Amazon.co.uk: The World At War - Special Collectors Edition [1973]: Laurence Olivier, Sir Max Aitken, Robert Boothby, Lord Butler, Vannevar Bush, Christabel Bielenberg, André Beaufre, Edward Butler (II), David Belchem, Emmi Bonhoeffer, McGeorge Bundy, Albrecht Brauning, J.A.H.J.S. Bruins Slot, Eddy Christiani, Lord Chandos, Hugh Raggett, Ted Childs, David Elstein, Martin Smith (VII), John Pett: DVD

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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. Each 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 The World at War was a landmark television event; its DVD incarnation underlines its importance as an historical document.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

Video Description
Contains all 5 DVD volumes - 10 Discs
Over 32 hours of digitally re-mastered footage
Packed with extras, including the hour special "The Making of..."

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43 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

The Ultimate Documentary On World War Two, 6 Nov 2002

By	Mr. J. Walmsley "The Finch" (Liverpool) - See all my reviews

For the modern viewer the series may look a little dated but in fact it has now become an historical document. Just like the footage from the war itself that dominates most of the running time, the interviews conducted for The World At War in the 1970's and often accompanied by hideous wallpaper and garish ties fitting for that decade have now become just as important. Appearances from such monumental and now deceased figures as Speer, Donitz and Mountbatten to name but a few, make it so. But also vital are the contributions of those who worked around the main players and those who actually fought the war or suffered its consequences. Their stories and experiences bring the war to life decades on from its conclusion.

The narration from Sir Laurence Olivier is superb. If ever someone were to be chosen to represent the English spoken language it surely would have been him with his perfect pronounciation and accent. He takes us through the story of World War Two with superbly delivered and well written dialogue. The various episodes, usually around 8 per each two disc set of which there are 5 in this special box set are well thought out and cover all aspects of the war in good detail.

I bought the individual DVD's over time rather than this box set but in terms of cost, if you are willing to spend on an intial outlay you save in the long run and can start watching the entire series straight away. Certainly worthwhile! The VHS version may be cheaper but for such a huge documentary series the easy accessability and high quality of DVD make it the only format worth buying. Extras wise it has virtually nothing but the episodes are more than enough for me.

Superb!

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81 of 82 people found the following review helpful:

Spectacular and important piece of work, 27 Nov 2002

By	S. Johnston "the_jossman" (Oxford, UK) - See all my reviews

In 1970, producer Jeremy Issacs wanted to create the " definitive televisual history of the Second World War" that "should balance out the 'view from the top' with the 'view from the bottom'". The World at War (TWaW) achieved this mammoth task and more, collecting nearly a million feet of interview and location film.

Preserved indefinitely on DVD format (on 10 discs), this series, as other reviewers have already commented, is impressive (to say the least). Added gravitas is provided by the great Sir Laurence Olivier as narrator. There seems no need to re-iterate the praise this DVD very much deserves/

The full episode contents of the DVD special edition are as follows:
* The Making of World at War (exclusive to DVD)
* A New Germany : 1933 - 1939
* Distant War : 1939 - 1940
* France Falls : May - June 1940
* Alone in Britain : May 1940 - June 1941
* Barbarossa : June - Dec 1941
* Banzai - Japan Strikes
* On Our Way - America Enters The War
* Desert - The War in North Africa
* Stalingrad
* Wolfpack
* Redstar - The Soviet Union : 1941 - 1943
* Whirlwind - Bombing Germany : September 1939 - April 1944
* Tough Old Gut
* It's a Lovely Day Tomorrow
* Home Fires
* Inside the Reich : Germany 1940 - 1944
* Morning
* Occupation
* Pincers
* Genocide
* Nemesis
* Japan 1941-45
* Pacific
* The Bomb
* Reckoning
* Remember
* Secretary to Hitler
* Who Won World War II?
* Warrior
* Hitler's Germany: 1933 - 1939
* Hitler's Germany: 1939 - 1945
* The Two Deaths of Hitler
* The Final Solution - Auschwitz Part 1
* The Final Solution - Auschwitz Part 2

Not only for the specialist or enthusiast, this is now a crucial collection of material that the forthcoming generations who should learn about their ancestors and the value of peace. This is a non-patronising series that is a must for every DVD collection.

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23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

The Peak of Historical Documentary Making, 31 Jul 2003

By	Gwilym Thomas (London, UK) - See all my reviews

The World at War is the benchmark to which all documentary programmes should be measured. Completed in the 70s with the benefit of Imperial War Museum sources, the series is vast offering detailed accounts of all facets of the Second World War. Despite its enormity, the World at War breaks the narrative down into a series of accessible episodes detailing the effects of the conflict across the globe.
Alongside the Great War, the World at War is one of the most impressive feats of historical programming available. Its haunting score, excellent narration and, above all, scale and depth set it apart from any more modern attempts to chart the war. By blending a wealth of footage with a variety of first hand accounts, the series provides a near comprehensive account of the events upto and during the war.
For anyone with an interest in Twentieth Century history, The World at War is essential viewing. Unless there's a warehouse's worth of new material available, it will be exceptionally difficult for anyone to come close to matching its coverage; even if the impetus was there to undertake such an immense project. We're lucky that thirty years ago producers were prepared to invest such effort into historical programming and whilst there are many good documentaries, The World at War is perhaps the finest achievement in this field.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

Outstanding Production
This is an absolute necessity for any student of WW 2. It still has to be surpassed by any production of WW 2 history in the last 30 years since it was producted by Thames... Read more

Published on 25 Jun 2005 by B Loughrey

Fantastic DVD set - dont be put off by the DVD menu comments
I think everyone would agree that the content of the series is unparalled. However - I just wanted to point out that I dont feel the DVD menu is as bad as people have said. Read more

Published on 8 Feb 2005 by jsh712p

Menus not that bad
I need not restate the quality of this documentary series. All the comments about t