The Story of the Jews (and Datchet)

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Have you been watching Simon Schama’s BBC series The Story of the Jews? I absolutely loved last weekend’s opener and I’m looking forward to tonight’s second episode.

I started reading his semi-accompanying book this morning. He had me within the first few sentences with his superb voice, which is at once authoritative and charming – and most of all utterly compelling.

I was taken aback when, just four paragraphs in, he mentioned Datchet, the village in Berkshire where I live. He was recounting his childhood boat trips on the River Thames, during which his father first taught him about Jewish history.

Forgive me my excitement: it’s rare for little Datchet to get a mention in any book, let alone one about the history of the Jewish people between 1000 BCE and 1492 CE. I was so surprised to see it my eyes nearly popped out of my head. I must have looked a bit like new Arsenal signing Mesut Özil.

Are you enjoying Schama’s BBC series?