The Ascent of Man

In 1969 Jacob Bronowski was commisioned by David Attenborough, then Controller of BBC2, to write and present this 13-part documentary series that examines in great depth and with great erudition the intellectual and technological history of the human race from prehistoric times to the present day.

Broadcast in 1973 and designed to complement Kenneth Clarke's earlier BBC documentary series 'Civilisation', Bronowski concentrates on the growing development of human science and technology, of the ways in which humanity seeks to harness and dominate its environment, and the ways in which scientific and intellectual theory across the ages, from Galileo to Einstein, have broadened our horizons.