THIS SCEPTRED ISLE The Twentieth Century 1901-1919

THIS SCEPTRED ISLE is the dizzyingly comprehensive history of Britain recorded for BBC Radio 4. This installment expands on the original series (which ended at the dawn of the twentieth century), covering the period from the death of Queen Victoria to the aftermath of WWI. Given the richness of this era--a new monarch, the dawn of the automobile, and trench warfare--there's perhaps too much on constitutional reform and other parliamentary subjects. Anna Massey's narration may strike some listeners as stodgy, too, though the production effectively weaves in the reading of contemporary documents and quotations to add a bit of life. D.B. (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC 04/ JAN 05]