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History Of Britain...
So as it would turn out I'm about eight years behind on this, but I've just been watching some of Simon Schama's History of Britain. It seems that when there is so much talk of what should and shouldn't be on the National Curriculum for History the government could do a lot worse than dedicating time while history is compulsory (pre year nine, I believe) and have the pupils watch something like this. I know it does not go into any depth but what it would do would be give an overview. It amazes me how little of our history actually gets taught any more - even when I went to school there were huge swaths of it just missed out. Surely it would be wiser to try and give a good overview to get a basic groundwork of knowledge in place and then to work from that for those pupils who want to study it further? Our history is so fascinating and all the more so when told by a good story teller. I think that part of the problem could be that we're so fact orientated that it gets in the way of the narrative. Apart from people who study history no one needs to remember the date of Bannockburn or the number of chaps killed, so instead of going on about facts and figures History should be taught as narrative. This starts me thinking that I should perhaps read Winston Churchill's History of the English Speaking Peoples again. It's a magnificent work and the thing about Churchill is he has not only passion but also narrative skill. It's not always 100% accurate because it naturally leans to his view point and it's sometimes unclear the quality of his sources, but it's a magnificent work and gives a good strong overview of the complete history of this country. While a historian may be able to pick at some of the figures, the story is right. However, and this is what stops me picking it up again so eagerly, it is huge and it will eat your life, despite all of his merits even the abridgement is a slog. Still, I think it's perhaps worth giving it another read this summer, this time I'll have some light fiction on the go at the same time to break it up a little. Maybe it isn't so long as I remember after all. (I hope that last bit convinced you as it didn't convince me at all) |
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Huwie / Website (29.4.08 16:01) It certainly is a good programme. I thoroughly enjoyed it. History taught well is brilliant (sadly, taught badly it's light pulling teeth...) I don't know the Churchill... must check it out! |
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amillionpieces / Website (29.4.08 22:54) Ah Huwie, it's very good, but if you want an amazing Churchill read, start with "My Early Life" he's intelligent and in places amusing, but most of all it's amazing he lived to 25, never mind to be PM. Just in the book alone he saw action in Cuba, India, The Soudan and South Africa. |
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Huwie / Website (30.4.08 11:49) cool. I must check that out! I've heard a bit about some of the scrapes he got into in his younger days... And is it true they had great difficulty in persuading him NOT to be on a boat taking part in Dunkirk? |
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amillionpieces / Website (30.4.08 12:28) I'd heard that, yeah. I also heard the King personally had to stop him landing on D-Day. He did manage to get himself onto the frontlines for a short time in WW1 tho! |
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huwie / Website (30.4.08 15:53) Fair play, Winnie was a proper legend... |
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petescully / Website (30.4.08 18:05) it's one of my favourite history shows, really well told. I think the story should be put back into history. I loved telling histories when i was a tour guide, much more fun than what we were taught at school. The churchill book is good, from what i remember (read it as a kid). |
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amillionpieces / Website (30.4.08 19:19) Yeah, I never thought about tour guides - you're right though, they always have a story. I loved telling my younger sister about William Wallace but I think that's actually just because I wondered if it would give her nightmares. |
