I really don't understand the one-star reviews and their complaints about the series. Saying that the series focused on the gory details and sex is a plain exageration. The series leaves a lot of stuff out that's for sure, there is not a lot of coverage on the wars with Spain and France or the overseas expansion, but I am ok with that since I wanted a "quick" overview of the matter. If you want a detailed account you are going to need several thick books.
A must-buy for any amateur historian; informative and very entertaining.

With anticipated glee, we bought this DVD series as a Christmas gift for our family; however, as we went through each of the 5 DVD's, we became increasingly disappointed in Schama's "history." So much of his presentation seems to be "on the fringe" and not central to the mainstream of the basic history of Britain. Also, as others have pointed out, Schama seems intent on presenting the "gore" of battles, tragedies, etc. He also seems fascinated with sex and the eccentric too much. We just felt that we were not getting the fullness of the basic story of Britain's history. It was very disappointing, and we would not recommend it.

I purchased this series with high hopes and I found viewing it to be very disappointing. The host was annoying the images added nothing to the presentation and there was way too much time spent looking at peacocks and flowing streams.

I suppose that the history would have been OK if it weren't so scanty. This was very much a quick overview, which often left out key facts that would be vital to understanding the motivation for actions in later parts of the series.

I commend the idea behind creating a good series in the history of Britain, but I can only suggest that this one be avoided at all costs.

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!

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.