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In Search Of Myths And Heroes
RRP: £19.99
Our Price: £12.15 (subject to change)
Editorial
Synopsis
Michael Wood explores four of the most famous myths in the world: Shangri-la, the Golden Fleece, the Queen of Sheba and the Holy Grail. His journeys take him to some of the most remote and exciting places on earth - from the fantastic landscapes of western Tibet to the mountains of Georgia and the Caucasus; and from the plains of southern Iraq to the coasts of Ethiopia, Yemwn and the Horn of Africa. The stories he reveals will also take in Greece and Turkey, India and Nepal, and the world of Celtic Britain and the west of Ireland. In his investigations Michael Wood delves into the past to separate fact from fiction, and to find out the historical truth.
About mountains and deserts.
Review date: 2008-07-30 Rating: 8 out of 10
With 'In search of the Trojan War'(another BBC DVD) Michael Wood made a thorough study of the age of heroes and legends. He tried to find historical facts only to end up with hypotheses.
The same goes for 'In Search of Myths and Heroes' but this time Wood seems to have lost his panache that took a hold on us in The Trojan war DVD.Of course his journey through the Himalayas, through frozen and barren landscapes are able to take a hold on us, but we keep asking:'Is this all there is?'.
His quest for hidden realms since long gone, treasures and objects give the impression that he lost the intellectual spirit to investigate as thoroughly as in the Trojan War. Is the queen of Sheba a historical person? Maybe.Does Shangri-La exist? Could be. Does the Grail exist? He does not answer but takes us to a place in England where they keep a tiny wooden cup and say to every visitor that this is The Holy Grail. No further comment. Yes this is all there is.(From the intellectual point of view.)
But the real value of 'In Search of Myths and Heroes' lies
in the fact that it is a very well directed documentary of several countries in the far East. In particular the hardship that Michael Wood and his companions have to suffer during their travel through icy cold mountain paths, make this DVD interesting enough for four stars.
Similar Products
- In Search Of The Trojan War [2004]
- In The Footsteps Of Alexander The Great
- The Story of India : Complete BBC Series
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Reviews
Fab!
Review date: 2008-02-01 Rating: 10 out of 10
This was great, Michael Wood made me sit in simple wonder at his glimpses into both the myths and the truths he found in his search.
Great viewing.
Surprisingly good documentaries with fascinating information
Review date: 2006-02-14 Rating: 10 out of 10
With subject matter and locations that beg discovery, these documentaries are full of fascinating stories, unknown facts and rarely seen locations. It would be very easy to fall foul of patronising or unimaginative handling of these legends but the scripts are carefully crafted works of art that take you on a rollercoaster journey of discovery.
These are must-see gems. You will be talking about them for weeks after viewing them. A nice break from the popcorn fluff of modern movie making.
The true story of four well known myths
Review date: 2005-09-15 Rating: 10 out of 10
There have been many documentaries about this subject, the truth behind myth, but this is probably the most entertaining as well as being one of the most accurate. The four myths investigated in this series are the Queen of Sheba; Shangri-la; Jason and the Golden Fleece and King Arthur. These myths are well known around the world and each one is retold while Michael Wood visits the locations mentioned to try to find the origin of such stories. The research that must have gone into making each episode is marvellous and there is little that I can fault in the explanations proposed. Probably the best episode in this series is the one about Shangri-la as this was the myth I know least about and the Michael Woods journey takes him through some stunning locations in the Himalayas and meeting some fascinating people. This series is a definite must see for anyone interested in mythology or history and where these two subjects meet.
Michael Wood--Still Paying the Cost to be the Boss
Review date: 2005-07-30 Rating: 10 out of 10
I have been a fan of Mr. Wood ever since his 1985 In Search of the Trojan War--the standard for all historical documentaries ever since. In this engaging series, Wood follows the same premise as his Trojan quest: to discover whether there is any historical truth behind famous legends. Like most of his series, his documentaries are not just history but travelogues mixed with modern history and politics. Each show is only one hour long and for the most part, none of the four episodes seemed rushed to get to a conclusion, except perhaps for the last episode on King Arthur (as a side note, Wood has gone over the Arthur myth before in his career and its retelling here once again makes this episode perhaps the weakest of the four). I was particularly satisfied that the historical facts he relates about Jason and the Argonauts and the Queen of Sheba are probably accurate inspirations for the tales. My one complaint was the brevity of the series--four hours. Surely there were no more myths to take on? Come on Michael--we were just getting started!
Product Details/Specifications
Actor(s):
Michael Wood
Creators:
Michael Wood (Primary Contributor)
Recording label: 2 Entertain Video
Manufacturer: 2 Entertain Video
EAN: 5014503168223
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: PAL,
Release date: 2005-04-18
Audience rating: Exempt
Region code: 2
Running time: 220 minutes
Language: English (Original Language)