Michael Wood (historian) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Michael Wood OBE
Wood in 2013
Born	Michael David Wood (1948-07-23) 23 July 1948 (age 76) Moss Side, Manchester, England
Education	Manchester Grammar School
Alma mater	Oriel College, University of Oxford (B A.)
Occupation	Historian, broadcaster, documentary filmmaker
Notable work	In Search of the Dark Ages (1979) Great Railway Journeys (1980) In Search of the Trojan War (1985) In the Footsteps of Alexander the Great (1998) The Story of India (2007) In Search of Beowulf (2009) The Story of England (2010) The Story of China (2016)

Michael David Wood (born 23 July 1948) is a famous English historian and TV presenter. He has hosted many popular TV shows about history since the late 1970s. Michael Wood has also written several books about English history. Some of his well-known books include In Search of the Dark Ages and The Story of England. In 2013, he became a Professor of Public History at the University of Manchester.

Early Life and Education

Michael Wood was born in Moss Side, Manchester, England. He went to primary school in Rusholme and later in Wythenshawe. From his bedroom window in Wythenshawe, he could see the historic Baguley Hall.

At Manchester Grammar School, Michael became very interested in theatre. He acted in plays like Brecht's The Caucasian Chalk Circle and Shakespeare's Hamlet.

He later studied History and English at Oriel College, Oxford. After finishing his degree, he started research on Anglo-Saxon history. However, he left his research to become a journalist for ITV.

Career in History and TV

In the 1970s, Michael Wood worked for the BBC in Manchester. He started as a reporter and then became a producer for news shows. Soon, he returned to his passion for history.

His first big history TV series was In Search of the Dark Ages for BBC2, which aired from 1979 to 1981. People quickly liked his style. His shows are also very popular in the United States. They are often shown on PBS and other TV channels. His series Legacy (1992) is one of his most watched documentaries in the US.

Since 1990, Michael Wood has been a director at Maya Vision International. This is a company that makes independent television shows. In 2006, he joined a project to help train new archaeologists in Iraq. He has also given talks about this important work. In 2013, he became a Professor of Public History at the University of Manchester.

Michael Wood's Thoughts on History

Michael Wood believes that while many empires were built by force, India created an "empire of spirit." He says that India's history shows its amazing ability to change and adapt over thousands of years. It uses the good parts of history and learns from the difficult parts, always remaining uniquely India.

He thinks that old objects taken during times of empire should be returned to their original homes. For example, he supports returning the Elgin Marbles from the British Museum to Greece.

Michael Wood also talks about how important it is for historians to tell good stories about the past. He says that with so much fake news today, it's crucial to have accurate history. However, he also believes that the past is always changing, so there can never be just one final story.

He explains that the idea of a "golden age" is often an imagined perfect past. Real history is much more complicated and always moving. He feels that understanding history is a job for everyone, not just historians, especially with the internet. Our identity is always being created, not something that is fixed forever.

Personal Life

Michael Wood lives in north London with his wife, Rebecca Ysabel Dobbs. She is a television producer. They have two daughters together.

He says his family's experiences during World War II made him interested in history. His uncle survived a torpedo attack, his dad helped the injured after D-Day, and his mum was caught in a bombing raid. These stories showed him the power of the past.

Awards and Recognition

Michael Wood has received many honors for his work. He is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and the Royal Society of the Arts. He has also been given several honorary degrees from different universities. These include Sunderland University, the University of Leicester, Lancaster University, and the University of Winchester. In 2015, he received the President's Medal from the British Academy.

In 2008, he was made a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries. In 2021, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his contributions to public history and broadcasting.

Other famous historians have said that Michael Wood inspired them. BAFTA-winning broadcaster David Olusoga said he wanted to be a historian after watching Wood's shows as a teenager. Historian Lucy Worsley also said Wood's unique documentaries inspired her when she was a child.

His work has been highly praised. The Wall Street Journal called The Story of India the "gold standard" for history documentaries. The Independent newspaper said The Story of England was "the most innovative history series ever made for TV." The Chinese news agency, Xinhua, said The Story of China connected with viewers across different cultures.

Television Series

Documentaries