series 2 have been condensed into 6 episodes of a single series. Below is description of the 6 USA version episodes. The English Crown is one of the oldest surviving governing institutions in the world. Hosted by Dr. David Starkey this documentary presents the complete history of British royal rule from the Dark Ages to the early 20th century. Filmed on locationit’s a vivid tapestry of bloodshed, power, and passion. Episode 2 Medieval Monarchs – Charismatic and commanding, Henry II clashes with his former friend Thomas Becket, opening a rift with Rome. His line extends through Richard the Lionheart, who bankrolls the Crusades, John, who signs the Magna Carta, Edward I, Hammer of the Scots, whom moviegoers know from Braveheart, and eventually Henry V, Shakespeare’s hero, who turns his attention to conquest.
Look outs on the English coast have been expecting the Spanish Armada for 3 years and now they’re here. The Spanish called it the Enterprise of England a massive sea born invasion. What happened next has been celebrated by the English ever since. It is one of the ways the English define themselves: it’s pluck in the face of adversityit’s coolness under fire, it’s effortless superiority, the English David against the Spanish Goliath. That’s the legend but the real Armada story is a country defended by pirates, who through cunning caution and ingenuity managed not loose … just.
This documentary tour de force on the world’s greatest battles and the fearless men who won them. The Conquerors examines 12 legendary figures that altered the course of history through military brilliance and sheer willpower. Diary entriesinterviews with scholars and heart-stopping reenactments examine the strategies, weapons of conquest and the significance of each engagement in the annals of history. Hosted by decorated war veteran Captain Dale Dye. Episode General Zhukov WWII Conqueror Of Berlin – In April 1945, Stalin was in a hurry. The Americans had recently crossed the Rhine and he was worried they might capture Berlin. To speed up his campaign, he split command between Marshal Zhukov in the center and Marshal Konev in the south triggering a race between his most senior commanders both eager to be credited with conquest of the German capital.
This fascinating six program series takes a searching look at the public and private lives of the British Royal Family. The six programs offer a revealing insight into the world’s most famous familylooking at how the monarchy works, how it has evolved over the centuries and the challenges it faces in the present and in the future. The Kingdom United – Every year the Queen spends a week at Holyrood House, Edinburgh and holds a garden party. Whilst in Scotland her honor guard is provided by the royal company of archers, amateur soldiers drawn from the local gentry. The Queen’s presence in Scotland is a very significant part of her role for the Queen is the head of a United Kingdom of diverse nations, each with their own culture. The monarchy in many ways has been the cement that binds the union together.
WWII was not just a military conflict. It was also a series of psychological battles waged by the four great leaders Adolf HitlerJoseph Stalin, Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill. In these mental duels, the warlords liedschemed, charmed, flattered and cheated to win. Inter-weaving the leaders’ own words with personal recollections and private diaries, it reveals the four warlords as fascinating, flawed, and fully human. Episode 2 Churchill vs Roosevelt, May 1940April 1942 An examination of the mental battles waged between 20th century leaders Winston Churchill and Franklin D Roosevelt during the first two years of their relationship. A duel of false promises, evasion and delusion ensued, which was far removed from the more familiar image of friendship and loyalty.
Professor David Reynolds takes a fresh look at the extraordinary events and personalities that brought about the armistice of 1918 venturing beyond the familiar British account of Remembrance Day to unravel how the Germans, plunged to total defeat in just a few months at the end of the war. In a journey that takes him through command centres and battlefields, he uncovers a story of wounded egos, mental illness and political brinkmanship as statesmen and generals haggled over the terms of peace, while soldiers fought on with sustained brutality. Reynolds argues that the bitter endgame of the “war to end all wars” tragically sowed the seeds of even more appalling conflict to come.
The Royal Wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten in November 1947 was a day of national celebration. But the young couple’s path to the altar had been strewn with controversy and difficulties. Behind the smiling faces and the colourful regalia lay a story of political machination public hostility and court intrigue. This documentary captures the story of the princess from the moment when her love life became a matter of dynastic and political importance. It shows how Philip’s suitability was called into question. The stakes could not have been much higher the popularity and therefore the future of the monarchy itself.
Documentary series about the brutalbloody and dangerous history of surgery looks at how surgery dragged itself kicking and screaming out of the dark ages, transforming itself from butchery into a science. Presenter Michael Mosley recounts the history of surgery through its catastrophes and successes. Episode 5 Bloody Beginnings – Presenter Michael Mosley finds out how the early days of surgery were dark and barbaric, when the surgeon’s knife was more likely to kill you than save you, and invasive medicine generally meant being bloodlet by leeches to within an inch of your life.
In 1570 BCRome was no more than a soggy marsh and the Acropolis was just an empty rock, but Egypt was already 1,000 years old, awaiting its New Kingdom, an empire forged by conquest and remembered for eons. The sophisticated, civilized society that we call the New Kingdom was led by a remarkable succession of kings. Between them, they liberated their country, conquered their neighbors and built. Episode 1 The Warrior Pharaohs – In 1560 BC, Egypt was divided into two. Its very existence was threatened from both north and south. But one family was determined to restore Egypt to its former glory. One by one, the King of Thebes and his two sons, Kamose and Ahmose, fought the Hyksos, who occupied northern Egypt.
Hitler’s Henchmen and Hitler’s Warriors paints portraits of the men who consolidated Hitler’s reign and turned his plans into action. They wove the complicities and plots without which Hitler could have never perpetrated the crime of the century. They helped to sway the judges and the bureaucratsthe armed forces and the police, the scientists and the industrialists, the students and their teachers to the regime’s ways of thinking. What kind of people were they? What inspired them to serve a corrupt administration with such enthusiasm and devotion? How did their careers unfold and their fates end? These documentaries by Guiddo Knopp and ZDF looks at the high ranking officers who aided the dictator in his war of aggression and managers who turned his plans into reality.
This series follows local man Francis Campbell in his role as the UK’s ambassador to the Vatican. Delving beneath the ceremonial dutieswe get an unique glimpse into the real life of a diplomat operating within the hidden world of the Vatican. Episode 2 – In this episode, ahead of the G8 summit, cameras follow Francis deep into the Vatican for high level meetings.
The period of over 125 years from the beginning of the 19th century saw the creation of some of the world’s most remarkable feats of engineering. Seven of the most notable are described hereeach one proving that human creativity is as much alive in the modern world as it was in ancient times. Episode 6 The Line – By the middle of the 19th century, the benefits brought by the host of advances of the industrial age were gradually beginning to reach America, which soon developed a spectacular achievement of its own, the Transcontinental Railway, reaching right across the continent. With two teams, one building from the east and the other from California in the west, they battled against hostile terrain, hostile inhabitants, civil war and the Wild West. Yet in 1869, the two teams’ tracks were joined, shrinking the whole American continent, as the journey from New York to San Francisco was reduced from months to days.
A three part drama documentary series about Ludwig van Beethoven presented by conductor Charles Hazlewood. It takes eyewitness accounts of the composer’s tragic life and weaves them into analysis of his groundbreaking music. The Rebel – This first programme looks at Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata and 2nd Symphonyand charts his turbulent early years as a pianist and composer in Vienna, after having rejected his abusive alcoholic father.
This is where it all beganAdam Hart-Davis first foray, directly inspired by the Monty Python sequence from The Life of Brian where the People’s Front of Judea discuss “What have the Romans done for us?” into how the foundations of modern society were laid by the surprising cultural and technological achievements of the Roman empires. This is the first series of “What The … Did For Us” hosted by Adam Hart-Davis. Episode 3 Building Britain – Within 30 years of the invasion there were 60,000 Roman troops in Britain, they had come from some of the most advanced places in Europe, and to them this sort of settlement must have seemed primitive. This is the story of how they transformed the landscape and laid the foundations for the countryside and the cities Britain has today. Hart-Davis analyses the Romans’ ingenious farming methods and looks at the creation of early towns. He visits York and discovers the remains of the Roman city and a Roman sewer that is still working. Butser Ancient Farm, described as “an open air laboratory”this reconstructed Iron Age farm and settlement is an archaeological research project, investigating the ancient methods of Celtic farmers. Housesteads Roman Fort, Britain’s most intact Roman fort, all the more impressive for its clifftop location, built by Hadrian in the second century. Fire brigades and primitive fire extinguishers, demonstrated by Hart-Davis, were developed under the auspices of the Emperor Nero.
Ten thought provoking episodes bring a fresh perspective to Scotland’s past and challenges many of the perceived notions of Scottish history. Using the very latest in historical research A History of Scotland is a sweeping and insightful chronicle of an often turbulent but continuingly fascinating nation. Episode 1 – At the dawn of the first millennia, there was no Scotland or England. In the first episode Oliver reveals the mystery of how the Gaelic Scottish Kingdom Alba was born, and why its role in one of the greatest battles ever fought on British soil defined the shape of Britain in the modern era.
A major 14 part television series in which art historian Tim Marlow takes a fresh look at the most important artworks of some of the greatest artists in history. Shot on location in over 50 galleriesmuseums, churches and palaces throughout Europe and the United States, this series is a comprehensive survey of the history of Western art. Both intelligent and informative, the series aims to provide an uncomplicated and accessible analysis of the works and artists featured including Giotto, Michelangelo and Raphael.
This is the 6 episode BBC docudrama with voiceovernot the 13 episode History channel documentary with recreations. The rise and fall of Ancient Rome through six key turning points. Factually accurate and based on extensive historical research, it reveals how the greed, lust and ambition of men like Caesar, Nero and Constantine shaped the Roman Empire. CGI is mixed with compelling drama and spectacular live-action battles. Episode 4 Revolution – In an age before Rome was ruled by emperors young Tiberius Gracchus had been brought up to respect his father’s principles of honour and justice, but in just 20 years he will die defending his father’s ideals, murdered by the aristocrats standing behind him, his crime, starting a revolution so powerful it changed Rome forever, setting on the path to its greatest triumphs and worst excesses.
Discovery Channel Alexander the Great’s triumphs over the Persian and Egyptian empires are some of the most spectacular campaigns of conquest and exploration in history. But what inner conflicts drove this great military leader? Follow the story of a man who assumed power at the age of 22 and died at 33 planning his next expedition across North Africa and Europe.
Luxury isn’t always a question of the expensive and beautiful for the rich and powerful it’s always been much more and more important than that. The story of luxury is about an idea that touches on democracy and patriotism on social harmony and epic courage and even on the divine. Because it is so important there has always been more than one definition of what luxury actually is. One thing all can agree on is that luxury is a rare thing, it divides society into the haves and have nots. Host Cambridge University academic Dr Michael Scott asks the question Do we love luxury or hate it or both? He presents the view that the best way to understand today’s anxious response toward luxury is to think about how it operated in the past and to understand how that past continues to impact society today. Episode Luxury in the Middle Ages – follows the clash between luxury and Christianity which convulsed medieval Europe. Luxury was a roadblock on the road to heaven so the church was quick to condemn the jewellery and gorgeous weapons of the early medieval world. Yet the church also had its own form of luxury, in the form of manuscripts designed to do the work of God through astonishment and display. And to some extent it worked, as by 1200 medieval boys’ toys like warhorses and tournaments were suffused with Christian ideas of chivalry and gentility. But trade growth brought new luxuries to Europe, condemned in turn by the church, like exotic spices from the East, spicy food led to spicy conduct and to the sin of lechery, said the preachers. But soon the Black Death paradoxically liberated luxury from the church by initiating a new world of relative luxury and consumerism, the luxury world we inhabit today.
The series follows historian and adventure seeker Ashley Cowie in his quest to crack the code on his hunt for the most powerful lost treasures in the world that are some of history’s greatest and most mysterious artifacts. After spending years studying some of the world’s most fascinating relics he is on the hunt to find where they are. Episode 6 Holy Grail – Ashley and his team go after one of the biggest legends of the Middle Agesthe Holy Grail, thought to be the cup used by Christ at the Last Supper.
For 27 years Mao Tse Tung held absolute power. This is the first full account of his life ever shown on television. This documentary shows the tormentbeatings and killings of Mao’s cultural revolution and the terror and famine that preceded it and killed tens of millions. For the first time Mao’s intimates speak out including, his granddaughter, his doctor, his valet, his english teacher, his bodyguard and commrades of his early days in the communist party. Together they provide the keys, not only to China’s past, but to an understanding of China today. Hosted by Philip Short, BBC correspondent and author of Mao: A Life. The first half of the documentary covers the course of the Chinese revolution up to the Cultural Revolution. The second half covers the Cultural Revolution to Mao’s death.
This series examines the eleven years which Thatcher spent as Prime Minister of the UK. Using interviews with former Cabinet Ministers and Thatcher herselfthis series covers important events in Margaret Thatcher’s Premiership, from 1979 to 1990. Episode 1 Woman at War – Looks at how she rejected the postwar consensus that had governed the country for more than 30 years, and came into conflict with trade unions, the old establishment and even members of her own cabinet. Yet even as the country moved into a crippling recession, the Prime Minister refused to make a U-turn in policy.
