A History of Britain by Simon Schama

The Fate of Empire

Here he illuminates the period from 1776 to 2000 through a variety of historical themes, including Victorian advances in technology and industry, women's increasing role in society, and the burgeoning British Empire which promised civilisation and material betterment for all. This volume also looks at key characters from the period, including Wordsworth, Burke, Queen Victoria, Churchill, and Orwell, whilst examining some lesser-known lives, such as Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, the first woman doctor, and Mary Seacole, a Jamaican nurse in the Crimea. Finally, Schama reflects on the overwhelming presence of the past in the 20th century, and the struggle of our leaders to find a way of making a different national future.

Where to Watch The Fate of Empire

4 Episodes

Forces of Nature (1780 - 1832)
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Forces of Nature (1780 - 1832)The French Revolution sent shock-waves through Britain. While some watched transfixed, others were horrified. Simon Schama explores why the British proved immune to the siren call of liberty, equality and fraternity.
Victoria and Her Sisters (1830 - 1910)
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Victoria and Her Sisters (1830 - 1910)She began the century that bears her name a princess and ended it as an empress. Queen Victoria ruled one of the most powerful empires in world history during a century of staggering change - for both good and bad.
The Empire of Good Intentions (1830 - 1925)
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The Empire of Good Intentions (1830 - 1925)Simon Schama looks at how the liberal politics and free-market economics of the British Empire in the 19th century unraveled, leading to the potato famine in Ireland and mutiny in India. By the early 20th century, nationalist movements around the globe had turned their back on the British 'workshop of the world'.
The Two Winstons (1910 - present)
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The Two Winstons (1910 - present)Simon Schama tackles the 20th century through the lives of two men - Winston Churchill and George Orwell. Both men, so very different in almost every way, lived through and wrote about the key moments of British 20th-century life.