Most history documentaries are so drearily simplistic they make you cross-eyed with boredom. Thank goodness then for this fascinating, first-rate effort about how our septic isle came to be
I am woefully lacking in all sorts of knowledge, but none more than the historical kind. My cohort’s history GCSE comprised “the evolution of medicine” and “Britain 1815-51”. Not more. Not less. As an education in how the political, social or cultural shaped the world into its current form, it was wildly lacking. Although if you ever need to trepan a Chartist, give me a call.
So I am always on the lookout for kind people and programmers ready, willing and able to try to disperse some of my profound ignorance. Such a person and such a programme is Union With David Olusoga (although my English GCSE tells me there should ideally be a comma in the title to prevent unwanted misunderstandings). This ambitious and stylishly confident four-part series looks at the origins and development of our septic isle, Great Britain, and the identity that has emerged out of the maelstrom of forces, influences, actions and reactions that have operated on it over the centuries.
Union With David Olusoga aired on BBC One and is on iPlayer now.
