User reviews

Ignore the fella who claimed this series was sacrificed on the altar of political correctness. I learned a great deal about the differences between monks and friars and how the decline of monastic order contributed to the suppression and the dissolution of the monasteries. As usual with any Dr.Janina Ramirez documentary, the series in entertaining as well as educational.

It is sort of OK, quite enjoyable to watch, but after a while you notice that there are almost no male participants. Now if the study of the early Christian church in the UK was dominated by women, that might be just about alright, but its not. Many of the most important authorities on the subject are men, but their contribution is not included. This is common nowadays with any BBC documentary that is not pure science.

This on its own is enough to make it clear the series is more of a political vehicle than a work of scholarship. When a distortion like like this is so obvious, you then have to ask yourself, what else have they twisted? Not being an expert on the subject I cannot say, it may be accurate, or it may be complete bunk. It certainly can't be trusted, it cannot be treated as educational.

A small point, when Dr Ramirez is speaking to camera she is fine, and interesting, but when she is doing a voice over she adopts this soupy 'reading a story to a 4 year old' style. All the BBC's women documentary presenters do this now. I wonder who on earth thinks it's a good idea.

Good lord, what historian could possibly provide so much information with so little accuracy. Why is she talking about Britain, which didn't exist? Still doesn't really. With a passing mention of the island of Iona and no references to Northern Ireland, I would sincerely wish this "historian" actually get a geography lesson. It might make her presentations more tolerable as several million Scottish and Irish viewers simply wince through this English and anglo centric view. Call it what it is - England - or is she ashamed or embarrassed to call it England? None of the Kings she mentioned were Kings of Scotland and all the abbeys and monasteries she talks about are...English. Please for the sake of historians try just a little bit to be historically accurate and not such BBC propaganda for a false Britain. King David I of SCOTLAND founded the great border abbeys of Melrose (where Bruce's heart resides), Jedburgh, Kelso etc etc and not even a mention ...shameful. Might have mentioned the various English Kings that despoiled Scottish abbeys from the 12th century forward....