“We see death coming into our midst like foul smoke. A plague, which cuts off the young. A rootless phantom which has no mercy.” The Black Death as described by 14th c. Welsh poet Jeuan Gethin. This was the bubonic plague and likely the earliest recorded pandemic. Simon Schama tracks King Death's journey west and its shattering effects on these islands; a dark period in classic series A History of Britain - all episodes on BBC iPlayer | bbc.in/3XTSFU | BBC Arts

Orkney's Skara Brae is Europe's best-preserved Neolithic village. A ferocious storm revealed a 5,000-year-old community of stone houses replete with luxuries and necessities: “they were built by people who had culture, who had style.” It's the perfect site for Beginnings, the first episode in Simon Schama's epic series A History of Britain. 15 hours of classic TV 📺 on BBC iPlayer | bit.ly/3GFjrZw | BBC Arts

Why 1066 mattered. Simon Schama says, "There are times when history - even British history - comes at you with a rush. Violent, decisive, bloody". This is how William the Conqueror's 9-hour Battle of Hastings triumph changed England forever. 📺 The saga of blood, betrayal and ambition leading up to this pivotal battle is told in Conflicts, episode two in Simon's classic series A History of Britain. Watch all 15 episodes on BBC iPlayer https://bit.ly/3GFjrZw | BBC Arts