Author:Hugh Cunningham,Michael Morpurgo,Full Cast
Written by Hugh Cunningham and presented by award-winning children's author Michael Morpurgo, this genuinely ground-breaking history of British childhood teaches us about the key elements that have shaped children's lives. The Invention of Childhood explores how gender, geography and ethnicity has impacted the development of children throughout the ages. Beginning from the year 1000, Cunningham studies the many important events in history for our children, ranging from Britain's earliest child-care guru in the Middle Ages to the first ever Foundling Hospital in the 18th Century. This hugely enjoyable piece of teaching that delves into the idea of how childhood has been constantly reinvented through the centuries, and why the role of children in society continues to obsess us today.
Fascinating and thought-provoking, it will appeal to parents, grandparents and anyone who has ever been a child themselves.
A touchstone in the 20th century's thinking about morality and politics
—— The New York TimesQuite astonishing . . . her indictment of Eichmann reached beyond the man to the historical world in which true thinking was vanishing
—— Judith ButlerDeals with the greatest problem of our time . . . the problem of the human being within a modern totalitarian system
—— The New RepublicPeter Marshall's excellent biography portrays the Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II as a pivotal figure in the transition from the medieval worldview to our modern scientific outlook... Marshall succeeds brilliantly in capturing both the spirit of the age in which Rudolf lived and the complex character of the man he describes as "one of the last magi"
—— P.D. Smith , GuardianYou could do a lot worse than to pack this book in your suitcase when you're visiting the city. His lucid prose and clear exposition will help you to decipher a good bit of Prague's labyrinth, and to explain in part why the capital of one of the less important European countries is one of the great cities of the world
—— Justin Quinn , Irish TimesThe pleasure of this book for me, in addition to such stimulating details, is that the Holy Roman Empire on the cusp of the 17th century is terra incognita, to be approached with a fresh eye... Rudoph's tolerance deserves a wider audience in our fractious age
—— Chris Frew , Scotland on SundayA very readable history... Marshall rightly argues, as an enabler of scientific, artistic and mystical insight, Rudolf has no peer
—— Gary Lachman , Independent on SundayIt was a magical moment in the history of Western civilization, when anything was possible. Mr Marshall brings it all wonderfully to life
—— Stuart Ferguson , Wall Street JournalAn entertaining description of life at the heart of a Europe stained by the clash of new and old ideas... an enjoyable description of what was an extraordinary epoch
—— Greg Neale , BBC History MagazineAn insightful and perceptive record of a city that revolutionised culture and science
—— PredictionFascinating
—— David V Barrett , Independent