|
The First World War - The Complete Series |  | Directors: Corina Sturmer, Marcus Kiggell, Simon Rockell
Actors: Jonathan Lewis, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, Andrée Bernard, Emperor Franz Josef
Studio: Image Entertainment
Category: DVD
List Price: $39.99
Buy New: $21.49
as of 9/4/2010 20:17 PDT details
You Save: $18.50 (46%)
New (26) Used (7) from $20.47
Seller: Amazon.com
Rating:  89 reviews
Sales Rank: 1101
Format: Box set, Black & White, Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Region: 1
Discs: 4
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Running Time: 523 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.6 x 1.2
MPN: 014381055122
UPC: 014381055122
EAN: 0014381055122
ASIN: B0009S2K9C
Release Date: August 30, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
| |
| Similar Items:
| |
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Comprehensive look at the events of World War I.
|
| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 89
 Newest and best series on the First World War August 31, 2005
Scout (VA USA)
324 out of 334 found this review helpful
This series is to the First World War what the classic World at War series was to the Second World War. It is shorter but excellent nonetheless.
Although the First World War gets less attention than its successor, it was really the watershed event of the 20th century. This conflict shaped the world that came after to this day. It was the catalyst for the rise of soviet communism in Russia, whose unravelling less than a decade and a half ago continues to affect worldwide diplomacy and economics. Germany's defeat provided the opportunity for fascism and Hitler to come to power there, causing the Second World War and its greater destruction. The defeat of the Ottoman Empire during the First World War and the diplomatic and political morass that followed was the precursor for the reconstitution of Israel and eventually brought the Middle East into center stage today.
This series is based upon the books and encyclopedic knowledge of Professor Hugh Strachan. It examines every aspect of the war, from its causes to the conduct of the war on and behind the front lines to its aftermath. In doing so, it covers the diplomatic, political, military and social aspects, each of which played a role in shaping what happened and why. It does not just present the summary facts but goes in depth in its explanations. For example, instead of simply depicting the spring 1918 German offensive on the western front, it gives detail about how they accomplished it, the attitudes of the troops on each side and the thought processes of the respective high commands.
Not having seen Kenneth Branagh's World War 1 in Color, this reviewer is incompetant to compare the two. However, because this series is thorough and draws upon the professor who may well be THE authority on this era of history, it is likely the best presentation on the subject available today.
The Best of the First. September 23, 2005
Hal Owen (Burbank, California USA)
145 out of 150 found this review helpful
"The First World War-The Complete Series" is a marvelous introduction to the world we now live in. Arranged in ten parts and based on historian Hugh Strachan's insightful observations, this eight hour plus look into the "War To End All Wars" is always engaging and amazingly contemporary. Mixing film elements of the period with contemporary footage, this four disc program offers insightful explanations into such controversial topics as Jihad and the troubled Middle East, Ireland, Africa, the rise of the nation state, and the rise of the United States to name but a few. What "The World At War" is to World War Two, "The First World War-The Complete Series" is to its predecessor; simply the best documentary on the subject I've yet seen.
Best in its Class... May 15, 2006
Kenneth M. Pizzi (San Mateo, CA United States)
116 out of 120 found this review helpful
I cannot praise this series enough. Remarkably complete and ultimately absorbing, this series does for WWI what "World At War" (1973) did for WWII. Every installment is a fascinating, up-close and comprehensive examination of the often complex elements and participants fighting in the world's first truly "modern war."
Special attention is paid to specific details that most other series leave out; for example, the role of the Ottoman Turks, the significant naval battles between Germany and Great Britain, the battles in the Middle East, and the contributions of the British Commonwealth soldiers from across the Empire. It makes the old CBS series narrated by Robert Ryan a mere footnote and PBS's politically-correct "The Great War" resemble something of a mere amateur documentary filmmaker. Much of the unseen footage secured by Channel 4 in making the documentary was recently discovered from archives in Central and Eastern Europe. The series also takes a close-up look of the weaponry and the letters/diary entries of soldiers from both sides.
Can a excellent documentary compel you to read more on the subject? Well, this one certainly can. This series makes WWI a most fascinating subject worthy of further study and analysis. Too often, what has been mistakenly taught in school is that WWI was merely a "dress rehersal" for the rise of fascism and WWII. This series proves otherwise and we need more first-class documentary series like this. Kudos to Johnathan Lewis and Channel 4 for putting together such a superb series. I liked the series so much, I purchased the Hew Strachan book the series is based on! A real gem....
An Impressive Accomplishment January 25, 2006
Gary W. Shanafelt (Abilene, TX)
28 out of 28 found this review helpful
The other reviewers have mentioned why this is a quality production, so there is no point in repeating what they have already said. A year ago, I was able to hear Hew Strachan, the historical consultant, give a talk about the making of the series (it would have been nice to have that talk filmed and included as a special feature, but I guess no one thought of that). He noted the labor that went into locating accurate images for the scenes being described: if you are looking at the 1914 German offensive into France, you'll see soldiers in 1914 uniforms, not substitutions from later battles. Equally interesting was the care taken to maintain a balance between historical accuracy and dramatic effect. It was decided deliberately not to include interviews with historians, as in many historical documentaries nowadays, in order not to interrupt the flow of the narrative. There are some beautiful color sequences of what the landscapes look like today, from the Marne to Przemysl, and even some rare color photos from the period.
Of course, some of the interpretations are judgement calls. I personally think the Germans get off rather easily in the discussion of war origins (the famous "blank check" is interpreted in the traditional sense as more of an accident than the Fritz Fischer view of a deliberate provocation for war). But this is more than made up in coverage of German, Austrian, and Turkish atrocities (though there is some mention of what the Russians did in East Prussia in 1914 and how they treated Jewish populations in general in Eastern Europe). If you're using the series in school classes, coverage of these issues makes excellent starting points for further discussion.
Finally, a note on the packaging. The four DVDs come in a handsome box with maps of the major areas of conflict. There is also a 32-page pamphlet of Viewing Notes. Since the overall packaging is so good, some minor oversights are a bit surprising. First, while the contents of each DVD are spelled out on the box and in the pamphlet, they are not actually printed on the DVDs themselves. All you get are the disk numbers. So, if you're a teacher and use them a lot and the box wears out, you might have some trouble remembering which program is on which disk. Navigation is also a bit more difficult than it needs to be. Each program is broken into four segments, but there is no selection item on any of the main menus on the disk for scene selection. To get to the scene menu pages, you have to either have a remote that distinguishes between main and root menus, or else you start the episode you want to watch and then select the menu option on the remote to get the page with the scene choices.
Overall, The First World War is a bargain for the price. It is serious about showing what the war was really like, and in keeping Hollywood to a minimum.
excellent introduction December 28, 2005
Douglas R. Wieringa (Normandy Park, WA USA)
26 out of 26 found this review helpful
I've read a lot about WWII, and have a decent understanding of period in history. Yet I can't say the same thing about WWI, which has never been that accessible to me. I am familiar with some of the campaigns (for example, from reading Alan Moorehead's excellent Gallipoli), but my attempts to slog through some of the longer, more comprehensive histories (such as Hew Strachan's 1200-page To Arms) left me swimming in details but not understanding the "big picture" of the war.
Until I watched The First World War. It's a fantastic introduction to the war-why it was fought, how it was fought, and why it mattered, and still matters today. Everything makes a lot more sense to me now, and I feel like I can dig deeper into specific areas of interest. So, if you're like me-frustrated in your attempts to understand a pivotal event in 20th-century history--spend eight hours watching this DVD. You won't be sorry.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 89
|
|
|
CERTAIN CONTENT THAT APPEARS ON THIS SITE COMES FROM AMAZON SERVICES LLC. THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED ‘AS IS’ AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE OR REMOVAL AT ANY TIME. Powered by Associate-O-Matic
| |
