Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ

Wars and ConflictsΒ  permalink

Best tv historian and series?/

• Message 1.Β 

  Posted by Mark (U2073932) on Thursday, 29th September 2005

  I'll just open the duscussion.
  My favourite tv historians are Richard Holmes (War walks, Western Front, Wellington). Simon Schama with his Histroy of Britain.
  
  My favourite series are: Battlefield, World at War, The Great War, and Line of Fire.
  
  But my favourite of all tv military historical experts is Aryeh Nusbacher from Time Commanders amongst other things. His passion, wide knowledge and utter madness for military history is brilliant.
  
  Any suggestions?

  Link to this forum: Best tv historian and series?/

  Report message1

• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by dmatt74 (U1690430) on Thursday, 29th September 2005

  I would vote for World at War, even with additional information released in the last 30 years, this programme was so well researched and presented and still stands as the best Second World War history programme.

  Link to this forum: Best tv historian and series?/

  Report message2

• Message 3

  , in reply to message 2.

  Posted by PaulRyckier (U1753522) on Thursday, 29th September 2005

  Re: Message 2.
  
  Matt, I too would vote for World at War and I have seen many, including French-German ones from ARTE and German ones from the German ARD and ZDF.
  
  Kind regards.

  Link to this forum: Best tv historian and series?/

  Report message3

• Message 4

  , in reply to message 3.

  Posted by DaveMBA (U1360771) on Saturday, 1st October 2005

  It would probably have to be the World at War, which recognised inter alia, the Russian contribution, when it was still largely fogotten. AJP Taylor's talks are still superb now.
  
  However, the better series are those not driven by agendas, the former including Time Team and Meet the Ancestors, while the latter include Starkey and the worst offender Scharma. Nusbacher is a modern historian of the Middle East wars mostly - he has not got a clue about ancient warfare. I gave up on that series after too much rubbish in the first few programmes. Best one was his comments about the Hittites at Kadesh in a Bronzze Age battle - didn't anyone tell him the Hittites were the first to smelt iron, which is why they won battles!

  Link to this forum: Best tv historian and series?/

  Report message4

• Message 5

  , in reply to message 4.

  Posted by Trident_MKII (U1823460) on Saturday, 1st October 2005

  hi all,
  
  i would have to agree, world at war is the best, although my interest is mainly in the great war
  
  i think the narrator can have alot to do with it sometimes, you like to think he knows what hes talking about rather than just reading a script

  Link to this forum: Best tv historian and series?/

  Report message5

• Message 6

  , in reply to message 5.

  Posted by Thjodolf (U1900675) ** on Saturday, 1st October 2005

  Nicholas Vincent. Ok, he's very rarely on TV, but he is by far the greatest historian that has been on TV - heard him described as the greatest historian of the last two generations!! He actually has a great dislike for TV historians, "they're just bloody entertainers who give answers where no answer may exist". Once heard him describe David Starkey as "he's a very clever man, but he doesn't know what he's talking about!"

  Link to this forum: Best tv historian and series?/

  Report message6

• Message 7

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by silverdrood (U2322840) on Thursday, 27th October 2005

  I guess all your respondents may be too young to remember back to the black and white TV days, as undoubtedly the finest history presenter of all time was one A.J.P. Taylor, as i recall Emeritus Professor of Modern History at Oxford. He would stand in a studio, in front of one camera and talk unscripted for 29 minutes and 30 seconds precisely ( true length of a 30 minute Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ TV programme)never repeating himself and totally riveting.
  His 'Origins of the First World War' Peguin, is still in my opinion the best book on the topic.

  Link to this forum: Best tv historian and series?/

  Report message7

• Message 8

  , in reply to message 7.

  Posted by DL (U1683040) on Friday, 28th October 2005

  I'd have to go for The World at War too I'm afraid, purely for its in depth approach to such a massive subject.
  
  Recent favourites would have to be "The Nazis:A warning from history" on the rise and fall of the Third Reich, particularly to be commended for its choice of interviewing subjects. Not just the obvious war stories but they interviewed people ranging from diplomats and Nazi party officials on one extreme, right down to Gestapo informers and even a member of an Einsatzgruppe (which was probably the most chilling interview I have ever seen). Also to be recommended is "War of the Century" about the Eastern Front.
  
  I must admit I'm looking forward to the new series on Rome as well.
  
  Cheers
  DL

  Link to this forum: Best tv historian and series?/

  Report message8

Back to top