Product Details

• Actors: BBC Atlas of the Natural World
• Format: Box set, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 6
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: BBC Worldwide
• DVD Release Date: October 31, 2006
• Run Time: 1055 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000HC2LX0
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #88,411 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

This staggeringly beautiful collection of four BBC series about the natural (and often social) history of the Americas and Antarctica is something to behold. Rich in endless detail yet satisfying as an integrated vision of continental eco-systems, BBC Atlas of the Natural World makes our planet look like a miraculous place indeed, with an astonishing diversity of wildlife and habitats. The story of human migration across Western lands figures into several of this box set's 18 hours of viewing, providing a subjective view of the environments which people explored and settled over many thousands of years.

Central America is the subject of the four-part "Spirits of the Jaguar," which begins with Mayan creation myths about a battle between gods leading to the formation of the Earth. In fact, islands of the Caribbean were forged by volcanoes 150 million years ago, with plant and animal life following some 70 million years later. Typical of BBC Atlas of the Natural World is the extraordinary photography in this program: frogs and insects suddenly caught in flowing tree sap, crocodiles leaping to pull prey from trees. The story of the Mayans—farmers, astronomers, inventors—moving from the deserts of Mexico down to the jungles of Central America, their lives sustained by slash-and-burn agriculture and good nutrition, is told. So is the tale of the lost civilization of the Aztecs, wanderers for ten generations, viewing themselves as a chosen people, extinguishers of other peoples in Mexico and ultimately destroyed themselves by Spanish conquistadors.

"Land of the Eagle" is a four-part, eye-opening history of North America’s transition from home to 10.000 years of native peoples to carved-up European territories eventually devoid of many natural wonders (including buffalo and massive forests). This melancholy story of paradise exploited is offset by remarkable cinematography of wolves, grizzlies, snakes, beavers and birds, while "Wild South America," with its own quartet of episodes, is equally dazzling in its nature photography. South America looks like a magical place of dramatic beauty in this series, a continent once joined to Australia (the two lands share an abundance of marsupials) and home to the world's largest mountain chain and a river (the Amazon) that carries one-fifth of Earth's water. The incredible sights of the Andes and Patagonia (the latter so near Antarctica) are almost indescribable. Speaking of the bottom of the world, "Life In the Freezer," in six epsiodes, is one of the BBC's most splendid productions, a tour of Antarctica hosted by Davd Attenborough that is far more compelling than March of the Penguins. --Tom Keogh

Product Description

BBC ATLAS OF THE NATURAL WORLD:WESTER - DVD Movie

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great BBC Nature Documentary, December 2, 2007

By 

Dijon "djohn48946" (Brooklyn Center, MN USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: BBC Atlas of the Natural World - Western Hemisphere and Anarctica (Land of the Eagle / Spirits of the Jaguar / Wild South America / Life in the Freezer) (DVD)

I knew prior to ordering this set, sight unseen, that it would be very good but it surpassed my expectations. The BBC is probably the foremost producer of outstanding nature documentaries and in this series lies the proof. The BBC Atlas explores how geology, and human history among other factors formed the Continents as we know them today. It covers how humans altered and adapted to life in North & South America and Antarctica with fabulous visuals and amazing photography. Ranging from pre-history right up to the 21st century we see how man and animals have co-existed through the ages and adapted to the environment as it has gone thru various changes. All the various narrators of segments are excellent, especially Sir David Attenborough. I highly recommend both sets.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ASTOUNDINGLY FANTASTIC NATURE SERIES, September 7, 2007

By 

CelticNatureBoy (Ohio) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: BBC Atlas of the Natural World - Western Hemisphere and Anarctica (Land of the Eagle / Spirits of the Jaguar / Wild South America / Life in the Freezer) (DVD)

This series has very good explanations of how wild life is affected by the environment; how it affects their life style, behavior, diet, etc. The greatest diversity of environments and creatures of any nature series I have ever seen. Fantastic cinematography. No gory scenes of predators killing prey. Just a broad coverage of the web which makes up all life in the Americas. Many of the natural environments and life styles are now extinct and can only be seen in this nature series. A scientific presentation with great humor and appeal. I own a large library of nature and wildlife DVD; this is one of the very very best. I have waited for this one to come out on DVD for a long time.

3.0 out of 5 stars Quite Good, March 23, 2009

By 

Adonis Karmiotis - See all my reviews
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This review is from: BBC Atlas of the Natural World - Western Hemisphere and Anarctica (Land of the Eagle / Spirits of the Jaguar / Wild South America / Life in the Freezer) (DVD)

Not as good as BBC ATLAS OF THE NATURAL WORLD AFRICA AND EUROPE.. BUT STILL ITS GOOD