Customer Reviews

Churchill's Bodyguard [DVD]

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I watched this series on television when it was first shown and before having a Sky box which cleverly records a series without my having to remember; I missed a few and bought this to catch up.

Prior to the series, I had never thought much about what is now obvious - Churchill's need for a bodyguard. Always a contentious figure, he made many enemies. These four DVDs covering their nineteen years together, narrated by Robert Powell, is the story of Walter Thompson's time with Churchill and the times they lived through, sometimes only just, thanks to Thompson. It is from his daily diary which Churchill agreed could be published and the DVDs are made up of mostly original footage.

For anyone with an interest in WWII or Churchill, this is essential viewing. Follow this with a visit to the Cabinet War Rooms to create a real impression of the times and conditions in which they lived in Whitehall to gain a full insight into the distances they travelled, one of the excellent displays.

Walter Thompson Churchill's bodyguard was a good match the chemistery was there. It shows Churchill as being a cantankerous man some times deliberatley putting himself in great danfer, to the frustration of Thompson his bodyguard. I never realised how desperate the Germans were to assasinate Churchill and how much Hitler hated and detested Churchill, the rancour when Churchill became Prime Minister and harnessed a British nation to dig their heels in a fight. Britian was being pounded and morale was sinking ,but Churchill kept stiring the British nation to get ready and be prepared to fight. When Churchill was told of Hitlers suicide, he commented that's what I would have done in his circumstances. Germany was totally defeated and in ruins. Hitler had wrecked havoc with his evil ragime

This multi-disc set is a simple transcription of the television broadcasts, so each disc wastes a good few minutes of the viewers' time with titles, warnings, titles, introductions, titles and recaps. Much film footage is simply a photograph or two, panned by a camera. We see the same stock footage over - and over - and over again.

But with remote in hand, able to skip through the wasted minutes, an interested viewer gets a fascinating and informative presentation of essential, defining facts of which too few are aware, about quite possibly the most important British politian to walk the halls of the Commons - including the frailties and faults of some of his homologues.

Well worth the effort taken with your "fast forward" finger, this is a work that would have benefited enormously from a good film editor recognizing that the audience is neither stupid nor suffering from Alzheimer's, and so cut the set from four or five discs to two.

Churchill's Bodyguard is a fascinating insight into what I can only imagine was an incredible job with the swashbuckling Winston Churchill as your body to guard. Narrated by the wonderful Robert Powell with Dennis Waterman as the 'voice' of the bodyguard Walter Henry Thompson (and done splendidly too). Churchill was quite amazing and this comes through throughout the documentary yet Thompson remained steadfast and devoted until the end. The pressure Thompson must have felt at times can only be imagined but you get a sense of the extraordinary job he did with courage, professionalism and an outright devotion to his duty. The documentary conveys this well as well as the evident mutual respect and fondness that both men had for one another. The series runs for over 600 minutes so you get a considerable amount of information for what is a very small outlay. For a different perspective on Churchill this documentary is well worth a look. Fantastic.

All in all a good DVD series to watch.
Very narrative heavy and could have perhaps used interviews with people who were involved in the events themselves instead of what they had seen been quoted by the narrator.
However for anyone intereseted in Winston Churchill, his career and the socio-political situation of this part of the 20th Century it is to be recommended.

Excellent DVD. Really interesting and informative. A new slant on a familiar subject.Recommend it to anyone who is interested in this period of history

Really enjoyed this. As I love history about the war years. Walter Thompson is presented as a real gentlemen and must have had a heavy weight on his shoulders, protecting one of the most powerful men in the world at that time.

This is a great way to learn about the life a of hugely imprtant man (W. Churchill) during a time of massively important events for the freedom & creation of the wastern 21st century; through the eye of a wise, humble, modest & completly lovable man- the bodyguard.

I was not expecting to like this documentary as much as I did, as it didn't seem as interesting a subject until I began watching it. This documentary details how Churchill spent much of his time before , during, and directly after World War 2 when he lost the re election for Prime Minister in 1945? or 46? and gives great insight into his personal character, mannerisms, and thoughts before, during the war as well as afterwards as he unexpectedly had to leave Downing Street. From my understanding, his personal bodyguard, Walter H. Thompson, wrote a book (from which this documentary is based on) some years after WW2, despite Churchill's and Scotland Yard's protests and even threats to take away his retirement pension if he published the book in the 1950s and it became an instantaneous "best seller" which made him lots of money as he also became famous and traveled around Britain to give many lectures on Churchill and his time as his bodyguard .I actually learned more about Winston Churchill through this documentary than I would have learned by reading his OWN account of his career or his auto biography or other biographies on him i am sure.

Highy Recommend this as it is objective, informative, very nicely presented, and is 13 hours long too to also make it a nice bargain.

I am very impressed with this series. It gives an incredible insight into Churchill's personality- His bodyguard's dedication is amazing and the series shows how he gave up his home life and marriage to be with Churchill. Churchill was an incredible person who was absolutely fearless and my absolute hero. I love the series and would recommend it for anyone interested in finding out about the Second World War and Churchill-