In this six-episode series covering England's monarchy from the Anglo-Saxon period through the Restoration of 1660, British historian David Starkey offers a bit more than a simple recitation of events, examining, for instance, the monarchy's balance between freedom and authority, i.e., the use of royal power under the consent of the governed. But despite that particular slant (and a distinct emphasis on the 15th-17th centuries, to which four of the programs are dedicated), Monarchy is essentially a reign-by-reign account of the long train of English rulers, marked by Starkey's intense delivery and air of certitude. While some of Starkey's interpretations might be considered highly debatable, the series overall is solid, aided by on location shooting, paintings, manuscripts and incunabula, as well as brief dramatic recreations that enliven what amount to a series of academic lectures. Given the program's stated interest in showing the development of limited monarchy, it's curious that Starkey chooses to end the story more than two decades prior to the Glorious Revolution of 1688, which—along with the Declaration of Rights that followed—is generally seen as the definitive establishment of circumscribed kingship in Britain. Nonetheless, this is a generally good popular history of the subject. Recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (F. Swietek)
Monarchy
(2006) 2 discs. 317 min. DVD: $39.99. Acorn Media (avail. from most distributors). Color cover. ISBN: 1-56938-876-8. Volume 21, Issue 6
Monarchy
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