World's Worst Century

Was the 14th century the worst time in history to be alive? Ravaged by a plague that drove humanity to the edge of extinction, convulsed by a war that lasted more than 100 years, and driven by social upheaval, it was an era of harsh lords and ragged peasants, strange superstitions, persecution and people living lives that were venal and short. The three programmes that comprise World's Worst Century explore the complex reality of medieval life. They show that, for all the hardship and conflict, the society of the time was able to withstand each terrible crisis surprisingly well. Three part history series considering the fourteenth century which saw traumatic upheavals such as wars, epidemics and revolts. GB. various