Before watching this film, I had enjoyed watching Andrew Marr’s “Modern Britain” series, which covered the period from 1901 to 2007. More to the point, I greatly enjoyed the presenting style of Andrew Marr himself, since he often has an amusing (and even hilarious) way of putting things. Nonetheless, I initially resisted getting Andrew Marr’s “History of the World.” I suppose that I was skeptical of doing the entire “History of the World” in just eight hours. I had already learned from other histories that covered specific parts of the world in more detail. I especially knew the history of the West quite well, but also had a basic understanding of some of the other major world cultures – even though I still (admittedly) lack knowledge of many others. But, as Andrew Marr says in this film’s introduction, it can help to have the big picture in mind. This “big picture” can allow you to make some connections between the different times and places. It allows you to synthesize many of the different pieces into a coherent narrative. For example, by surveying the different topics, you can find important differences among the stories of diverse cultures. You can also find the commonalities that tie them together. Thus, I would like to offer my review of this series, for any that are interested. I will start with one of the weakest episodes, which is the very first episode. Then I will transition into covering some of the better stuff in the later episodes.
Episode 1: “Survival”
The first episode is primarily about prehistory, rather than history. That is, it primarily discusses things before the advent of written records. I liked this episode overall, but some parts of it were a bit hard to swallow. For example, one sentence from this first episode seems to imply that some parts of prehistory were basically a “utopia,” almost like the Bible’s “Garden of Eden.” But I find this claim a little hard to believe. Some of Marr’s anthropological sources might fervently believe this, but there are dangers in relying too much on cultural anthropology, the fountain of many a modern fairy tale. Andrew Marr also says (correctly) that we have long confronted the challenges of “nature.” This part is certainly true, and I have no arguments there. But Mr. Marr also argues that, as we have come together into societies, we’ve been forced to confront the challenges of human nature as well. However, to me, the brutalities of human nature seem to predate any form of society. That is, they seem hardly to be a unique feature of “civilization.” Anthropologists like to talk about peaceful peoples living in “simpler” societies, as they call them. They may be inspired by Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s romanticized “Discourse on Inequality.” But “simpler” societies (as they call them) are hardly free from violence, even when left alone, and even if Andrew Marr’s sources would like to believe that they are. Thus, the first episode is sometimes compromised by anthropological nonsense (including Rousseauian nonsense), which remains somewhat contrived to this day. Nonetheless, I should acknowledge that many other parts of this episode are actually quite good. These good parts include their discussion of the invention of agriculture. This may be the greatest innovation in all of human history – or prehistory, depending on where you put it on the timeline. Andrew Marr also argues, as some have of late, that writing was invented by the Ancient Egyptians, rather than by the Sumerians. This is a real possibility, but the jury still seems to be out on this one. I wouldn’t be surprised if, one day, we return to the Sumerians being the inventors of writing. Incidentally, I should clarify that neither one of these societies is today considered to be “Western.” Thus, the politics may be somewhat less intrusive here, since non-Western cultures will still win out either way.
Ploughing with a yoke of horned cattle in Ancient Egypt
Episode 2: “Age of Empires”
Andrew Marr then covers the Assyrian Empire, the Persian Empire, and other great empires of the ancient world. He also covers the invention of the alphabet by the Phoenicians, with vowels being introduced later on by the Greeks. Andrew Marr also covers the writing of the Hebrew Bible, known to Christians as the “Old Testament.” This is his most important scene about Judaism. Mr. Marr then covers “Eastern” influences like the Gautama Buddha, and the Chinese philosopher Confucius. I was surprised that the birth of China’s Taoist religion was omitted here. I was even more surprised that they left out the birth of India’s Hindu religion, one of the largest religions in the world. From the West, though, Marr covers the rise of democracy in Athens, and the Greco-Persian Wars recorded by Herodotus. I was surprised that Mr. Marr omitted the dismantling of Greek democracy by the Spartans, in the infamous Peloponnesian War – as recorded by Thucydides. However, Mr. Marr did cover the massive conquests of Alexander the Great, which had great international importance. These created the largest empire that the world had ever seen. Mr. Marr also covers the trial of Socrates, one of the most important moments in all of world history. However, Mr. Marr then makes a misleading statement that Socrates was criticizing Athenian “democracy.” It’s true that Socrates was criticizing Athenian government, but he was not criticizing its democratic “form” of government, as this comment would seem (erroneously) to imply. Nonetheless, I would actually agree with a thesis that seems to be implied in this great episode. That is, one of the most important legacies of the ancient world seems to be ideas – and, particularly, religious ideas. With the exception of Islam, all of the world’s major religions, Western and otherwise, are of very ancient origin. Islam is of medieval origin, which is an important exception. Thus, nearly all of these traditions begin very early on – and even Islam has been around for quite a while now.
1665 painting of Alexander the Great’s entrance into Babylon in the 4th century BC
Episode 3: “The Word and the Sword”
The third episode begins by discussing the Mauryan dynasty in India, and the Qin dynasty in China. Andrew Marr also discusses the famous Library of Alexandria, and the liaison between Cleopatra of Egypt and Julius Caesar. On the Roman side, he also discusses the assassination of Julius Caesar, and the fall of Cleopatra in Rome’s resulting civil war. I was surprised that there was only a passing mention of the Roman Republic. Even the Roman Empire is only covered somewhat briefly. But the most interesting choice is that they cover the missionary work of Paul the Apostle, but do not cover the life of Jesus Christ himself. By the end of this “Paul” scene, Mr. Marr’s status as an unbeliever becomes clear – to either your pleasure or your pain. Regardless, Mr. Marr soon discusses the martyrdom of Perpetua in Carthage, and Constantine’s decision to convert to Christianity. Constantine helped to convert the Roman Empire along with him, making it a major political force from then on. In this film’s first foray into a topic from the Americas, Mr. Marr then discusses the Nazca in South America. Marr argues that they caused environmental destruction, an interesting argument for a left-winger to make about a non-Western people – particularly one with the kind of economy romanticized earlier as a “simpler” economy. Interestingly, Mr. Marr similarly omits the life of the Prophet Muhammad, but discusses the later persecution of his disciple Bilal. Mr. Marr also discusses the great Arab conquests of the seventh century. These helped to spread Islam to the Middle East and North Africa, which remain the Muslim heartland today. In this century, Islam went as far away as Spain. This would become important in later centuries.
The baptism of Emperor Constantine, as imagined by students of Raphael
Episode 4: “Into the Light”
Mr. Marr then begins the fourth episode by discussing the Vikings. He notes the geographic extent of their conquests, making their way into Iceland and Greenland. Indeed, Mr. Marr even notes how the Vikings made it as far west as North America. Andrew Marr particularly focuses on how the Vikings influenced the Russians. Indeed, the very name “Russia” may come from a Norse word “Rus,” meaning “the men who row.” Mr. Marr also mentions the conversion of Russia’s “Vladimir the Great” to Orthodox Christianity. Many Eastern European countries would soon join them on this path. Mr. Marr then goes into the Islamic Golden Age, with some major innovations in science and mathematics (including algebra). But the part of the episode from which I learned the most … was actually their section on Genghis Khan. The Mongol Empire challenged both the Chinese to their east, and the Muslims to their west. At its peak, their empire almost stretched as far west as Vienna. When the Silk Road opened to the West, Marco Polo was then able to travel as far eastward as China. But this new international network had some downsides, as the Black Death traveled from the Mongolian Steppes to hit Christian Europe. The Black Death was a more worldwide pandemic than most people have realized. I also enjoyed a scene about Mansa Musa, a great ruler from Mali. Mansa Musa represents one of this series’ first forays into the written history of Sub-Saharan Africa. Before then, they had only discussed the history of North Africa, in both its Roman and Muslim periods. The Crusades are briefly mentioned in this episode, but are not developed in much detail. However, another major event for both East and West … was the fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Turks. This basically destroyed the Byzantine Empire, and is sometimes held to have ended the Middle Ages themselves. The last part of the episode then discusses the Italian Renaissance. This includes a scene about a famous painting by Leonardo da Vinci.
Genghis Khan, one of the greatest conquerors in history
Sultan Mehmed II’s entry into Constantinople in 1453
Episode 5: “Age of Plunder”
The fifth episode begins by discussing the voyages of Christopher Columbus. Columbus reached the Caribbean islands in the Americas by 1492, at what is now the Bahamas. Mr. Marr then goes into the Spanish Conquistadors, starting with Hernán Cortés conquering the Aztec Empire in Central America. A later scene discusses Francisco Pizarro conquering the Inca Empire in South America. Mr. Marr then briefly discusses Martin Luther, and the Protestant Reformation that followed. There were soon some major wars of religion in Europe. I learned a few things from a segment on “Ivan the Terrible” in Russia, and his conquest of Siberia. I was previously ignorant about the major role of the fur trade there. Mr. Marr then mentions how many in Japan were converting to Catholicism. He briefly mentions Japan’s opening to the West, under the Tokugawa dynasty. Later on, the Japanese would slaughter the local Catholic converts, and then close off Japan to the outside. But Mr. Marr then makes some erroneous statements. Specifically, he argues that there was now a sort of “idyllic” period in Japan, to paraphrase what he said there. Marr even argues that it was without guns and without violence. But PBS’s film about the Tokugawa would seem to suggest otherwise. This was actually a time of great infighting, among the local Japanese tribes. Those tribes that were earlier in getting into the European musket trade … were then able to dominate the others, through the use of these imported muskets. Eventually, the Japanese home islands were militarily unified by force, and then ruled from the city of Edo. Edo is an older name for what we now call “Tokyo.” Mr. Marr then discusses the battles between the English and the Dutch, in the distant island of Run. The English soon lost the island of Run to the Dutch, but the Dutch likewise lost the island of Manhattan to the English. This is the heart of what is today “New York City.” Mr. Marr also discusses Europe’s tulip craze, an early example of a temporary economic bubble. And, finally, Andrew Marr discusses the rise of free-market capitalism, in what is today the Netherlands. This was the heyday of Holland, and the Dutch colonial empire.
Confrontation between the Spanish Conquistadors and the Inca Empire – Peru, 1532
Episode 6: “Revolution”
The sixth episode begins by discussing Galileo. Galileo soon popularized Copernicus’s Sun-centered theory of the universe. But Galileo then created a political uproar, and got into some trouble with the Inquisition – spending the later part of his life under house arrest. Thus, Marr mentions that the Enlightenment now went north, with a passing mention of Sir Isaac Newton in England. Mr. Marr then discusses the creation of the Taj Mahal in Mughal India, and the reign there of Aurangzeb. But the very local tyranny was soon replaced by that of the “British East India Company.” This was a private corporation, with political and military power. Mr. Marr then discusses the legacy of liberty in the British Isles, which involved some real and genuine progress there. This included the creation of the Parliament with the Magna Carta, back in the Middle Ages. But Britain’s American colonies were not represented in this Parliament. Thus, in the eighteenth century, this led to the “Boston Tea Party” in America – and, eventually, to its Declaration of Independence. I was surprised by how well Andrew Marr covered the American Revolution that followed. He actually seems more sympathetic to it than some British commentators have been. There are brief (but indirect) references to the United States Constitution. The Revolution had been financed … largely by the French king Louis the Sixteenth. But Louis, along with his unpopular wife Marie Antoinette, were soon executed in another revolution that was much closer to home. Mr. Marr covers the ideals of the early French Revolution, and how they would soon be lost in an infamous wave of mob violence. Soon, France returned to having a ruler with absolute power. Specifically, Napoleon Bonaparte seized power in a coup d’état there. There is passing mention of the French Enlightenment, with names like Voltaire. But this series omits the Scottish Enlightenment, with names like Adam Smith. Around that time, Britain was also creating an overseas penal colony in Australia. This was much to the horror of the local Aborigines there. This is the series’ first reference to Australia … since the prehistory that Marr had discussed back in his first episode. Andrew Marr then briefly discusses the (infamous) Atlantic slave trade, and the “Haitian Revolution” against it. I was surprised, though, that Marr omitted how Haiti was compelled to pay postwar indemnities to the French, after Haiti had officially gained independence from France. Regardless, this episode ends with the development of the smallpox vaccine by Edward Jenner. This was an important development for the medical science that followed. But I was surprised that Mr. Marr omitted the Latin American wars of independence. This was one of the most important ripple effects from the Napoleonic Wars, and a major moment in world history.
A linen market with enslaved Africans in the West Indies, circa 1780
Episode 7: “Age of Industry”
The seventh episode begins by discussing the Industrial Revolution, particularly the development of both steam power and the railroads. Thus, I was surprised that Andrew Marr omitted the role of electricity, in both the science and the industry of the era. But I was glad that Mr. Marr covered Britain’s “Opium Wars” with China. This was a subject about which I had previously heard, but about which I had previously known little. Marr argues that the Opium Wars opened China to the outside world, and there is probably some truth in this. Mr. Marr also discusses the Crimean War, and Russia’s emancipation of the local serfs. I admit this to be another topic, about which I had previously known little. But, when Andrew Marr discusses the American Civil War, he gets a number of things wrong. Most importantly, Marr argues that slavery was (sadly) an “efficient” economic system. But, as Adam Smith had previously argued, slavery was bad even on economic grounds, and was extremely inefficient. This would have been a perfect opportunity to attack the economics of slavery, and how it held the South back – even the White South. But that opportunity, sadly, is wasted here. Mr. Marr also argues that Abraham Lincoln “declared war on the South” – when, in fact, the South actually fired the first shots of the war at Fort Sumter. Besides that, wars in the United States are declared by Congress, not by any president. But there are still other problems with his narrative. For example, Mr. Marr misinterprets Abraham Lincoln’s motives for the Emancipation Proclamation. He argues that, for Lincoln, the Proclamation was just a way of “destroying the South’s manpower” (or words to that effect). It’s true that this may indeed have played some role, but the biggest reason was something else. Namely, Lincoln wanted to keep the British from militarily intervening on the side of the Confederacy. (More about that here.) More to the point, it also coincided with Lincoln’s abolitionist feelings, and was agreeable to him personally. When Andrew Marr discusses Lincoln’s assassination, he also argues that this was a “final act of violence” by the South. But, in fact, there would be many other such acts during the Reconstruction period that soon followed it. Marr mentions subsequent problems for African Americans, but omits the considerable violence of the Reconstruction period. Omitting this violence would have been fine, if Marr had not argued that Lincoln’s murder was a “final act of violence” by the South. Thus, I conclude that Mr. Marr should have studied the American Civil War a little more carefully than he did.
The British take Beijing, in the Second Opium War – China, 1860
Marr repeats his earlier mistakes about a 200-year period of “peace” in Japan, which was actually characterized by serious infighting among the Japanese tribes. Again, this general period was also when Japan was militarily unified by force. But, regardless, Mr. Marr talks about the arrival of Commodore Perry’s “Black Ships,” a group of American ships that arrived in Japanese waters. They soon forced Japan to open to the outside. Marr also talks about a samurai rebellion in Japan, and the modernization of Japan in the Meiji Restoration (although that name is not used here). Surprisingly, Marr leaves out the Indian rebellion against British rule in the 1850s. This was a major moment in world history. There is some mention of Henry Morton Stanley’s exploration of the Congo, of which I had previously been unaware. Thankfully, Mr. Marr then mentions the European “Scramble for Africa,” with a special focus on the atrocities committed in the Belgian Congo. Many would be surprised to learn this, but the Belgians were actually the most brutal colonizer on the African continent – even more brutal than Germany. Thus, I congratulate Marr for covering these infamous atrocities as he does here. Mr. Marr then talks about the outbreak of the First World War in Europe. President Woodrow Wilson was then trying to keep America out of the war. An important mistake comes when Andrew Marr says that the Germans started “unrestricted submarine warfare” in 1917. In fact, they were only resuming this policy, which the Germans had actually “started” much earlier in the war. The policy was temporarily withdrawn after the 1915 sinking of the Lusitania. But, again, it was resumed in 1917, later in the war. Nonetheless, I appreciated hearing Marr’s discussion of the Zimmermann Telegram, when Germany tried to get the United States embroiled in a war with Mexico. But, unfortunately for the Germans, this telegram was soon intercepted by British Intelligence, and then handed over to the Americans. This played a major role in getting the United States into the bloodbath. Mr. Marr then briefly mentions the war’s revolutions in Ireland and the Middle East. But I was surprised that, in a documentary so focused on world history, there was so little coverage of the war’s fighting in the Middle East. More specifically, this was the era of Lawrence of Arabia, and the great Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Turks. The Middle East would soon be partitioned in the Treaty of Versailles, and in other peace treaties that soon followed it. Thus, I would have thought that Mr. Marr would want to mention this here. But, surprisingly, he doesn’t. For me, though, the most surprising omission of the episode … was any mention of Karl Marx. This would have fit perfectly well into an episode that was largely focused on the Industrial Revolution. After all, Marxism was a reaction against the Industrial Revolution, albeit a misguided one. But the episode did mention Russia’s communist revolution of 1917, and develops this in some detail. Thus, there is some coverage of the rise of communism, and its sad importance for world history.
Congolese men showing that their hands have been cut off – Belgian Congo, 1904
Episode 8: “Age of Extremes”
The eighth and final episode begins with some surprisingly detailed coverage of Adolf Hitler’s rise to power, in what would become “Nazi Germany.” Obviously, this was one of the darkest parts of the entire twentieth century, which is saying something. Regarding the Western democracies, there is brief mention of women’s suffrage, followed by some commentary on other “women’s issues.” Specifically, Marr talks about abortion clinics, and the development of the birth control pill. This is an important topic, but he is clearly coming from a left-wing perspective in his approach here. Mr. Marr also discusses the efforts of Mahatma Gandhi, to bring independence to British India. Mr. Marr also discusses the Holocaust, with brief mentions of prior Soviet crimes like the Great Purges. There is some brief discussion of the Second World War as a whole, but not much – even to discuss the death of Hitler. But Andrew Marr does discuss the dropping of the atomic bombs, at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Mr. Marr rightly argues that these weapons ended the war, and further argues (also correctly) that they introduced some new dangers in the coming Cold War. I was surprised that this series omitted the Cuban Missile Crisis, a crucial moment in world history. At the time that I write this, this remains the closest that the world has ever come to a nuclear war. Marr also discusses the economic expansion in the Western world during this period. Strangely, Marr actually leaves out the 1949 communist revolution in China. However, he does mention Mao’s so-called “Cultural Revolution,” and the Great Chinese Famine caused by the so-called “Great Leap Forward” (although that latter term is not used here). Marr also discusses the death of Chairman Mao, and the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. Marr mentions how chess champion Garry Kasparov was defeated by a great IBM supercomputer. This is an indirect reference to the digital revolution, as computers became ubiquitous in world society. He mentions the Ayoreo tribe’s encounter with the outside world in 1998, and environmental issues in Brazil. Sadly, the quality of many epic documentaries becomes compromised by political bias in their final episodes. But, thankfully, Marr manages to avoid this common pattern here, since this last episode is actually quite good. Thus, I would like to thank him for avoiding unnecessary soapboxing here, and staying focused on the history itself.
Mahatma Gandhi leading the famous 1930 Salt March – India, 1930
Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki – Japan, 1945
Concluding thoughts
Like many of you, I took a world history class in high school, which was one year long. Thus, I’m sure that my class’s lectures were more in-depth than any eight-hour series. They certainly beat the BBC for detail. Therefore, I suppose that the main advantage of this series is in its lavish re-enactments. They are done in a way that doesn’t distract from the story, but only adds to its entertainment value. As mentioned earlier, one would have to turn to other documentaries, to get in-depth coverage of more specific historical topics. One could not possibly cover “everything” in any eight-hour “History of the World.” Indeed, that is the primary disadvantage of doing a “History of the World” in the first place, no matter how good its approach might be. But, again, this kind of a survey helps you to make connections between different times and places. That is the primary advantage to undertaking a “History of the World.” Specifically, it helps you to see some of the broad sweep of history, and some of the broader patterns of international relations. Thus, this was probably as good an introduction to world history … as anything that has ever yet been made for television. If you feel like you never really got the big picture in high school, or just feel like you need a refresher, this might be a great series to examine. Or, if you feel like your knowledge of certain historical topics seems great, while that of others may be lacking, this might help to fill in some of the gaps – making some connections to what you already know. I have offered my criticisms of this series wherever they seemed appropriate here. But, overall, I found this series to be excellent, and would highly recommend it to others. As much as anything else, it’s just very entertaining, and may belong on your shelf if you’re a history buff. And who better than the BBC, to dramatize this immensely broad topic for television?
Footnote to this blog post:
For my American readers, I should note that this program is only available in a Region 2 format. Thus, most North American DVD players will be unable to play it. I would be remiss as a reviewer, if I did not note this for my readers.
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