Top Picks: PBS's series of Shakespeare's history plays, Larry Kane's Beatles book, and more
Africa鈥檚 queen of pop
A world that has grown weary of bad news from war-torn Africa ought to listen to Mali鈥檚 . On the title track of Beautiful Africa, Traor茅 hails the wisdom and integrity growing in the hearts of the continent鈥檚 children. 鈥淟ord, give us wisdom, give us foresight,鈥� she concludes. Traor茅鈥檚 pop music bursts with color. When she isn鈥檛 plucking an African lute or strumming electric guitar over rivet-shaking grooves, Traor茅 and her vocalists evoke the joy of birds at dawn.
Kings of England
Despots, dukes, and double-dealing 鈥� nothing passes the test of time like the Bard. brings the history plays of Shakespeare to vivid life with a new four-part series, The Hollow Crown, about the famous and infamous kings of England he put in his plays. The series launches with 鈥淩ichard II,鈥� starring Ben Whishaw, Patrick Stewart, and David Suchet. Intrigue, infighting, and insurrection 鈥� these works are as good as any political thriller Hollywood can pen today. The series begins on 鈥淕reat Performances鈥� Friday, Sept. 20. 鈥淗enry IV鈥� (Parts 1 and 2) and 鈥�Henry V鈥� will air in subsequent weeks.
Latino history
Latinos may be the fastest growing immigrant group in the United States, but that doesn鈥檛 mean the population is new. Latinos have a rich and diverse history in the US 鈥� something explores in its new series Latino Americans, airing in three parts on Sept. 17 and 24, and Oct. 1. Covering the 1500s to the present via historical footage and interviews with scholars and Latino leaders, 鈥淟atino Americans鈥� is an engaging way to learn about a robust aspect of US history. The series will also be available on DVD Oct. 1.
Colliding worlds
The world鈥檚 largest democracy is a land of astonishing timelessness in the midst of rapid modernization. The World Before Her explores the contrasting lives of two women in modern India: an aspiring beauty contestant and a traditional 鈥� and militant 鈥� Hindu, holding fast to old ways. The film is a fascinating study of the forces at work in a vast, complex country struggling to straddle modern and ancient values in the 21st century. It airs Monday, Sept. 16, on .
Zombies in the garden
The charmingly zany Plants vs. Zombies 2 pits you against an encroaching horde. Your only defense: wall-nut fortifications, peashooters, and cabbage-pult artillery. The free-to-play iPhone/iPad game offers power-ups and additional fierce flora for real money. We found ourselves buying a few just to reward the designers for crafting such a fun experience.
Before Beatlemania
Larry Kane was the only broadcast journalist to travel with the Beatles on their triumphant 1964 and 鈥�65 North American tours. He chronicled those heady experiences in his 2003 book, 鈥淭icket to Ride.鈥� Now he鈥檚 back with When They Were Boys: The True Story of the Beatles鈥� Rise to the Top. Combining the results of some deep digging and revealing interviews with those who knew them best, Kane unearths fascinating details from the earliest days of the boys鈥� growing up in hardscrabble Liverpool in the 1950s to the eve of their world conquest in 1964.
