Product Details

• Actors: David McCullough
• Format: NTSC
• Language: English
• Rated: Unrated
• Number of tapes: 2
• Studio: Pbs (Direct)
• VHS Release Date: November 14, 2000
• Run Time: 240 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00004ZB6O
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #194,825 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent documentary, August 9, 2002

By 

W. B. Smith (Auckland New Zealand) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Empires - Napoleon (DVD)

For some strange reason when I purchased this DVD I thought it was a film rather than a documentary. However I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of this 4 hour documentary which is all included on one double sided DVD. The documentary looks at Napoleon's life from the cradle to the grave and includes all facets of his life not just his military genius. That is not to say that Napoleons battles are ommitted as his major campaigns are examined and the reasons which brought them about (including his proposed invasion of Britain).

Napoleon who was of Corsican birth orginally despised the French but in time came to love France and saw himself not only as defender of the revolution but almost as the crusade againsnt monarchism in Europe. Napoleon strongly beleived in his star and will power.

The documentary makes great use of Napoleonic art work and historians from France, Russia, Germany, Britain and the USA (including Colonel John R Etling co author of "A Military History and Atlas of the Napoleonic Wars"). There are also some battle recreations but only on a small scale.

The documentary does a fine job of trying to cover everything or is much as it can in 4 one hour parts, from childhood, solidering, Josephine, the Grand Army, changes brought about in France, master of Europe, exile and death.

I thoroughly enjoyed watching this DVD and recommend it to anyone with an interest in history or the Napoleonic wars. The only disappointment was the colour quality, for red seemed to look more like purple on occassions. For that reason alone I have not given 5 stars.

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A cinematic coup !, December 4, 2000

By 

W.Khan - See all my reviews

This review is from: Napoleon (PBS Empires Series) [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This is a marvelously evocative and breathtakingly detailed look at the life of "the little Corsican" who rose from nowhere to shake the very foundations of early 19th century Europe.The life of Napolean has held me spellbound ever since I first read Emil Ludwig's biography of Bonaparte when I was 13.Nothing has diminished that sense of awe and wonderment over the intervening years.Grubin's documentary has superlatively captured the sense of mystery that Goethe must have felt when he wrote that there has to be something more to Bonaprte's life than is conveyed in a standard biography . Grubin starts off with Corsica where Napolean was born to Italian parents who had fallen on hard times and follows in his footsteps to school in Paris where he was a lonely, miserable & poor foreigner with a bad French accent .His quick rise through the ranks in the post revolutionary France is explained with some magnificent photography of the seige of Toulon (where he came to prominence for the first time).His love affair & marriage to the coquetish & fickle Josephine , campaigns in Italy and Egypt and his assumption of the French throne in 1805 are recreated against the background of breathtaking period costumes , paintings ,music and marvelous commentary from Napolean scholars .The latter half of the documentary deals with the consolidation of his power and the beginning of the end for him with the Peninsular war in Spain and the disastrous Russian campaign .His abdication and brief exile to Elba followed by his heroic escape to France and the "100 day reign" is probably the best part of the documentary .The battle of Waterloo is recreated in minute detail followed by his defeat and banishment to Elba where he died in 1821.This docudrama is a must see for all history buffs & Bonaparte aficianados !

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderfully Entertaining & Informative!, November 17, 2000

By 

littleboots "littleboots" (hudson, fl USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Napoleon (PBS Empires Series) [VHS] (VHS Tape)

If your tired of the boring biographies covering Napoleon, than this one's for you. This masterfully produced video set is both entertaining and informative. This film delves deep into the soul of the great emperor. From the cinematic splendor of the great battle scenes to the heartwarming love he felt for the people of France and his beloved Josephine, you'll walk away from this film with the feeling that you stood right next to this man throughout his trials and tribulations. A must see for any student of history and lover of greatness. A+++