Acknowledgements
Preface
Introduction. Being a television intellectual: An ‘unusual type of star’
1. Civilisation to Civilisations: Benchmark events
2. Jacob Bronowski’s The Ascent of Man: A feeling for language
3. Jonathan Miller’s Atheism: Irony and unshakeable disbelief
4. Marcus du Sautoy’s The Story of Maths: Solving problems as triumph and tragedy
5. Niall Ferguson’s The Ascent of Money: Landscapes of threat and opportunity
6. Simon Schama’s ‘The Two Winstons’ and ‘The Second Moment of Creation’: Then and now
7. Mary Beard’s Ultimate Rome: Legend as history, history as myth
8. Alice Roberts’ Digging for Britain and Pam Cox’s Servants: Reaching for the audience
9. David Olusoga’s ‘First Contact’ and ‘The Cult of Progress’: Imperial conquistadores or trading partners?
10. Janina Ramirez’s and Alastair Sooke’s ‘Beirut’: Barbarism, tourism and layered identity
11. Brian Cox: Seven Days on Mars: Expert identities
12. British television intellectuals: ‘A gateway to something else’
Coda. Tim Winton’s Ningaloo: ‘Resisting the false shape of closure’