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Michael Wood - King Alfred and the Anglo Saxons

LadyOfShalottLadyOfShalott Posts: 3,017
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in UK TV Shows #1
Looking forward to the latest Michael Wood series...

His series to me are still the byword for intelligent and accessible TV history programmes. :)

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    neelianeelia Posts: 24,186
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    #2
    Great stuff!


    Hopefully one day we will have a History section on DS. :)
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    LadyOfShalottLadyOfShalott Posts: 3,017
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    #3
    neelia wrote: »
    Great stuff!


    Hopefully one day we will have a History section on DS. :)

    Couldn't come soon enough for me!

    In the mean time, I shall enjoy Michael Wood and rewatch Helen Castor's series on BBC4...
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    Mystic DaveMystic Dave Posts: 1,180
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    #4
    Saw him speak live in 2001 - he was excellent. I would like him to go back to Troy as so much has been found there since his series.
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    teacup333teacup333 Posts: 211
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    #5
    Hmm, it came across as being a bit jingoistic - perhaps I'm a bit paranoid :confused:
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    the_lostprophetthe_lostprophet Posts: 4,173
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    #6
    teacup333 wrote: »
    Hmm, it came across as being a bit jingoistic - perhaps I'm a bit paranoid :confused:

    I didn't think so; he's obviously just passionate about that period of British history.
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    CadivaCadiva Posts: 18,412
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    #7
    teacup333 wrote: »
    Hmm, it came across as being a bit jingoistic - perhaps I'm a bit paranoid :confused:

    Not sure how it can be jingoistic to be honest when jingoism is patriotism in the form of aggressive foreign policy and Michael Wood's series is about Alfred the Great and how he brought the various Anglo-Saxon kingdoms together to create England.
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    Granny McSmithGranny McSmith Posts: 19,622
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    #8
    teacup333 wrote: »
    Hmm, it came across as being a bit jingoistic - perhaps I'm a bit paranoid :confused:

    Are you Danish?
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 192
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    #9
    Cadiva wrote: »
    Not sure how it can be jingoistic to be honest when jingoism is patriotism in the form of aggressive foreign policy and Michael Wood's series is about Alfred the Great and how he brought the various Anglo-Saxon kingdoms together to create England.

    Right, and somewhat further complicated, since a couple hundred years later the system laid down by the Anglo-Saxons is literally hijacked by William, post-invasion... it was not the Anglo-Saxons who invaded Norman territory and restructured Norman society with Anglo-Saxon systems, but rather the Normans who invaded the Anglo-Saxons and having done that, promptly said to themselves, "Wow! This is the most amazing system of government and society, ever! We'd be fools to use our methods, so let's stick with theirs."

    If I took nothing else away from my English history classes at Uni, it was that after William invaded, unlike the typical methods of the day, he adopted virtually all the workings of Anglo-Saxon government, as he recognised it as superior to what he had known.

    So I'm not sure what we call the aggressive adoption of the home rule policies of the conquered by invading forces, but it's not jingoism :)

    (Haven't watched this yet... actually just about to start watching now,)
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