Simon Schama's History of Now

Available on

BBC Two

Simon Schama takes a look at the history of his own lifetime as he charts the power of culture in shaping the world. Along the way, Simon travels to a range of countries as he examines the importance of works including George Orwell's `Nineteen Eighty-Four' and Boris Pasternak's `Doctor Zhivago'. As he considers modern concerns around democracy and equality, Simon also highlights the markedly different visions of the future painted by a number of Americans shortly after the conclusion of the Second World War.