Customer Reviews

National Geographic's Untold Stories of WWII

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This DVD has 3 ideas and the stories behind them. First is about Hitler's plan to build the A-Bomb, but the story is more about what the Allies did to try to stop it. Next up is about the mini-subs that Japanese sent in to Pearl Harbor, but it doesnt really speak of how they failed. It was more concerned with the background stories and the propanda involved. Lastly, about the Kamikazes. First time I had actually send one of the planes. All three stories are interesting, and worth watching. I dont regret buying this DVD.

This is a generally decent documentary of sorts, but it is not really what the packaging and description make it out to be. First of all, it is only 54 minutes in lenth (not 116 minutes), and it never even addresses the question "What if Hitler had the A-bomb?" Moreover, the subtitle of this DVD, "Three Secrets that changed the War," is hardly apropo since the DVD doesn't really reveal anything that was particularly not well known except for one issue. But even the less well known issue herein of Hitler's heavy water plant in Norway didn't affect the war by this program's own admission. ("Later the allies would learn that the Nazis were never close to an atomic breakthrough.") So resistance members in Norway who eventually were able to neutralize this supply of Nazi heavy water didn't really engineer something that really changed the war. Of course the story on how this was accomplished (by sinking a passenger ferry boat, after unsuccessful sabotage and bombing raids) is a fascinating one, but it is not really what this disc claims for it. Likewise, the other half of this program concerns the Japanese use of several mini-subs in their attack on Pearl Harbor and the ultimate use of kamikaze planes. The latter is anything but "an untold story of WW2" while the former was so unsuccessful that it didn't change anything regarding the outcome of the Japanese attack on Hawaii. "Hidden secrets revealed." Where? Certainly not on this (otherwise still interesing) program. So, do partake of this selection from the folks at National Geographic if such is your inclination, but don't expect the packaging/description to live up to its advertising. Actually, you be much better off in having a look at the (albeit far more expensive, but very thorough) "World at War" boxed set of over 2 dozen WW2 documentaries. Cheers to learning ever more about the Second World War.

As far as it goes, the movie was ok. IF I'd known it was a repeat of every TV history on the war was... well, I'd not have ordered it. Just wasn't anything really new or different.

The DVD shows some good things but I had higher expectations of it on reading the title. Also it is too short. Dont pay more than $2 for this