The Skin Of Our Teeth
Lord Clark looks at the Dark Ages, the six centuries following the collapse of the Roman Empire. Travelling from Byzantine Ravenna to the Celtic Hebrides, from the Norway of the Vikings to Charlemagne's chapel at Aachen, he unravels the extraordinary story of how European thought and art were saved by 'the skin of our teeth'.

The Great Thaw
Lord Clark traces the sudden re-awakening of European civilisation in the 12th century, from the first manifestations at the Abbey of cluny, through the work of Gislebertus at Autun, to its high point: the building of Chartres Cathedral.

Romance and Reality
Lord Clark journeys from the Loire through Tuscany and Umbria, to the cathedral at Pisa, as he explores the aspirations of the later Middle Ages in France and Italy.

Man: The Measure of All Things
Lord Clark visits Florence, Urbino and Mantua - centres of Renaissance civilsation.

Synopsis

In 1966 BBC Television embarked on its most ambitious documentary series to date. The eminent art historian Lord Clark was commissioned to write and present an epic examination of Western European culture, defining what he considered to be the crucial phases of its development. Civilisation: A Personal View by Lord Clark would be more than two years in the making, with filming in over 100 locations across 13 countries. The lavish series was hailed as a masterpiece when it was first transmitted in the UK in 1969. From the fall of the Roman Empire to the Industrial Revolution and beyond, Clarke's compelling narrative is accompanied by breathtaking colour photography of Europe's greatest landmarks. This 'history of ideas as illustrated by art and music' remains the benchmark for the numerous programmes it inspired. Includes a specially written 36 page illustrated booklet of viewing notes to accompany this DVD.