Lucy Worsley Investigates: the American Revolution

So, yeah, I’m a massive geek, but you already knew that. I have a favorite historian, and her name is Lucy Worsley. She’s British, so she knows how to present history in a way that engages the learner or casual visitor. American historians are all a bunch of buzz cut white guys with pocket protectors in their white shirt pocket and an unshakable belief that history must be forced down the gullet of powerless school children. Okay, not all of them, but you get the stereotype, and you are probably used to the idea that history is boring because you’ve only been exposed to American historians. Let me give you something new to try.

I don’t remember where I first encountered Lucy, but I’ve enjoyed nearly every special I’ve seen, and at least two of her books. Her writing is not as engaging, but that’s because her greatest appeal is in the visual style that portrays everything from the origins of Christmas celebrations, to true crime, to fascinating trivia in super old buildings. I wish I had happened on her special about the American Revolution before the fourth of July, but I’m glad roku unexpectedly threw it up on my wall. A word of warning, I got the first one free, but had to pay for the second episode.

In this special, she goes more into the British side of the colonial split, without ever referring to the “Mad King George” us Americans all heard about. She tells history like a cool story, with a nifty array of artifacts that only a few people in the whole world have access to, if they know about them and which they probably don’t. She goes to one museum to ogle the busted and dented lead tail of the horse of a George III statue that was destroyed in the beginning days of protest. The rest of the statue was sent off to make 42,000 musket balls for the revolutionary army. Yeah, I never heard about that before. Pretty cool, huh?

The visual style of her specials is important. Every one of them is polished and dynamic, a slick view of modern places where historically important things happened, some big and some small but mighty. She is often shown moving along, looking around her like someone interested in and engaged in the world. There is always a slew of experts in whatever piece she’s discussing at the moment under discussion, who she engages with an obvious sense of humor, engagement, curiosity, and no qualms about playacting in costume when needed.

It’s a whole package and makes the viewer think they’re getting a deep dive into a subject when actually what they’re getting is an outside the box view of well covered history, and an outline of what was important to her and an invitation to dive deeper into whatever aspect grabs your attention. I always end up learning something new and googling stuff, usually after saying, “Oh, cool!”.

In this special I was amused at how she concentrated a lot on Benjamin Franklin, beginning with his “air baths” and his amazing propensity for propaganda and worldly schmoozing. She subtly portrays him as a sort of 18^th century Lucy Worsley.

It’s a little late to see this as a lead up to the 250^th, but I highly recommend seeing this special for it’s larger view of an important political and cultural cataclysm. If you’re tired of trying to watch documentaries that are more, “this battle then this battle”, “this paper then this paper”, definitely give this a try.

Triggers: can’t think of any, even if you’re a huge George III fan

Available on: Roku, Prime Video, YouTubeTV, DIRECTV & Fandango at Home

LINKS:

• Lucy Worsley Investigates: the American Revolution – PBS Official Website
• Lucy Worsley Investigates: the American Revolution – IMDB
• Lucy Worsley – Wikipedia

CFR: In Addition

Wait? What? What?!?!? American Revolution!!! OMG I shot Redcoats in a past life – I LOVE MY COUNTRY!!! No wonder Cranky wrote to me that she would be interested in my reading her review. I thought “Ok.” And then didn’t think about it again as I had almost two days of exhaustion and sickness. (I’m better now.) So when I read the title I was like YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But uh wait. Do you mean what I know about the Revolution could be wrong? Ok. Fine. I’m still a raving patriot who probably read Tom Paine and thought “Oh Hell yeah” and off I went.

I can’t wait to watch this.

Thanks Cranky. Love you. And I’m still gonna burn pictures of George III on the 4th no matter what.