London: The Making Of A City

In its 2,000 year history, says narrator Benny Green, London has known just about every disaster possible: fire, famine, flood, plague, and more than a few conquerors. We watched the first two episodes in the London series, 43-1066--Romans, Saxons, Vikings and 1066-1500--Medieval London. Subjugating the Celts, the Romans christened the Thames River establishment "Londonium," and at its zenith, Roman London boasted some 50,000 inhabitants. Walking around a giant topographical floor map, Green points out the various areas where battles were fought, and the camera visits the remaining relics of Roman London, such as the theatre at St. Albans and the Temple of Mithras. Ousted by the barbarians, London descended back into relative chaos until the coming, in 1066, of William the Conqueror--London's last conqueror. The second program chronicles the growth of church, state, and trade, as monasteries thrive, the first Parliament is held (January 8, 1265), and London gradually becomes the trading capital of the world. During the middle of this period, a major setback occurred--the bubonic plague, a.k.a. the "Black Death," which decimated one-third of the city's population. The program closes with a listing of some of the new laws, enacted circa the 16th century, in order to ease problems generated by a burgeoning population. For instance, it was illegal to dump a urine pot before 9 p.m. (presumably, people were still walking the streets below until this hour). the other four tapes cover the periods 1500-1666, 1667-1830, 1837-1870, and 1850-1897. Amusing and informative, London: The Making of a City is an excellent choice for junior high and high school libraries, and for them it is highly recommended. However, the format is unsuitable for public libraries (all six programs could fit on one videocassette). (Available from: Films for the Humanitarians, P.O. Box 2053, Princeton, NJ 08543-2053; 1-800-257-5126.)