Customer Reviews

The Complete Story: World War I

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In anticipation of the 50th anniversary of the onset of World War I in 1964, both the BBC in Britain and CBS in the United States produced epid documentary series on the history of the war (The Beeb's is called "The Great War"). Both are now available on DVD and I would have to say that someone who has a strong interest in the war and is interested in its visual images would find both series of interest. Besides the fact that naturally each tends to focus more on the war effort of the country that produced the series, there are other significant differences that make the two series complement each other. First of all, the CBS programs were made to fit into a half-hour time slot, so taking into consideration the commercials, each program is about 24 minutes long, whereas the BBC programs are over 40 minutes. In addition, the British series focuses almost exclusively on the military aspects of the war in addition to social and economic conditions in Britain. The BBC series added interviews with people who participated in the war, whereas the Americans relied only on archive films. The CBS series places less emphasis on the military course of the war but expands on the political and social forces that led up to the war and affected its conduct. Whereas "The Great War" simply mentions in passing the demoralization that occurred on the German home front that brought about Ludendorff's demands for an an armisitice, the CBS series devotes an entire program to what was happening inside Germany as the war progressed. A particularly interesting difference is that the CBS series devoted a significant amount of time to a detailed description of the Battle of Jutland in which the main battle fleets of Germany and Britain faced each other, whereas the BBC show just mentions it in passing (my theory is that since the battle was a tactical draw the British were not to interested in talking too much about it!) Finally, "The Great War" ends with the armisitice of 11 November 1918 showing deliriously happy crowds, whereas the American series devotes significant time showing how the indecisive end of the war and the subsequent Treaty of Versailles paved the way for the next, even more destructive war.

One drawback of the CBS film is that little explanation is given to the conduct of operations on the Eastern Front which "The Great War" discusses at length, possibly because in the 1960's there was a tendency to dismiss Russian history due to Cold War tensions.

I again strongly recommend both series to the viewer who really wants a comprehensive view of this war that radically altered the world in ways that are still being felt.

I remember watching this series on A&E television back in the 1980's. At the time I knew practically nothing about WW I. This show is very interesting and gets 5 stars for being complete without overwhelming the viewer. Each segment is about 22 minutes in length which made a half hour show on A&E with commericals. It is even better without them. The show takes in all areas of the war including the failed British and Australian invasion of the Daranelles and the disaster on the Gallipoli Peninsula in 1915. Robert Ryan's narration is excellent and his being an actor only adds to his narration abilities. If you want to really get a good understanding of WW 1 and it's causes and results, this is the dvd set for you.

Excellent documentary series produced by CBS News in the early sixties and superbly narrrated by the late Robert Ryan, still has an edge over the many others that were produced recently. Lots and lots of photographic and film footage, especially of the German invasion of neutral Belgium, the air and sea war, the sinking of the Lusitania, but sadly lacking in many other series. This series, some will call dated, yet remains remarkably comprehensive and engaging and well worth purchasing. If you like your history in large doses and complete like, for example, Will Durant's 11 volume comprehensive opus, The History of Civilization, then you will enjoy this three disc set. This set is available at Costco for about $19.95, where I purchased mine, rather than the $30.00 list price Amazon charges here.

The Complete Story of World War Iis a comprehensive look at The War To End All Wars. Produced by CBS television in the early 1960s and narrated by actor Robert Ryan, this unflinching 26 episode series rates right up with Victory At Sea as an early television war documentary. From the political intrigues that led nations to war, to life in the trenches, to the first air battles, all the way to the sad end, television just doesn't get much better than this. World War 1 was the first war able to be truly documented on motion camera. I'm glad this documentary was produced while the then almost fifty year old film was still viable. Who knows if it still even exists today. Highly recommended for history and war buffs.

This DVD comes in a three-volume set. It is narrated by Robert Ryan whose voice sets the tone for this truly monumental telling of an event that is still being felt by the world amost 100 years later.

It is non-political, it does not take sides, what it does is show with clarity and feeling the effect war had on the entire world. The social, economic, and political realities of the day are explained. I have a minor in history and I was impressed with the research and scholarly approach taken by the film makers in this epic documentary.

There are over 70 episodes within the three volume set. Everyone who watches will gain an appreciation for how WWI changed the geo-political landscape forever. After watching this series, you will be able to understand in depth what Lawrence of Arbia meant to the Arabs.

This DVD is worth 2x the price.

Not much to add to Rehovot's excellent review except for one nit pick: the series focuses too much on the USA. America's involvement in the Great War does not warrant 5 episodes out of 26. (Just as The World at War, the outstanding Thames series on the second world war, is weighted too heavily on Britain.) That said, this is a wonderful series. Certainly worth the time and money if you want to learn the basics of WWI. Watched it as a kid - enjoyed seeing it again.

This was easily in the same high category as "world At War" and Ken Berns' "Civil War" long before those series were ever conceived. From its tragic theme music to Robert Ryan's haunting narration, "World War I" shows the tragedy and futility of the conflict that totally wrecked any dreams the world had in the early twentieth century. This set also has an episode missing from a VHS set I had: "Tipperary and All That Jazz", a collection of the songs of the Great War. This series is worth having just for the remastered film taken at that time alone. I don't think these scenes exist anywhere else except in government archives. Well worth any price.

By far the best on WW I.
These discs have some of the rarest footage I have seen including live scenes of MacArthur, FDR, George Marshall, Harry Truman etc.
It is especially strong on the Eastern Front 1914 - 1918, The Russian Revolution,
The Italian Campaigns, The Western Front ,the Ottoman Empire and the rise of the Young Turks, The Hapsburgs, the Archduke,Germany, Air Power, Sea Power and Land Power.

It is exceptionally strong on America and its involvement " Over Here " and " Over There ". For example it covers the early 1900 punitive expeditions into Mexico by Pershing: " ... a young officer on his staff favors the tactics of a Western Gunfighter - his name is George S. Patton - Pershing nicknames him ' The Bandit ' .
It is weak on the African Front, the Commonwealth.

Most enjoyable for me was 45 minutes of
" The Songs of World war I - Tipperary and all that Jazz"

I watch this these 3 discs once a month and always come back to it.

BY FAR the best WW I discs on the market - makes the rest look like Grade 8 stuff.

Buy it and love it !

I haven't seen other documentaries on World War I. Only this one. Still, I own several documentaries on World War II, and The Complete Story: World War I is superb. It's beautifully narrated, in a pithy, easy-to-understand narrative and the images are first class. This collection is designed to give the viewers a "big picture" of the so-called "War to End all Wars." While it shows all of the major battles, it is not intended for military buffs but to an audience that cares about the politics behind the major military decisions, the role of the ordinary people, their plight, and the spreading of the conflict even to Japan and China. Also, it takes into account the early surrender of Russia and the rise of Lenin's Soviet Union. To sum up, it offers a great panoramic view of the conflict.
My only complain is that this great documentary does not have subtitles. There are some names (especially Turkish, German, and Russian generals and commanders) that are difficult to pronounce or to spell.
Highly recommended!

...hinders the otherwise pretty excellent coverage. I bought this one after purchasing The First World War, based on Hew Strachan's book, and much prefer that one because of the seeming freshness of the material and the superb narration by Jonathan Lewis who also wrote, produced and directed the project. The narrative here by Robert Ryan (Hollywood Actor) is not nearly as good, is hard to stay interested in (after hearing Lewis) and, as another reviewer mentioned, seems dated. I found it to be performed in almost a monotone, whereas Lewis' narrative in The First World War is full of emotion and inflection. Don't know if this helps but to me, that seems to be the primary difference. Overall, I just found The First World War to be more interesting but again, this series is no slacker, either.