Rating: 
Summary: Focused on the History of the Royal Family
Review: Narrated by Simon Schama, this history starts out well (Disc 1), but eventually evolves into the history of the British royalty (by Disc 2 onwards). Although, British royalty is a huge slice of the British history, I was looking for something which would be more of a socio-political history. I was looking for the societal and cultural development of England in addition to the development of the royal family.
This set is like being in a lecture room with Schama (a remarkable storyteller) as the teacher using slides and pictures of old monuments, paintings, and actual places. If you are expecting an entertainment(ish) storytelling, then you must find something else. This set would be equally productive on an audio tape.
This could be part of an introduction package to the History of Great Britain, but for a broader look you need to find some other product.
Rating: 
Summary: I wish Simon Schama had been my history teacher.
Review: Perhaps I'm wrong, but history seems to be undergoing a renaissance in Britain at the moment. In the week between Christmas and New Year I actually heard one particularly talent-less hack say that History is the new reality TV, I mean please! The upside of this is that series like this one are made. Simon Schama gives us what I suppose could be best described as a "Whistle Stop Tour" through the events and people who wrote the history of England, Britain and consequently the world in the past 1000 years. Presented in a sometimes irreverent and always entertaining way, Schama takes the dusty old ornaments of history down from the mantelpiece and gives them a good scrubbing. Long dead Monarchs and everyday people seem less distant, their motives more comprehensible, the man truly has a gift. In Britain, the BBC are often the subject of worry or doubts about it's future survival much less viability, with people looking back on a time when BBC was a byword for quality and lamenting a perceived decline in standards, but as long as she continues to produce this standard of programme auntie's health will never be a problem.
Rating:
Summary: History Behind the Scenes
Review: Schama does a wonderful job at making history interesting! Far more than a dry recitation of dates and names, this series takes you behind the facts to help you understand the forces that caused the events. Every episode is fascinating and fun to watch. Just as an example, I had always heard a very one-sided view of Cromwell, with the result that I thought he was an evil fanatic. However, Schama brings him to life as a three-dimensional man with faults but who had a great vision of a better life for the common man. This series is also a visual treat, with colorful recreations and imaginative illustrations. Beautiful paintings and sculptures are used to illustrate historic figures. This series is well worth the money.
Rating:
Summary: Accurate, informative but easy to follow
Review: Schama's series of programmes is a first class version of British history offered in an easily digestible way. He has his own take on the subject and frequently reveals perspectives which are not normally considered.
Rating:
Summary: Great History and Storytelling
Review: Simon Schama has done an outstanding job in this series. He is wonderful story-teller along with being a great historian. If you have any interest in history you need to own this set. It has wonderful footage and great audio throughout the presentation. I will watch this many times and don't think I'll ever get bored with this series. It's a must have!
Rating:
Summary: A HISTORY OF BRITAIN: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION
Review: Sweeping from the dawn of civilization to the 20th century, A HISTORY OF BRITAIN: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION discards timelines and tiresome lineages for a lively look at the personalities and events that shaped the nation.
Disc 1
Beginnings
(circa 3100 BC - 1000 AD)
From Neolithic villages like Skara Brae to the arrival of the Romans and the Viking invasions of the 8th century, A HISTORY OF BRITAIN opens with a whirlwind look at the forces that defined life in England in the years before the Battle of Hastings.
Conquest!
(circa 1000 - 1087)
The path of Western Civilization changed in nine hours. Without William the Conqueror's victory in 1066, Britqain might well have been a Scandinavian province. But the Battle of Hastings made Britain part of an Anglo-Norman empire that, in time, overshadowed even the kings of France.
Dynasty
(circa 1087 - 1216)
The great Norman empire tore itself apart over questions of who should rule. Out of this bloody struggle emerged a new dynasty, one that produced three of the most famous and misunderstood kings in British history: Henry II, Richard I, and John.
Biographies:
Simon Schama
King Edward the Confessor
Disc 2
Nations
(circa 1216 - 1348)
In the 13th century, the people of Britain found their voice: proud, defiant, and nationalistic. Its language derived not from idealism, but as a response to the subjugation in the campaigns of Edward I to extend his authority over Wales, Scotland, and Ireland.
King Death
(1348 - 1500)
The plague arrived in England in 1348 and killed over 1 million people - a third of the population - in just over a decade. But it also paved the way for a series of radical reforms that saw Britain stripped of its feudal remnants and ready to face the future by 1500.
Burning Convictions
(circa 1500 - 1558)
Under Henry VIII, loyalty to one's faith was treason and loyalty to one's king was heresy. Henry's break with the Church marked the beginning of an extraordinary period that saw a nation largely at peace with its Catholic soul bribed, tortured, and cajoled into accepting Protestantism.
Biographies:
Robert the Bruce
William Wallace
Disc 3
The Body of the Queen
(1558 - 1603)
Elizabeth I led a Protestant nation to greatness in a hostile, Catholic world, all the while deflecting intense pressure to marry and conceive an heir. Her success stands in marked contrast to the fate of her cousin, Mary, Queen of Scots.
The British Wars
(1603 - 1649)
Charles I ascended to the throne in 1625 with a firm belief in the Divine Right of Kings. This almost immediately put him at odds with the Parliament, and their struggle soon expanded to every corner of the British Isles.
Revolutions
(1649 - 1689)
England emerged from 50 years of civil wars a kingless republic led by Oliver Cromwell, yet the fighting was far from over. Cromwell sent troops to Scotland and Ireland, and after his death and the restoration of the monarchy, a brief period of peace came to an end during the reign of James II.
Biographies:
Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots
Queen Elizabeth I
Disc 4
Britannia Incorporated
(circa 1690 - circa 1750)
England in the 1690s saw the victors of the "Glorious Revolution" celebrating the dawn of a new era under William III, while in Scotland the Jacobites still supported the deposed King James II. The new Britain was built upon money and commerce, not God.
The Wrong Empire
(circa 1750 - circa 1800)
With political stability and commercial prosperity at home, Britain turned its sights outward. The Wrong Empire travels from the back streets of revolutionary Boston to the slums of Calcutta to chronicle the astonishing transformation that followed. It's a story of exploration and daring - but also of exploitation and conflict.
Forces of Nature
(circa 1780 - circa 1832)
Led by the radical intellectuals of the "romantic generation," Britain experienced a flowering of political discourse in the late 18th century, based on an appreciation of nature and the common man. But while similar forces led to revolution in France, England avoided that bloody fate.
Biographies:
The Jacobites
King George III
Disc 5
Victoria and Her Sisters
(1830 - circa 1910)
In 1837, the 18-year-old Queen Victoria ascended to the throne in the midst of a radical transformation driven by technology and industrialization. The young queen paved the way for a generation of women to assume prominent roles in every area of British society.
Empire of Good Intentions
(circa 1830 - circa 1925)
As the ruler of the largest empire the world had ever seen, Britain hoped to deliver "civilization" while saving its subjects from famine and disease. But from Ireland to India, this noble purpose dissolved ina morass of blood, grief and broken promises.
The Two Winstons
(20th century)
A HISTORY OF BRITAIN: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION concludes with a comparison of two of the most influential 20th century Britons - George Orwell and Winston Churchill. Schama's compelling analysis of their lives and legacies illuminates fundamental questions surrounding the role of history in society.
Biographies:
Queen Victoria
William Gladstone
Sir Winston Churchill
Rating:
Summary: Schama, A True Historian.
Review: Thank you Simon Schama and everyone else involved in making these documentaries and releasing them on DVD. Five discs dealing with the history of Great Britain from 3100 BC to the 20th century. You get to find the true story behind the man Mel Gibson played in Braveheart. You get to know all about all the major kings and queens that shaped the UK. You get to know all about the invasions by the Roman Empire and the Vikings and what impact that had on the Britons. Winston Churchill, Oliver Cromwell and George Orwell are here. There's a documentary on the effect the Plague (Started in 1348) had on England. This is an awesome boxset and well worth the price thanks to Simon and company. I could not have asked for any better, But I wish Simon would do a three or four hour documentary that went into the details of the Falklands war. It would be cool if he did the same for the British side of the story of WWII and WWI. Anyways he did a superb job on this, I am just most fascinated with the conflicts of the 20th century. I don't like movies based on conflicts that happened so long ago but documentaries is a different story. Simon makes it so interesting. Thank you Simon for all your hard work in getting this job done. I really appreciate it. Cheers.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant series that makes history alive!
Review: There are a lot of history specials out there, but none so brilliantly conceived and realised at this series. I love history, especially the history of Britain, and so it was never dry, stale facts to me. But few bring it into focus, make it so accessible, and cut through the fat, so to speak, to give you a clean, logical, common sense approach to History of England 101 Crash Course as Simon Schama does. Each episode is well-written, fast paced and thoughtfully crafted, with marvellous location work to support his tromp through the corridors of time. He discards dates as the primary input and goes to the movers and shakers, makes you see the Kings and King makers with eyes that are fresh and vital. After you travel this amazing journey through time, you will be sadden that history is not present this way in the schools and we all did not have Schama as our teacher! Nirvana for British History lovers!
Rating:
Summary: A must for the history buff
Review: This is a must for anyone who digs history. This series takes you through the history of Britain from start to present. The series is not the typical monotone lecture.
Rating:
Summary: For anyone remotely interested in British History
Review: This is any amazing series. My husband and I have watched it numerous times and have not tired of it in the least. It is full of new interesting bits of information. Simon Schama's delivery is unique and entertaining. We loved it, and would highly recommend it.
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