The Secret World of Gold

Who Needs Two Hours? A Novelty Concept Executed Well Geared Toward More Casual Viewers
With its bold promise and provocative title, the History Channel documentary "History of the World in Two Hours" has a lot to live up to. But seriously, anyone who thinks this will be a complete or comprehensive chronicle of almost 14 billion years is probably setting their expectations a little high. For one thing, as this aired on the History Channel with commercials--it actually boils down to 88 minutes from start to finish! Heck, who needs a full two hours? The title is a teaser, a novelty. This is a breezy and entertaining trip through history that starts with concepts related to the formation of earth and ends in contemporary society. In between, we hit certain highlights from the realms of chemistry, biology, astrophysics, paleontology, anthropology and history that help to overview key components that made life possible, sustainable, and able to evolve into its recognizable modern configuration. Certainly, this isn't an in-depth analysis of any one thing in particular, it's...

Wonderful Look at the Middle Ages
This was an amazing show! It was factual, engaging, beautiful to the eye, and a very quick 2 hours. I very much enjoyed that Loades didn't dress up in the various costumes for his presentation, but kept his clothes simple and understated, drawing far less attention to himself than his subject, allowing the viewer to see how history LOOKS. I also liked that he didn't dwell on the royalty and nobility, but got in and got his hands dirty with the ploughman and the castle masons. I have ALREADY recommended this video to many of my friends, and will continue to do so. It is an invaluable look at the high medieval period from all the various strata of society.

Mike Loades does it again!
As a medieval enthusiast, I'm well acquainted with Mike Loades' work. Once again he creates a program that is both informative and entertaining. Well suited for both the hard core medievalist and the average viewer, Going Medieval is worth your time.

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