The Civil war

[Anchorman]

       Just finished watching Ken Burns' masterpiece series "The Civil War" - again - on PBS America. This will have been the fourth or fifth time I've cycled through it. Like all Burns' work, there are no bells and whistles, just a superb example of the documentary historian's art. As an aside, were it not for PBS America, the Smithsonian channel, and, of course, Talking Pictures TV, I doubt the box in the corner would have been on for more than an hour over the past five days.

[Udayana]

Yes, of-course, as previously mentioned, it is an excellent series. If only all documentary / history programmes were to this standard!

[Enki]

Ah yes. I've got the whole Civil War DVD collection. I must dig it out again. Other series I've watched of his are the one on the American involvement in the 2nd World War, Vietnam and the interesting, superbly detailed but incomplete(and criticised) Jazz series(he deliberately stopped at 1975). I'm watching his Ali series at the moment( 2 episodes are on BBC tonight), not least because I followed the career of Clay/Ali  after watching the infamous Sonny Liston fights live.  I think you're right,  Anks, the Civil War was his masterpiece.

[SteveH]

I take it you're talking about the American one, not the English one...

[Anchorman]

I take it you're talking about the American one, not the English one...

   


The English civil war is something of a conceit.
It's misnamed; it should be called 'The war of the three kingdoms'.

[Harrowby Hall]

I came across a reference recently (though cannot provide any evidence since I cannot recall its whereabouts) that what we call The War of the Roases was originally called the First English Civil War.

Its current name came into existence following its use in a novel by Sir Walter Scott. {An example, Anchorman, of a Scot meddling in REnglish affairs?)

[Anchorman]

I came across a reference recently (though cannot provide any evidence since I cannot recall its whereabouts) that what we call The War of the Roases was originally called the First English Civil War.

Its current name came into existence following its use in a novel by Sir Walter Scott. {An example, Anchorman, of a Scot meddling in REnglish affairs?)

   
I remember sitting in Magnus Magnusson's house (how's that for name dropping), when he described Scott as a "Scott meddling in Scottish history".
Magnus' last magnum opus, "Scotland:story of a nation" is a personal delve into Scotland's history - and he uses Walter Scotts' two 'histories' as bases to expand his book.
It's a very readableacount, as you'd expect from Magnus, covering the whole span from prehistory till the reconvening of Parliament in 1999.

[Walt Zingmatilder]

   
I remember sitting in Magnus Magnusson's house (how's that for name dropping), when he described Scott as a "Scott meddling in Scottish history".
Magnus' last magnum opus, "Scotland:story of a nation" is a personal delve into Scotland's history - and he uses Walter Scotts' two 'histories' as bases to expand his book.
It's a very readableacount, as you'd expect from Magnus, covering the whole span from prehistory till the reconvening of Parliament in 1999.

Is it true that someone interrupted him andd he said ''I've started so i'll finish''?

[Anchorman]

Is it true that someone interrupted him andd he said ''I've started so i'll finish''?

 
......And  you may answer.....
I've sat in the original Mastermind chair - the Beeb, in an uncharacteristically genenerous gesture, gave it to him when he retired from the show.
He sent me a copy of "Scotland; Story of a nation", with a Viking rune I can't decipher, and the dedication
"For Auchentoshan and fish suppers".

[SteveH]

Shouldn't Sally Magnusson, MM's daughter, be called Sally Magnusdottir, given Icelandic naming conventions?

[Anchorman]

Shouldn't Sally Magnusson, MM's daughter, be called Sally Magnusdottir, given Icelandic naming conventions?

   


When Magnus' oldest daughter, Anna (herself a journalist and author) was born, I gather that there was a stooshie....Magnus wanted her registered as 'Anna Mamiesdooter' according to Icelandic tradition.
Mamie put her foot down.

[Walt Zingmatilder]

   


When Magnus' oldest daughter, Anna (herself a journalist and author) was born, I gather that there was a stooshie....Magnus wanted her registered as 'Anna Mamiesdooter' according to Icelandic tradition.
Mamie put her foot down.

This is turning into a right saga.

[Harrowby Hall]

Shouldn't Sally Magnusson, MM's daughter, be called Sally Magnusdottir, given Icelandic naming conventions?

According to Wikipedia. Magnus' surname was not his Icelandic name.He "invented" a surname - Magnusson - which was not his actual icelandic patronymic.

[jeremyp]

I came across a reference recently (though cannot provide any evidence since I cannot recall its whereabouts) that what we call The War of the Roases was originally called the First English Civil War.

Its current name came into existence following its use in a novel by Sir Walter Scott. {An example, Anchorman, of a Scot meddling in REnglish affairs?)

The Anarchy, 1138-1153 predates the Wars of the Roses and it's definitely a civil war. For those of you who like detective fiction, this is the period during which the Cadfael books are set.