Art and life in the middle ages: the Luttrell psalter
The illuminated psalm book of Sir Geoffrey Luttrell is a priceless treasure, containing beautiful calligraphy and extremely fine illustrations. Packed with scenes from the Bible and from everyday life - plus all manner of creatures, including bizarr...
Too close to heaven: the history of gospel music. Pt. 3 of 3
Deeply rooted in African rhythms, the first gospel music, as sung on southern plantations, expressed the collective sorrow of American slaves, and the history of their diaspora. Using narration and thrilling performance footage, these programs trace...
The Meiji period (1868-1912)
The arrival of Commodore Perry in 1854 marked the stage for Japan's dramatic leap from the Middle Ages into modernity. The ports of Japan were forced open; the English, French, Russians, and Dutch promptly demanded-and got-the same privileges. In 18...
Magazine industry
This program examines the evolution of the magazine industry over the course of the 20th century. General-interest magazines like Life and Look once provided a national forum that helped Americans explore their common interests. After World War II, ...
D-Day revisited
On D-Day, Allied troops stormed ashore at Normandy under withering fire. The stakes were high - and so were the losses. This special episode of Bill Moyers Journal accompanies a small group of World War II veterans back to the beachheads and battlef...
Egyptology: Tutankhamun's tomb and the Rosetta Stone
When Howard Carter entered the long-sought tomb of Tutankhamun, it did not take him long to confirm that it was indeed the final resting place of the legendary Boy King. But his knowledge of hieroglyphics had only been made possible by the enigmatic...
Tarteso, el reino legendario de Argantonio
The history of Tartessos, the first great mining economy of Iberia, is also a story of prosperity - and ruin. This program makes extensive use of dramatizations, images of artifacts, footage of ruins, maps, and 3-D re-creations of ships and building...
Risky business: insuring against the future
Life is risky - which is why people buy insurance. But when disaster overwhelms conventional insurance systems, should the state step in? In this program, economics expert Niall Ferguson travels to post-Katrina New Orleans to evaluate the free marke...
Peasants, serfs, and servitude
During the Middle Ages, most of Europe's inhabitants were illiterate and lived in the shadow of the wealthy; knowledge of peasant culture is therefore limited. This program addresses the historical lack of firsthand written materials, viewing serfs ...
A history of Hispanic achievement in America: Spain comes to the new world
Hispanic Achievement and Latino Achievement are presented in this first program on Hispanic Heroes and Colonial History spanning 1492-1538. In this series, eight half-hour shows chronicle the story of Hispanic Americans and their culture, their ach...