Customer Reviews

Guadalcanal: The Island of Death

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

IN A NUTSHELL:

Broken into 18 chapters which play for almost 3 hours, the numerous land and naval battles on and around Guadalcanal in 1942-1943 are closely examined.

'Guadalcanal: The Island of Death' uses narration by Dale Reed, interviews and commentary by several historians and a half dozen American combatants, combined with maps, time-lines and very applicable real war footage from the battles. Presented in chronlogical order with graphics, strategic maps and film from the actual events it is possible to grasp the immense and varied struggles that went on fiercely for 6 months. Furthermore, the veterans of the battle are each from a completely different branch of the service which allows for a more balanced collective viewpoint. There is a 'Sea-bee', a 'Medic', a 'Navy Pilot', a 'P.T. Boat Crewman', an 18 year old [1942] 'Marine', all with different stories to tell and all somehow aid in making what happened more comprehensible.

---> CHAPTERS

1-PESTILENCE
2-WATCHTOWER
3-FIRST OFFENSIVE
4-THE BATTLE OF SAVO ISLAND
5-FIRST DAYS ASHORE
6-THE TENARU
7-THE BATTLE OF THE EASTERN SOLOMONS
8-BOREDOM & FEAR
9-THE BATTLE OF EDSON'S RIDGE
10-MATANIKAU RIVER ACTIONS
11-THE BATTLE OF CAPE ESPERANCE
12-THE BOMBARDMENT
13-THE BATTLE FOR HENDERSON FIELD
14-THE BATTLE OF THE SANTA CRUZ ISLANDS
15-ACTIONS AT POINT CRUZ & KOLI POINT
16-THE NAVAL BATTLE OF GUADALCANAL
17-THE SECOND NAVAL BATTLE OF GUADALCANAL
18-THE FINAL PUSH



SPECIAL FEATURE:

'INTERACTIVE TIMELINE OF MAJOR EVENTS' [21 minutes] from May 1942 - February 1943


BOTTOM LINE: VERY EASY TO FOLLOW FOR SO COMPLEX A STORY

Reminiscent of 'The World At War' in style and content, this single DVD gives a 3 hour treatment devoted entirely to the battles on the ground, the air, and the sea for the possession of a strategically situated deserted island in the South Pacific -- Guadalcanal.

Due to the enormous scale of WWII the individual campaigns and battles need to be compressed. This DVD spends 3 hrs discussing Guadalcanal from beginning to end. There is a nice outline of events with film footage and 1st hand accounts from veterans in all branches of service. Extremely interesting viewing, multiple times.

This DVD covered the Guadalcanal Campaign in a very clear manner with a minimum of distractions. Most of it was drawn from contemporary combat photography and had many scenes that I had not seen before, along with some that were more familiar. It will be useful to students of that time in history.

I'm an American History nut, and this is hands down the best documentary I've ever seen on any WWII battle or campaign.

You can see that there was a lot of effort and ambition put to this project and I must confess I find it a lot better than most American Documentaries, in that there is no repetition or strange pauses indicating commercial breaks.

This is a project done for the sake of the project and not to get a few dollars on the cheap. It follows the 1st Marines chronologically from the time they leave the US to New Zealand where they were scheduled for 6 months training but where soon sent of to fight a war in a campaign in Solomon Islands where neither side had planned for. Then the documentary follows events like they unfolded. This was a dangerous time and the outcome was far from certain in the opening months. The Japanese were at the zenith of conquest and the US was emerging as a military superpower.

The Guadalcanal Campaign is a very interesting one, it involves land, sea and air battles between two evenly matched enemies in very inhospitable terrain. Both sides score minor victories and suffer defeats but for a long time neither gets the upper hand.

It was at Guadalcanal that WW2 Marine Corps was Forged. The officers serving in the Campaign became its leaders and showed that they learned their lessons well and the Marines fighting there became their veteran core.

The documentary is a perfect blend of documentary footage (some very impressive), narration, scolary observations and the all important interviews with the veterans themselves.

I have no reservations to giving this 5 stars for it is easily among the best. I would also recommend "Fighting Lady" a contemporary documentary about a WW2 Aircraft Carrier.

This was a very informative DVD with an excellent detailed account of the Guadalcanal battle. It was a bloody struggle against a tenacious Japanese enemy. To hear the interviews with the veterens of the battle really brings out the true story of this great combined land and sea battle at the early stage of the war. It always make me proud of our US military heritage to learn of the brave and spirited fighting men of the 1st Marines and Navy. General Vandergrift was one of our finest military leaders.

This is a well documented history of the Guadalcanal campaign. There are numerous interviews with former Marines, Seabees and historians plus narration. Unfortunately, most of the ships involved in the naval battles are shown only in photos, not video. Some of the video is stock WWII and out of historical sequence relative to this campaign.

I was under impressed by this presentation. The dialogue is a direct lift from the fabulous "Victory At Sea" series. If you get that series you will be better off. I would not recommend this particular rendition.

Most WW2 documentaries simply rehash some of the more prominent points of a particular event. Then again, it's hard to cover any battle account in depth in a matter of the standard 30 to 60 minutes as most documentaries go.
This account clocks in at almost 3 hours but you would never know it. It covers the Guadalcanal campaign quite thoroughly, yet moves along at a pace that doesn't leave you wondering when it will end, as some documentaries are prone to.
This is quite simply one of the best documentaries of any WW2 military battle and will leave you feeling that you have gotten the most for your money. I would highly recommend it to both WW2 buffs or novice wanting to understand this important campaign.

Yes, this DVD is comprehensive and informative. BUT, at three hours long, don't expect other family members to share your level of interest and enthusiasm. (And they might have seen some of the movie clips before.)