David Starkey and Monarchs

[tvordlj]

I've been history geeking a lot this weekend. I ordered a couple of dvd sets and got them in very quick time. The first is a two dvd set called Monarchy by David Starkey and the other focuses on the Six Wives of Henry VIII by the same bloke. I've seen a few of those on PBS but the Monarchy series is new to me. It's not complete, there's another set to complete the timeline out later in the fall. This one ends with the Restoration of Charles II in 1660. I really enjoyed the series. It was a brief overview but seemed quite accurate and had lots of points in it that i hadn't read or heard before. I love the history of England and the U.K., especially medieval to where the Georges took over and the Tudor period is my favourite. David Starkey is apparently well reknowned as a historian and researcher, from this point of view, he does seem to be quite good even if his accent is a bit odd. Very posh but with a Northern accent on some words. At least to my ears. Anyway, i've got through the Monarchy set, though i may go back and rewatch the one on the Wars of the Roses. I'll have to start in on t'other next.

Comments

[maleficent.livejournal.com]

I love David Starkey. He's fantastic on the wives of Henry VIII- his book on that subject is my bible! Unfortunately I missed just about all of the 2 series of Monarchy that have been shown & the availability of the dvds in the UK is a bit patchy for some unknown reason. You think we'd be interested in our own history!

That said, I don't think he does anything about pre-Early Modern Scotland in the series. The English are often guilty of forgetting that English history is not the same thing as British history but that's a moan for another day!

[tvor.livejournal.com]

There's very little about Scotland other than the Wallace/Robert the Bruce business with Edward I and II but that's only as it applies to English history. Of course there are mentions of wars, Mary Queen of Scots and the merging of the two with James IV/I but really it's not Scottish history on its own. Maybe he will look at that for a future series. One can hope.

[maleficent.livejournal.com]

That's the norm for 'British' history. Scotland & Ireland are only mentioned when they affect England. I think this is mostly because history documentaries are made in London and it's often a battle to get people there to realise that there's more of England beyond the M25, let alone other countries with varying histories! Even in Scotland, we don't get many programmes about Scottish history. I can't actually remember the last time there was a proper series about anything. It's all Robert the Bruce & Culloden when there is anything anyway!

In Starkey's defense, he's a scholar of Tudor history primarily so it's not really fair to expect him to deal with Scotland. I'd just like the titles to be a bit more exact- it's the monarchy of England he's on about.

Grumble, grumble.

[tvor.livejournal.com]

The only Scottish monarch you really see much about is Mary Queen of Scots, even just in her own right. I have a couple of books on her life. I think i do have a book or had one that went into the Scottish monarchs as well, not great detail but then it didn't go into the English monarchs in great detail too but it did have both in it.

[trixiedelarue.livejournal.com]

even *I* watched that show with David Starkey and I am not usually into such things and I really enjoyed it too

didnt realise it was out on DVD

[tvor.livejournal.com]

It is here, i think the Public Broadcasting network put it out. I've got the second set on my "wishlist" as it isn't out until the fall