Product Details

• Format: Color, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Sony Pictures
• VHS Release Date: June 2, 1998
• Run Time: 50 minutes
• ASIN: 6302505992
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #612,899 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Students of contemporary U.S. military and geopolitical strategy can easily take for granted the important role played by today's fleet of modern naval aircraft carriers. Yet only a few decades ago, the deployment of these awesome weapons systems in the U.S. naval fleet was by no means guaranteed. Super-carriers, another documentary in the Combat at Sea series produced by US News Video, gives viewers a good, top-level overview into the roles these massive ships play in today's military strategy.

The video traces the controversial development and use of today's nuclear powered aircraft carriers--from the dawn of the Cold War to the Persian Gulf War in the early 1990s. Narrated by TV personality Monte Markham, the video skillfully combines footage from the Korean, Vietnamese, and Persian Gulf conflicts to tell the tale of how these third generation aircraft carriers earned their "super" distinction in the U.S. naval arsenal.

Although the documentary does an admirable job in describing the overall geopolitical role of super-carriers--from conducting antiterrorist activities to containing explosive regional conflicts--it unfortunately leaves viewers with inadequate understanding of the basic operation and daily life on these ships. Some may also find that the video has too much of a political bent in that it focuses extensively on attempting to justify the ships' expensive price tag. If you enjoy the big picture in modern military strategy--albeit from an American perspective--you will be rewarded by watching this video. However, if you're looking for an inside look into how sailors and aviators live on these big ships, you may be served better by looking elsewhere. --Mark Pendergrast