Product Details

• Actors: Robert Powell, Dai Bao, Fulgencio Batista, David Beatty, Ahmed Ben Bella
• Producers: Jonathan Martin, Philip Nugus
• Format: Box set, Black & White, Color, NTSC
• Language: English
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 5
• Studio: Time-Life Video & Te
• VHS Release Date: October 25, 1996
• Run Time: 260 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 0783585705
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #561,950 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

53 of 56 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Well-rounded treatment of 20th Century conflicts., February 19, 2004

By 

John A. Kuczma "RogueUlfric" (Marietta, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Century of Warfare (DVD)

The Century of Warfare is a somewhat inconsistent but generally satisfying production that mixes flashes of brilliance with equal doses of mediocrity.

The strength of this set lies in attention to detail, such as the strong opening episode which examines the political and social make-up of the world from the late 1800s up to the start of the First World War. Factors often overlooked by more conventional military history video productions are given their just due, including a refreshingly thorough examination of the Balkan tinderbox.

World War I is given very detailed treatment, particularly in lesser known theaters. For example, the episode entitled Battle Fleets and U-Boats takes the time to cover many secondary naval clashes, as opposed to the usual tunnel-vision emphasis on submarine warfare and the Battle of Jutland.

World War II is a weak spot, primarily because there are more comprehensive works available, in particular the masterful "World at War" series. However, given the overall scope of The Century of Warfare, these are relatively minor weaknesses.

The Korean Conflict is given more than a cursory look, another conspicuous plus for this production. Many minor conflicts which have been largely ignored (at least by Western historians) are also covered.

Production values are excellent, relying on historical footage with no attempt to edit or correct flaws. This insistence on authentic images imparts an almost tangible immediacy and power to the series.

The one serious weakness is in the narration. Robert Powell's droning, monotonous reading of the script is an excellent prescription for insomnia but does little to support what is often a powerful and gripping visual record.

Taken as a whole, the strengths of The Century of Warfare far outweigh its few weaknesses. This is a superior overview of 20th century armed conflicts, a legitimate bargain for students of military history or anyone wishing to see a major factor in this dynamic and too often tragic period of time.

18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars college level history lessons, December 18, 2005

By 

it (Sunnyvale, CA USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Century of Warfare (DVD)

This is real history given at the freshman college level. The main information is in the audio with the video as illustrations.

This is in stark contrast to the junior high school level journalism-propaganda type programs on PBS that pass for history lessons.

One shortcoming is that it does not give enough time to the espionage operations of the wars. Another is some minor errors. For example the Bismark is claimed to have been sunk. The captain claimed it was scuttled. Underwater photos of the wreck confirm this.

There are some errors. In the Vietnam portion they describe a general rotating out after two years (standard Army practice) as being relieved of his command. They fail to mention that the final collapse was caused by congress cutting off resupply of critical items such as ammunition. Tet 68 was a US victory. Almost of the Vietcong were killed when they fought to the death instead of retreating. After that the war was carried on by regular army troops of the north who wore civilian clothes. Another error was their inferring that the US public in general had turned against the war by 1972 or so. Nixon won the election by the second greatest landslide in presidential election history. He won over the other candidate who wanted to stop the war immediately and withdraw immediately.

20 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars If it weren't for the British ..., June 12, 2006

By 

tjc (BURR RIDGE, ILLINOIS USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Century of Warfare (DVD)

I just recently purchased this DVD set and I am, for the most part, happy with it. I also own the Victory at Sea and The World at War DVD sets and this is a good addition to my collection. V at S and W at W deal only with WW II, so the value of C of W is it's dealing with other 20th century conflicts.

If you are considering buying this collection, please understand that this is a British production (with a British narrator) and has a decidedly British point of view. This should not keep you from purchasing Century of Warfare.

The 20th century is often refered to as the "American Century" for good reason, but you may not get that feeling or understanding from this DVD collection. After watching this, you may get the idea that Great Britain is still a super power as it was at the dawn of the 20th century. That's OK, the videos in this collection are excellent and, even in it's treatment of WW II, there are videos that I have not seen in V at S or W at W.

As for the narration, it has been criticized in other reviews as dull and monotonous. Well, as I said, the narrator is British and he does keep that famous "stiff upper lip," but the narration is insightful and well done.

The Century of Warfare goes beyond just the military aspect of the century and delves into the political, economic, and social events of the century. Yes, Great Britain was a super power at the beginning of the 20th century and the wars she fought took its toll on this nation in more than the loss of life. Perhaps a lesson that should not be lost on the United States today.