Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5853 in DVD
• Released on: 2006-11-20
• Rating: Exempt
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 2
• Running time: 250 minutes

DVD Description

David Starkey's Monarchy - Series 2 provides an in-depth examination of the Monarchy and its relationship with the English people, Parliament, laws and land throughout history. Presented by the eminent historian, Dr. David Starkey, this second series DVD is a continuation of his epic journey through the history of the oldest surviving political institution in Europe. The Monarchy series is, however, more than just the biographies of the kings and queens of England, as Starkey uses his unique and engaging gift as a communicator to bring to life the very powerful individuals of the Royal Family.

Customer Reviews

From the wars of the roses to the civil war
This second season of Monarchy by the historian David Starkey continues to detail the history of the kings and queens of England with the majority of this season detailing the Tudor dynasty but also dealing with those monarchs who came immediately before and after them. The series is very well put together and David Starkey is a great presenter, both interesting and informative. If the series has a flaw, it is that it tries to cover so much that it inevitably leaves the odd thing out here and there but when this does happen it is usually only things that most people would know already so does not distract from an otherwise brilliant program.

Robust history at its best
David Starkey's views may not appeal to everyone, but he is certainly entertaining. ALL historians have a bias of some sort - Antonia Fraser comes to mind - and Simon Schama is another. Both Starkey and Schama are both entertaining in their own way, but I particularly enjoy Starkey's view of Tudor history. In the present series of Monarchy, a certain antipathy towards France comes through, although culturally England and France were poles apart in the 17th century despite Charles II's familial link to Louis XIV. Benevolent despotism has never been tolerated in England, although dictatorship is quite another thing !

Starkey is highly watchable and his programmes, above all, entertain. I hope further programmes are as entertaining as the current one.

'Whig history' at its best
Excellent entertainment, shame about the blurring of the facts and the constant pushing of his OWN VIEWS - focus on French absolutism, 'moderate' i.e. undecided Anglicanism. Plus the English 'middle-way' on all things, and above all tarring historical figures with sodomy, incest etc ... He is unarguably right in most cases, however, he continually gives MORALITY a prominence it should not have in serious historical work. Also, the idea that we now sit at the pinnacle of English/British history is implicit throughout.

All in all, a good avenue for the unconverted to real history, but far from that ideal itself.

To breakdown the review further, 4 stars for entertainment value and 2 for historic content.