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Amazon.co.uk Review
When this epic series was first broadcast in 1973 it redefined the gold standard for television documentary; it remains the benchmark by which all factual programming must judge itself. Originally shown as 26 one-hour programmes, The World at War set out to tell the story of the Second World War through the testimony of key participants. The result is a unique and unrepeatable event, since many of the eyewitnesses captured on film did not have long left to live. Each hour-long programme is carefully structured to focus on a key theme or campaign, from the rise of Nazi Germany to Hitler's downfall and the onset of the Cold War. There are no academic "talking heads" here to spell out an official version of history; the narration, delivered with wonderful gravitas by Sir Laurence Olivier, is kept to a minimum. The show's great coup was to allow the participants to speak for themselves. Painstaking research in the archives of the Imperial War Museum also unearthed a vast quantity of newsreel footage, including on occasion the cameraman's original raw rushes which present an unvarnished and never-before-seen picture of important events. Carl Davis' portentous main title theme and score underlines the grand scale of the enterprise. The original 26 episodes were supplemented three years later by six special programmes (narrated by Eric Porter), bringing the total running-time to a truly epic 32 hours.
Now digitally remastered The World at War looks even more of an impressive achievement on DVD. Available in five volumes, each handsomely packaged double-disc set comes with a detailed menu that places the individual programmes along a chronological timeline. Better yet, chapter access is laid out to allow you to select key speeches or maps or newsreel footage. The World at War was a landmark television event; its DVD incarnation underlines its importance as an historical document. --Mark Walker
Special Features
English
Region 0
Dolby Digital English
Dolby Digital
Animated Introductions
Photo Gallery
Character Biographies
History Of The World At War
Episode Summaries
Speeches
Songs
Newsreel
Maps
Region 0
Dolby Digital English
Dolby Digital
Animated Introductions
Photo Gallery
Character Biographies
History Of The World At War
Episode Summaries
Speeches
Songs
Newsreel
Maps
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
This is probably one of the greatest pieces of documentary envidence of ever facet of World War II. As time passes and those involved become fewer and fewer we owe it to everyone to ensure that events of that time and that the lessons learnt post 45 are not forgetton.
This is probably the only history of WWII that doesn't just cover the actual fighting but covers the human side of the war also. The piece on the Battle of Britain leaves you dumbstruck at what the people of London went through. Many of the interviews are with real people, who lived through that period
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
This series is one of the most important series ever made, because it talks with people that made, or were close to the people that made important decisions between 1939 and 1945, and gets a view into what the war was really like, without the influence of propaganda.
Although, as Jeremy Issacs says in 'The Making of...', not everything that happened could possibly be included in the series, the really important moments are. The fact that it is now on DVD makes the series more accessable too - a recommended buy!
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
The Contents of the entire series has the same impact as the TV series, but there are one or two things that let this DVD set down.
The User interface is difficult to get to grips with and becomes rather frustrating when all you want to do is watch the episodes.
The inclusion of subtitles whould have enhanced this series and perhaps made this set more appealing.
Even taking the negative aspects of the user interface into account, this series is compeling viewing.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Incredible
This is truly remarkable in terms of scale,detail and production. It is the definitive and exhaustive factual account of WWII. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Dutchy
Seems to be a product of great value
I do not possess "World War" series but seeing the product itself my mind says it must be great. Since I am Bulgarian and I suppose that some bad recordings in these DVDs will be... Read more
Published on 24 July 2007 by D. Ilieva
Great but no colour footage.
Don't get me wrong, this series was a landmark in television documentary. Each episode has been painstakingly researched and really presses home the reality of war. Read more
Published on 1 Jun 2005
BEST WAR SERIES THAT WILL EVER BE MADE, 1ST CLASS
WORLD AT WAR, WHEN I WATCHED AS A KID IT WAS BRILLIANT NOT TO MISSED ANY 1 WITH AN INTEREST IN W.W.2 SHOULD WATCH IT, WHICH WILL MAKE YOU WANT TO OWN IT I HAVE WATCHED IT LOADS OF... Read more
Published on 29 Nov 2004 by patrick
An Education.
If you haven't caught the TV series before, and have an interest in history then I recomend you buy this entire series without reservation. Read more
Published on 16 Oct 2000 by Mr. Guy Mcevoy
Excellent Documentary
This is an extraordinary documentary on world war II. It has everything you would see: tons of documentations, photos, original films, and a very good comment. Read more
Published on 13 Oct 2000
Excellent research work
I was born in 1959 so I have fortunately never experienced an all out war. I have only read about them in the newspapers. Read more
Published on 21 Sep 2000
The definitive visual history of WWII
The series was so important when it was initially broadcast on TV in 1974 that its transfer to DVD is long overdue. Now, at last, it has finally been issued on DVD. Read more
Published on 12 Sep 2000
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