I am an avid reader of history: U.S., European, Asian, Ancient, Economic. you name it, I read it. Lately, I’ve also been checking out Newport Library’s collection of historical documentaries on DVD, especially those titles hosted by historian Michael Wood. Aside from his dashing good looks and nerdy English academic charm, what appeals most about Wood is the rapt enthusiasm for his subjects. Newport library has a number of his BBC programs, including several of the book tie-ins.
The Story of India is Wood’s most recent film. This two-disc series looks to India’s wondrous past to explain its current dynamic presence on the world’s socio-economic stage. Exotic and colorful, filled with music, art, warfare and religion, The Story of India is one my favorites.
On the opposite side of the globe, in England, Wood goes In Search of Shakespeare. So little is actually known about the Bard, his family and friends, that Wood’s inferences, based on the historical context of the times, fill in the color surrounding Shakespeare’s life. It is this contextual coloring that breathes wonderful depth into the world of the English language’s bravest writer.
One of Wood’s earliest films, first presented in 1985, In Search of The Trojan War, is an ancient history buff’s dream come true. Wood presents an in-depth examination as to the likelihood of the Trojan War. He wonders if history can prove the existence of its main chracacters, Agamemnon, Achilles, and the woman whose face launched a thousand ships, Helen of Troy. You probably already know that most of these questions are unanswerable, but just for sheer depth of Wood’s historical imagination, I give In Search of the Trojan War top marks.
We also have:
(Some of the titles are available only in VHS format and downloadable video from Library2Go.)
Woods has a great talent for placing his subject in a broad cultural context and weaving disparate historical elements together to present an informative and entertaining television program. And his enthusiasm for his topic, be it a Spanish Conquistador pillaging across the Andes or the emotional depth of a Shakespearean tragedy, is sure to win you over.
Click on the highlighted title to reserve it.
