| 74th | Top people from Camden |
| 2nd | Top Old Mancunians |
| Michael Wood | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 23, 1948
Moston, Manchester |
| Occupation | historian, broadcaster, documentary filmmaker |
| Known for | Great Railway Journeys
(1980) The Story of India (2007) |
Michael David Wood (born 23 July 1948) is an English historian and broadcaster. He has presented numerous television documentary series, has made over 80 documentary films, most notably, Great Railway Journeys (1980), Art of the Western World, Legacy, In the Footsteps of Alexander the Great, Conquistadors, In Search of Myths and Heroes, and The Story of India (2007). He has written numerous books on English history including In Search of the Dark Ages, The Domesday Quest, In Search of England and In Search of Shakespeare [1][2].
He is also a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society [1] and in 2009 he was awarded an honorary degree by Sunderland University [3].
Contents |
Wood was born in Moston, Manchester. He studied at Heald Place Primary School in Moss Side, Manchester. When he was eight, his family moved to Wythenshawe, where he went to Benchill Primary School, and later Manchester Grammar School, where he started taking part of theatre, including the first British amateur production of Brecht's The Caucasian Chalk Circle [4].
He did his graduation in History and English at Oriel College, Oxford, and even toured the USA for six weeks with A Midsummer Night's Dream in his final year. Later he did post-graduate research in Anglo-Saxon History, also from Oriel College[1][4].
In the 1970s Wood worked for the BBC in Manchester. He was first a reporter then an assistant producer on current affairs programmes, before returning to his love of history with his 1981 series In Search of the Dark Ages for BBC2. This explored the lives of leaders of the period, including Boadicea, King Arthur, Offa, Alfred the Great, Athelstan, Eric Bloodaxe and William the Conquerer (and gave rise to his first book, based upon the series).[5]
He quickly became popular with female viewers for his blond good looks (he was humorously dubbed "the thinking woman's crumpet" by British newspapers), his deep voice, and his habit of wearing tight jeans and a sheepskin jacket. However, his ability to present history in striking and memorable ways has always drawn a diverse audience.
Wood's work is also well known in the United States, where it receives much airplay on PBS and on various cable television networks. The series Legacy (1992) is one of his more frequently broadcast documentaries on U.S. television.
In 2006 he joined the British School of Archaeology in Iraq campaign, which aimed to train and encourage new Iraqi archaeologists, and he has lectured on the subject.[6]
His partner for several years, in the late 1970s and early 1980s, was journalist and broadcaster Pattie Coldwell. He currently lives in North London with his wife, television producer Rebecca Ysabel Dobbs, and two daughters, Minakshi and Jyoti.
   | Michael Wood on Gilbert White - BBC - BBC Four Documentaries - Michael Wood On Gilbert White |
| | In Search of Shakespeare - BBC - History - History TV and Radio Archive |
| | The Story of the Conquistadors - BBC - History - The Story of the Conquistadors |
| | In Search of Myths and Heroes - BBC - History - History TV and Radio Archive |
| | Darshan, An Indian Journey - BFI | Film & TV Database | DARSHAN - AN INDIAN JOURNEY (1989) |
| | Christina: A Medieval Life, from the BBC Four site - BBC - BBC Four - The Medieval Season - Christina: A Medieval Life |
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