Roman Invasion of Britain (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)Education meets entertainment with perfection. Not just for history lovers. Dramatization as good as any Roman Era films, fine military and Brit commoner costuming, and realistic period settings. As a visual documentary, it is one of the best at filming wild, rustic, natural British countryside you can find on DVD. It's about the Roman Empire's invasion (AD 43), Brit retaliation, and occupation results over 400 years. Eventually the Romans in Britannia fall.
Original UK air, July, 2010.
Presenter/narrator Bettany Hughes is scholarly AND expressive, photogenic,& dramatically theatrical with a most bonny British accent. Her eyes draw you into narrated history as emotionally as the battle scenes. Flirtatious, smiles & looks, rivaling Honeysuckle Weeks of 'FOYLE'S WAR', almost drives one to distraction. I want to be taught more by this historian & will look for "When the Moors Ruled in Europe" and "The Minotaur's Island."
3 episodes about 46 minutes each--WITH SUBTITLES
1 ONSLAUGHT--Spring AD 43, Claudius sends 40,000 troops to conquer Britannia and perhaps save himself & his public image. Plautius was the general leading the channel crossing invasion of 800+ ships. Romans vs Celts.
2 REVOLT--1st century, 17 year gorilla war (a Viet Nam for the Roman Empire) continued, lead by Boudica and her E. Anglia clan, Iceni (AD 60). She wipes roman colony Colchester off the earth, now archeologically proven. London & St. Albans followed. But tides turned. Rome builds towns, i.e. Bath. A 73 mile Hadrian Wall (AD 130) is Rome's northern wall of dominance.
3 DOMINION--350 years of Roman domination proved a mixed existence for Brits. 10-15% lived well. 85% in harshness, hatred & fear. 10% of Rome's military were stationed in Britannia to exploit. Romans taught the Brits how to tax (ask Washington, Jefferson, and Franklin). Brits became mine & urban slaves. By the end of the 4th century the Romans sun was setting.
Bonus material:
Text Bios of Bettany Hughes, Claudius, Plautius, Caratacus, Boudicca, Hadrian.
Athena booklet with time line, study questions, & 5 essays on historical fact.
Extended Interviews (subtitled):
1 Dr. Paul Sealy; + Mosaics of Romano Britain
2 Dr. John Davies; + Ruins of Romano Britain
3 Guy de la Bedoyere; + Museum of London's Roman Relics
A must for Educational institutions dealing with British history or Roman Empire impacts. Not rated but family friendly, but the intellectual level is high school through adult.
Really wonderful to view--high recommendation for ANYONE who enjoys learning.

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Rome\'s daring conquest and occupation of the British Isles
Motivated by an emperor\'s greed and political ambition, Rome added Britain to its empire in the first century CE, changing the land and its people forever. Join historian Bettany Hughes (When the Moors Ruled in Europe) as she examines new research and the latest archaeological evidence to reveal the brutal realities of the Roman conquest. Meet scheming politicians, beleaguered generals, and fiery revolutionaries--including Queen Boudicca, the wronged woman who mobilized her people for a bloody and tragic revolt. Interviews with noted military experts and meticulous reenactments illuminate a little-known but pivotal period in British and Roman history.
Packed with drama and detail, this absorbing series reveals how a nation sprang from 400 years of subjugation.
Oxford-educated author and historian Bettany Hughes has presented historical documentaries for the BBC, PBS, and the Discovery Channel. She serves on the Innovation Programs Committee of the U.K.\'s National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts.

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