BBC History of World War II
With 30 hours of programming in 10 volumes and three full-length bonus programs, theBBC History of World War IIgoes beyond evenThe World at Warfor its depth of scope, its breadth of analyses, and the high quality of its production values. This ambitious project by producer Laurence Rees, which also features a collector's booklet, is full of startling archival footage and illuminating eyewitness interviews that bring to life some of the most monumental events from the most monumental war in human history.The focus on this set is clearly the war in Europe (only one disc,Horror in the East, is dedicated to the war with Japan) as told from an even-handed British perspective: interviews with German citizens make it understandable how Hitler appealed to a shattered and defeated nation, for example, and theThe Road to Warscrutinizes how a British government was caught unprepared for a re-armed Germany bent on domination. The collection is filled with poignantly fascinating 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, or footage of Hitler's early political speeches, raging promises of things to come.Roughly chronologically arranged, the set starts withThe Nazis: A Warning from History, and works its way through all facets of the war, including the legacy of the Holocaust. (Some of the titles were previously released as single DVDs.) The presentation is particularly impressive. Each series has its own style:Dunkirkis a drama-documentary structured like a miniseries and reenactments are deftly interwoven with archival footage in a convincing motif.  InWar 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 collection succeeds brilliantly in making it clear to a modern-day viewer what it was really like to live through those times.For the war buff, the history enthusiast, the educator, or someone looking for a gift for any of the above, theBBC History of World War IIis a title to consider. Even dedicated viewers ofthe History Channelwill find something new and fascinating here.--Dan Vancini