Michael Wood's group

[Vasilina]

Hello everybody! I'm new here and must say I like these site and forum a lot. I've been interested in Alexander's story since I watched 'In the footsteps of Alexander the Great' by Michael Wood. I was absolutely fascinated by Michael's enthusiasm and talent. All of you who admire Michael and history, I invite you to join http://groups.yahoo.com/group/michael_wood where you'll find photos and other materials. I hope you'll do this.ThanksVasilinaPS. Sorry for my English. I'm a student of history faculty from Moscow.

[beausefaless]

Welcome,There's always room for criticism but I must respect Wood for his effort, It's so difficult to present a study on a person that did so much in such a short period of a lifetime.All the best

[jason_xander2000]

There are a lot of people in the forum who seem to like Michael Wood and his programe.However I would like to point out Mr Wood dont say anything constructive or positive about Alexander himself.Not in his book either,if any members can find anything complomentary that he says please let me know.RegardsJason

[neneh]

I watched Michael Wood's series on Alexander, and although I found it (as far as my knowledge on the subject goes) not always historically accurate, I enjoyed watching it because 1) I do like Michael Wood and I like his enthusiasm for the subjects he choose (this enthusiasm is shown again in the series he made about Shakespeare), and 2) for someone who has never had the opportunity to travel in Alexander's footsteps it provided some really interesting geographical information. To see what Alexander must have seen, even if it's only through a television screen, was quite enjoyable.So, I suppose I'm guilty of being a bit of a Michael Wood fan. :-)All the best,Neneh

[marcus]

Hi Neneh,One of the difficulties with the Wood programme, I think, was that they weren't clear whether they were making a travel programme or a history programme. If it was a history programme then there was not quite the focus on accuracy, as you say - although one would argue that you can't do that in a TV programme so well, anyway.As a travel programme it was superb - not least because of the time Wood spent finding out how the locals in various countries felt about Alexander. That in itself might have contributed to a dilution of historicity, but made the programme no less valid.One quick point, nothing to do with your post... in one of the reviews of the book of the programme, I noticed that someone was fulminating against Wood as a journalist. This is inaccurate - he is a bona fide historian. Admittedly he's a medievalist rather than an ancient historian, but he's still a historian.All the bestMarcus

[neneh]

I think you're right, Marcus. I'm certainly thinking of Michael Wood's "In the footsteps /.../" as a travel programme, and I thought he put more energy into showing the people who live in these areas today rather than giving an accurate picture of the historical Alexander (then again one could argue that no one would be able to present a "historical Alexander" that would be accepted by everyone).
I also agree that he's a brilliant journalist.The book about the programme wasn't too impressive, although if you look at it as a kind of travel journal it's as good as anything (and the pictures are nice too... .All the best,Neneh

[marcus]

Hi Neneh,To be honest, I only bought the book for the photos. I didn't think there was any great value in the text (although I've slightly revised my opinion now that I read it as a travel book). The pictures are fabulous, and they make me soooooooo want to go to some of those places, too.(I found an excellent Iranian tour with a travel company a little while ago, which does all the important places. I just need to find the -ú2,000 or so it's going to cost me to go there. The company also does a tour in Uzbekistan, which includes Samarkand and Khodjend - Maracanda and Alexandria Eschate!... but that's nearly -ú2,000, also. Hey ho!)All the bestMarcus

[neneh]

I was actually once planning a trip in Alexander's footsteps with a friend, but then as the situation in the area in question got anything but better, we decided to put in on hold for a while.
When I watched the Michael Wood programme I wanted to leave there and then, but I suppose the situation is somewhat even more complicated in these countries now then it was when I was first planning the trip. So I guess at the moment, watching Wood's programme is the closest I'll get to making that journey. (Feeling oh so sorry for myself).All the best,Neneh

[S]

Greetings Marcus,I caught that same comment regarding Michael as a journalist and questioned the contributor. The person writing the review said he felt Michael was more journalist than historian when it came to his books and programmes because the focus was on Woods own view of things (especially regarding the motives and nature of Alexander)than historical accuracy. So we let it stand.However, in thinking about it, I understood where the reviewer was "coming from", especially after watching the video again (laughing). It was easier to see the journalist side than the historian side. Perhaps that is not a good thing, but I think it is fair to say that most people prefer listening to journalists- with their ability to reach an emotional chord- than to many historians. So in some ways, perhaps journalists are a more effective tool for arousing interest in the past for the average audience? Which then hopefully leads the audience- or at least some of them- into doing more historically accurate research? Regards,
Sikander

[Mantzy]

Ahh yes, it'd be lovely to go to some of them places. I've been thinking about it for quite some while now. -ú2000 you say. Hmmm...well, i may have been able to save that much up had it not been for that interesting website i found selling Greek goods. Bugger. Oh well. Maybe next year! On a serious note, as some/many of you may have noticed (surely all of you by now) that many of us would like to travel in Alexander's "footsteps", well i say why don't we? Hell, you're only young once. Who wants to be 80 and trekking across deserts and mountain passes? Yes, there may be the opportunity to travel to some of the "important places" but i bet you, to you Marcus in particular, that they won't go to the places you REALLY want to see (I personally want to see the places that weren't important - I always support the underdog even if it just comes down to the place that they were in as the Greeks/Macedons were the overdog after all. The little people mattered too)It'd be great to travel his route. TO go exactly where he went. But even Michael Wood couldn't go to Gaugamela. Yes, he flew over it but to really go the whole hog you've got to break some laws, risk being shot maybe, and actually experience it as an equivalent of todays world. Tell you what, nothing kicks in your adrenaline as being shot/bombed at. I was stuck in Gulf War 1, trust me on this! But, i fear i may have gone off on a tangent as i often do my friends so i leave you with this thought: The world often takens some away from thee, but one can only take with one, what one has seen for oneself.Go there. Be scared and afraid but see it for yourself.

[marcus]

Hi Sikander,I think that's fair enough. But the comment was rather derogotory which I felt was unfair - it was as if he were a journalist and not a historian, whereas you could say that he is a historian turned journalist.Still, I'm not really making a fuss; I just thought I'd point it out...All the bestMarcus

[marcus]

I agree with much of what you say. However, as far as I can tell the only place of interest that the Iranian tour doesn't include is Susa. Persepolis and Pasargadae are there, as is Behistun, and Bam (what's left of it); Hamadan; Tehran; Meshed; and some place on the Caspian.Still, I have to get the funds before I can do it, anyway. And who knows what might change in the geopolitical structure of the region by the time *that* happens!All the bestMarcus