King alfred the great fights a desperate guerrilla war in the marshes of somersetburning the cakes on the waybefore his decisive victory at edington. The famed director alfred hitchcocks secret to success. Historian and broadcaster michael wood reveals how alfred the greats. The search for alfred the great full episode bbc documentary duration. He is the first englishman for whom a biography survives so that we know more about alfred and his ideals than we do for most people who lived over a thousand years ago. Bbc four king alfred and the anglo saxons, alfred of wessex. King alfred and the anglosaxons maya vision internationalmaya.
King alfred and the making of englandin this lecture illustrated with slides and film clips, michael wood looks at one of the most exciting and formative periods in british history, the viking age, when three generations of the family of alfred the great created the early english state. Sheffield based crime writer and author of the dci matilda darke novels harper collins and the seventh victim audible. The bbc was inspired to make a lavish new series about king alfred the great because of current debates about immigration and nationhood, according to the author of the historical drama. In this lecture illustrated with slides and film clips, michael wood looks at one of the most exciting and formative periods in british history, the viking age, when three generations of the family. It comprises eight short films across two series, each focusing on a particular character from the history of england prior to the norman conquest, a period popularly known as the dark ages. In alfred hitchcock, wood has found his ideal subjectan artist for whom explicit statement was anathema, who made conventional plot a hiding place rather than a source of revelation. Michael wood, 5 march 2020 t he critic richard brody suggested recently that cinema needs to be denazified, to abandon its habit of using hitlers followers as instant avatars of evil. Comprising 60 volumes containing 517 works written by authors, these texts capture the major ideas, stories, and discoveries that shaped western culture. Harpercollins published the second installment, outside looking in in the year 2016. Alfred fights a desperate guerrilla war in the marshes of somerset. The man who knew too much, by michael wood hitchcock on hitchcock, volume 2. Offa, alfred, athelstan, edgar all great kings, brutal by modern standards but feared and honoured beyond the shores of england. A few years back i read justin pollards 2005 biography of alfred and one of my favourite books is michael woods in search of the dark ages.
Michael wood is such a wonderful presenter, he has no egoism at all, he just tells the story and lets his subject be the focus of interest rather than himself, which is as it should be. The world of confucian values on the eve of the fall. Michael wood s in search of alfred the great hq brew. Some of you may know michaels previous books and programmes, such as the story of england, the story of india, conquistadors, and in. Some of the very worst movies of recent years, he wrote, have used depictions of nazis as a short cut to gravitas.
The ninth century was a very low point in the history of the western orthodox church. This statue of him surveys the garden of the abbey at shaftesbury and the country towards south dorset. Watch king alfred and the anglo saxons prime video. Oct 02, 20 hopefully, sometime in the near future, itll come out on dvd, like other of michael woods works, or itll be broadcasted by pbs. These men set out to translate into the vernacular what alfred thought were the key books for the times, the ones it is most needful for people to know. Aramaic targums to decipher the original meanings of the words found in the biblical text. Search the worlds most comprehensive index of fulltext books. Alfred the great captured london, allegedly after defeating a danish garrison. This biography of alfred the great, king of the west saxons 871899, combines a sensitive reading of the primary sourc. An event of bravery and cruelty, endurance and greed, alexanders expedition was a turning point in human history. Jan, 2014 in search of alfred the great in search of the dark ages 14th march 1980.
See all books authored by michael wood, including in the footsteps of alexander the great. They would, a french critic adds, and it would not be a bad place to look. There have been so many great books these past few years, grand sweep and closeup. Apr 24, 2017 alfred the great was a truly great king frustrating viking assaults on his kingdom of wessex that he governed from 871 to 899. He has presented numerous wellknown television documentary series from the late 1970s to the present day.
Show more michael wood on alfred the great, king of wessex and king of the anglosaxons. A journey from greece to asia, and in search of the dark ages, and more on. Michael wood king alfred and the anglo saxons digital spy. Michael wood on athelstans great war to unite anglo. Michael wood on alfred the great, king of wessex and king of the anglosaxons. It was sculpted in the early 1990s by andrew du mont. Much of michael woods television series was filmed on location at the british library. Historian michael wood describes king alfred the great as not just the greatest briton, but one of the greatest rulers of any time or place. Michael wood, 20 december 2018 t he first featurelength film by ramell ross, hale county this morning, this evening, has been praised for creating a new genre within the documentary form and evoking with unusual clarity the life of a particular community. Buy in search of the dark ages new reprinted edition by wood, michael isbn. If i made a film of cinderella, hitchcock used to complain, people would start looking for the corpse. The story of england, by michael wood the independent. The forgotten films, by alain kerzoncuf and charles barr about halfway through michael woods little.
Alfred the great ebook by richard abels rakuten kobo. He is an avid reader of crime books and is an especially big fan of minette walters, who he called the queen of the psychological thriller during his time as a journalist, wood has covered many crime stories and has even been on the scene of the crime at a murder. Hopefully, sometime in the near future, itll come out on dvd, like other of michael woods works, or itll be broadcasted by pbs. Michael wood tells the story of king alfred the great and his children and grandson, arguing that they were the most important rulers in the history of england. Michael wood has 85 books on goodreads with 15044 ratings. Michael woods in search of alfred the great hq youtube. King alfred the great fights a desperate guerrilla war in the marshes of somersetburning the cakes. He is author of over sixty tv films which have been shown worldwide and of several best selling and highly praised books. King alfred and the anglosaxons pbs america youtube. Michael wood and king alfred medieval manuscripts blog. Michael wood books list of books by author michael wood.
Michael woods the story of china answers that question and is the indispensable book about the most intriguing and powerful country amassing power on the world stage today. A brief portrait of cinemas most iconic silhouette, alfred hitchcock 18991980. Alfred hitchcock18991980 is the subject explored in this brief book by dr. Michael woods most popular book is in search of the dark ages. Michael david wood born 23 july 1948 is an english historian and broadcaster. Wood has also written a number of books on english history, including in search of the dark ages, the domesday quest, the story of england, and in search of shakespeare. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Michael wood on alfred the great his bones may prove elusive but alfred remains the greatest, according to michael wood. Jan 01, 1981 michael wood is a great presenter, easy on the ear, and that style translates to this book, in which he offers his own take on nine personalities from boudica to william the conqueror.
Michael wood is an english author and freelance journalist. With in search of the dark ages, michael wood wrote the book for history on tv. Educational and enjoyable all history books should be like this. King alfred and the anglo saxons michael wood argues that the most important and influential british kings were a father, son and grandson who lived over a thousand years ago during the age of the. One way to take that short course is to read michael woods compelling and entertaining new book alfred hitchcock. Books by michael wood author of in search of the dark ages. Michael wood is a great presenter, easy on the ear, and that style translates to this book, in which he offers his own take on nine personalities from boudica to william the conqueror. Michael wood is the writer and presenter of many critically acclaimed series on television, including art of the western world, legacy and in the footsteps of alexander the great.
Michael wood is a well known historian and presenter whose knowledge always leaves me in awe. His bones may prove elusive but alfred remains the greatest, according to michael wood the last in a new series of four films about england before the norman conquest. As such, hitchcocks films have become part of the collective imagination, and hitchcockian is a common idiom used to describe films that parrot. In the final chapter, wood considers the provocative question of when, if ever, china will rule the world. In search of the dark ages is a bbc television documentary series, written and presented by historian michael wood, first shown between 1979 and 1981. Explore free books, like the victory garden, and more browse now. This era is his main area of expertise and it shows. Click and collect from your local waterstones or get free uk delivery on orders over. Hopefully one day we will have a history section on ds. Lots of feet on the ground at proposed locations for some of the most important events that happened in this nations colourful history. Although wood does not make explicit the comparison, hitchcock himself appears to have based his career on a similar kind of thinking. One i particularly loved while working on my bbc two series the story of china was henrietta harrisons the man awakened from dreams the diary of an ordinary man, liu dapeng, who lived in a north chinese village from 18571942.
In search of the dark ages is a bbc television documentary series, written and presented by historian michael wood, first shown between 1979. Alfred the great by barbara yorke overdrive rakuten. Jan 30, 2014 another brilliant episode about alfred the great s grandson, king athelstan 92439 from uk historian michael wood s legendary 197981 bbc tv series in search of the dark ages. Read alfred the great war, kingship and culture in anglosaxon england by richard abels available from rakuten kobo. See all books authored by alfred the great, including king alfreds version of the consolations of boethius. Done into modern english, and anglosaxon chronicle, and more on. Kibworth, the location for this book and his recent bbc tv series, is a village, or. However, as london was in the kingdom of mercia, alfred, turned london over to mercian control. Alfred the great books list of books by author alfred the great.
For unknown reasons was michael woods debut novel, which was published in the year 2015. In search of alfred the great in search of the dark ages 14th march 1980. Michael wood on athelstans great war to unite anglosaxon. Anglosaxon chronicle old english books illustrated.
It was so informative, it brought alfred alive for me. In this lecture illustrated with slides and film clips, michael wood looks at one of the most exciting and formative periods in british history, the viking age, when three generations of the family of alfred the great created the early english state. Outside looking in is the second installment in michael woods exceedingly dark and compelling crime book series, dci matilda. Michael woods 10 favourite history books historyextra. Michael wood on athelstans great war to unite anglosaxon england.
Dec 31, 2018 michael wood discusses alfred the great, king of wessex and king of the anglosaxons. Michael wood is a fine historian and a great communicator, a master of passion and persistence. Before laying the foundations of a single kingdom for all the. Wood, a literature professor emeritus at princeton, has written a highly readable, entertaining, and thought provoking overview of. Michael wood, british born professor emeritus at princeton university. King alfred and the anglosaxons on bbc four medieval. Hitchcock specialized in putting bodies, live and dead, in all the wrong places, and a publicity stunt for frenzy had a. Hoo man, offa, alfred the great, athelstan, eric bloodaxe, and ethelred the unready. He follows the hints of longpast historians, and pursues the footsteps, as well as the background and implications, of monumental events that changed the course of everything people thought they knew.
King alfred and the anglo saxons tv series 20 imdb. A simple answer is that he has been seen as a man who saved england, invented english identity and pioneered english as a written language. These men set out to translate into the vernacular what alfred thought were the key books for the times, the ones it is most. The makers of encyclopaedia britannica bring you the great books of the western world. Explore books by michael wood with our selection at. Michael wood explores the significance of king alfred the great s reign and legacy. The directors work has the rare privilege of being equally acclaimed by critics and popular audiences.
Michael wood argues that the most important and influential british kings were a father, son and grandson who lived over a thousand years ago during the age of the vikings. Wood has also written a number of books on english history, including in search of the dark ages, the domesday quest, the story of england, and in search of. King alfred and the anglo saxons bbc4 page 2 digital spy. The man who knew too much icons by michael wood bibliography sales rank. He is the author of the dci matilda darke series of books. The first episode promises to include balds leechbook bl. The man who knew too much, a thoughtful peek into the directors work and psyche released as part of the icons series, which has in previous volumes delved into everyone from jesus. Not sure how it can be jingoistic to be honest when jingoism is patriotism in the form of aggressive foreign policy and michael woods series is about alfred the great and how he brought the various anglosaxon kingdoms together to. By the end of his life, he had gone from being the overweight son of a greengrocer in a london suburb to hollywoods reigning director, whose cameo roles in his own films were one of their most anticipated features, and whose profile was recognized by millions thanks to the television show alfred hitchcock presents. Its implicit in the idea of the macguffin, mentioned in all these books in one way or another as it is in every account of the great mans life and work. The grandson of alfred the great, he reigned over the realms of wessex, mercia, and. Michael wood tells the story of king alfred the great and his children and grandson.