About BBC History of World War II
World War II
With 30 hours of programming in 10 volumes and three full-length bonus programs, the BBC History of World War II impresses with its depth of scope, breadth of analyses, excellent production values. This ambitious project by producer Laurence Rees, complete with a collector's booklet, is comprised of archival footage and illuminating eyewitness interviews that bring to life some of the most monumental events from the most devastating war in human history. In contrast to the epic scope of that other masterwork on the war by the BBC, The World at War, the focus here is clearly the war in Europe (only one disc, Horror in the East, is dedicated to the war against Japan) as told from a fairly even-handed British perspective: interviews with German citizens make it understandable how Hitler appealed to a shattered and defeated nation, for example, and the The Road to War scrutinizes how a British government was caught unprepared for a re-armed Germany bent on domination. Yet there are also poignantpersonal moments, such as when an aging American veteran revisits the Omaha Beach he stormed on D-Day, and meets the elderly German who, as a teenager, was defending that section of the beach with his machine gun.
Some of the episodes were previously released on their own as single DVD titles. Here they are roughly arranged chronologically, as the set starts with The Nazis: A Warning from History, and includes all major facets of the war in Europe, including the legacy of the Holocaust. Each title has its own style: Dunkirk is a drama-documentary structured like a miniseries where reenactments are deftly interwoven with archival footage in a creative motif. In War of the Century: When Hitler Fought Stalin, German and Russian veterans recall with chilling candor their particular universe of battle, and rare color combat footage combined with newly declassified Soviet documents offer new perspectives on the subject. The presentation is particularly impressive, bringing to life the reality of what it must have been like for people to endure through such tumultuous times. While The World at War set the standard for the World War II documentary genre, the BBC History of World War II is an excellent counterpart. For the war buff, the history enthusiast, the educator, or someone looking for a gift for any of the above, this is a title to consider. Even dedicated viewers of the History Channel will find something new and fascinating here. --Dan Vancini
