|  | Director: Jeremy Jeff
Actor: Michael Wood (Writer & Presenter)
Studio: PBS (DIRECT)
List Price: $34.99
Buy New: $15.60
as of 11/25/2009 01:01 CST details
You Save: $19.39 (55%)
New (29) Used (3) Collectible (1) from $15.60
Seller: Miami Merchandise
Rating:  30 reviews
Sales Rank: 2226
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Number Of Discs: 2
Running Time: 360 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.4
MPN: PBSDSIND600D
UPC: 841887010160
EAN: 0841887010160
ASIN: B001MYIPYQ
Theatrical Release Date: 2007
Release Date: March 10, 2009
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: This item is brand new and factory sealed. All DVDs are shipped through the post office via Media Mail which takes 4-21 business days. If you need the item faster please choose expedited shipping, if available, which is guaranteed 2-6 business days. International shipping takes 2-6 weeks for delivery. All other items are shipped out via UPS or parcel post 7-10 business days for delivery. We insure all items at no additional cost to you. All items are in stock at the time they are listed. In the rare occasion that an item is out of stock, we will immediately send you an e-mail letting you know when you will receive your item or offer you a full refund. We have a 30 day money back guarantee. Please allow us 24 hours to answer your e-mails. IF YOU FEEL THAT YOU HAVE TO LEAVE NEGATIVE FEEDBACK PLEASE CONTACT US PRIOR TO DOING SO AND WE WILL MAKE IT RIGHT!!!! We thank you for your business.
|
| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 21-25 of 30
 Unbelievable Depth! February 10, 2009
Gita
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Words cannot describe how amazing this movie is, especially the depth and detail of material that it covers. It is definitely something that is worth watching. The photography is amazing and the topics are segmented nicely, so you can watch it a little at a time. It is the best documentary on India yet. We've had several members from my website [...](an Indian cultural website) enjoy the movie as well. It is good for people whose heritage is Indian, and those whose heritage is not.
 Excellent work, a must see. February 9, 2009
Dr. Bhupinder Singh (Australia)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
I think michael wood has done an excellent job on a subject that is complex, multifaceted and in many ways impossible to capture in its entirety. Indian history, apart from being more than 5000 years old, is non-linear, with plenty of diverse history happening simultaneously at a million places in the subcontinent. The documentary gives a good concise account for novices as well as for serious history buffs. To get an idea of the documentary's usefulness, let's ask the question: how many indians, or non-indians of that matter, have an idea about the time period of the mauryas, the guptas, the sultans, and the mughals etc, or how the british rule changed in 1857. You will need to see it a few times to absorb many fine points of history. That many important historical figures were overlooked by mr wood, is not un-expected due to the shear immensity of the task. But to be fair to mr wood, I think he deserves credit for a job well done. As an amature historian, I do not judge it as a "complete" work by any yard stick, but I found plenty of positives in this documentary. I strongly recommend that you go and see it.
 Just Pretty pictures! Nothing Else. (It's a sugar coated attempt at rewriting Indian History..) February 1, 2009
AM (Baltimore, MD)
28 out of 43 found this review helpful
I would rate this -10 if possible! It's full of pretty photography a la NGC and stupid interviews of street vendors and equally ignorant, half-knowing people. It's full of personal impressions and gives very little of factual information. less than what could fit in a 30min documentary.
This so called "Documentary" is spectacularly superficial. Hides millions of atrocities that the British caused in south Asia (for example financial frauds with kings, cheatings, forceful conversions by the so called "fathers").
More Surprisingly Mr. Wood does not mention one single freedom fighter from India apart from Gandhi, Nehru and Jinnah!! No Phule, No Gokhale, No Tilak. No Ambedkar. No Netaji. No Azad. No Bhagatsingh, No Lajpat Ray, No Savarkar!!
It completely neglects the important overseas connections of the freedom struggle - like the Gadar party in USA. It neglects role of social reformist movements like Raja Rammohan Roy, Brahmo Samaj, Vidyasagar, Agarkar, Vivekananda, M N Roy and does not even a passing mention Ravindranath Tagore - the first Indian Nobel prize winner and his role in educating Indians.
It does not even mention the role Indians played in First and Second world war.
But very "cutely" it showcases a very "adorable" old historian - whose ancestors worked for British and (hence??) he justifies the British raj in one sentence saying the British gave India its geographical unity!
Thank God, it does not show that the British built the Himalayas for the sake of poor Indians and brought Monsoon with them!
In a very sugar-coated way, the director, claims to love Indian root culture and completely bypasses the large portions of history. Is BBC bent on re-writing Indian history?
Earlier episode 5, completely neglects the Maratha Empire, the Rajput fighters, the Sikh Rebels and Tipu, and the last Mughal emperor who was cheated and forcefully exiled.
It mentions Rani Lakshmibai as "Rani Jhansi" (as if her name was Jhansi!) and cleverly hides what happened to her! (Lord Dalhousie annexed her kingdom with a fraudulent claim saying her adopted son cannot be a heir!)
...and hundreds of other kingdoms that were completely eaten up forcefully by the so called "Queen".
British - barring some glaring exceptions - never treated Indians as even a civilization - forget the vast achievements in literally every field of human activity.
...as for the "united" geographical map, it is torn in three pieces courtesy British. Two of those will perhaps never reconcile and both have already gained Nuclear powers!
Some other examples of British "looting" were the Koh-E-Noor and many historically important pieces and jewelry that lie in London's museums and the reduction in India's share in the World Trade ~23% before British (largest in the world) to less than 1%, the vast number of forceful conversions ! No mention of any of these? I wonder why...
The BBC is trying to completely shrug off the burden of historic blunders that the British people have made, but the world knows better and more than a one hour documentary spanning 200 years of "British efforts of building a united India" as the episodes try to portray!
The Wonder That Is India January 28, 2009
MKM (Bronxville, NY USA)
24 out of 24 found this review helpful
I must disclose two items - I am a big fan of Michael Wood and I am of Indian descent. I don't believe either of these color my review but both were my reasons for watching. Michael Wood is to History what Carl Sagan was to Science and Cosmology. His passion and interest in the subject matter may be viewed as overdone by some but I see it as sincere and therefore brings out the same in the audience. He is able to bring the story of 5000 years to life without leaving the present which is quite an accomplishment that has both to do with the filmmakers and India as both country and people.
The program was beautifully filmed and captures the voices of more than just the conventional academics that provide the commentary in many historical documentaries. The episodes on Asoka and Buddha are my favorites but all were easy to watch and taught me some or much that I had not already known. Some critics will call Wood's perspective as viewed through rose colored glasses. I would agree but I think that is by design and not meant to minimize much tragedy and depravity that has also occurred during the 5000 years. There are plenty of other resources that can provide that perspective.
Very well done, it's a hit January 18, 2009
Sam (New York, USA)
4 out of 8 found this review helpful
I have not seen the episodes on TV yet as it is still being broad casted. There is an extensive website that accompanies this series at PBS, you can spend hours on it, there is a narrative, video clips that can be played thru out the website, and there are lots and lots of beautiful photographs
at http://www.pbs.org/thestoryofindia/
Mr.Woods did an excellent job in presenting India, you can tell he is passionate about India. However, to be politically correct he held back the Islamic invaders brutality, destruction of beautiful temples that took generations to build; it has been said that some where around 80 million Hindus and many Buddhists were massacred during these invasions in the name of religion, largest genocide in human history. Interestingly when it came to British invasion he was more open, and he was critical of British raj.
One should not consider every thing in this series to be 100% accurate, it would be difficult to be 100% accurate going back tens of thousands of years and especially with such a complex culture, enormous amount of ancient literature, diversity, and with the great depth and breadth in every thing; it would take a lifetime to know India, the real soul of India. The time lines are off, India has a long history; perhaps at least 10,000 years are accountable. India may be the oldest civilization on earth, contrary to the belief that first civilization started in Iraq and the biblical version, especially with the discovery of new sites in India.
Prejudiced English version of Indian ancient history that was written during their occupation of India desperately needs to be revised by unbiased scholars. This show still relies on old English theories that Sanskrit is not native to India and Aryans are foreigners who came to India either as invaders or as immigrants.
It should have considered new theories also that Aryans are natives of Indian subcontinent and surrounding countries, and northern Indians migrated towards Europe thousands of years ago and became present day Europeans, with them they carried language, arts, sciences; this is the reason why the root of Indo European languages is same, probably Sanskrit. To be fair at the opening Mr.Woods does say that all non Africans can trace their descent to early inhabitants of India and indeed it is "Mother India". However, he still relies to some extent on old English Euro centric views. Mr.Woods research should have also considered seriously ancient books of India, there is enormous amount of ancient human history in these books.
I am definitely considering buying this DVD, beautiful photography, well narrated, you feel like you are on another planet not on earth; watching this show is a good way to sample different regions of India, distant pasts, enormous diversity, an eye opener. Don't forget to explore the website, it has a wealth of information especially for students who want to do research papers.
Showing reviews 21-25 of 30
|
|
|
