Product Details

• Actors: Michael Lewis (XX), Leonard Graves
• Directors: M. Clay Adams
• Format: Box set, Black & White, Color, HiFi Sound, NTSC
• Language: English
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 6
• Studio: New Line Home Video
• VHS Release Date: September 30, 1997
• Run Time: 668 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 0780608992
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #141,547 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

VHS Boxed Set

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

53 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Victory at Sea" -- A Victory to See, November 11, 2002

By 

Lawrence C. Reid (Fairfield, Connecticut United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Victory at Sea 1-6 (6pc VHS): The Most Famous Award Winning Historical Drama of World War II: Special Collectors Edition (VHS Tape)

Probably the most extraordinary documentary of World War II ever produced for television, the original 26 episodes of "Victory at Sea" have been collated into six VHS tapes. To own the original 26 volumes on individual tapes is a collector's treasure indeed. Virtually impossible to find in that format and, if you can find it, good luck on the price!

Starting with "Prelude to War," each episode of the series focuses on a distinct naval engagement or campaign in the Second World War. Captured enemy film from various Axis sources enhances the vast collection of U.S. Navy and other Allied and private sources used to compile each episode. The narration by Leonard Graves is superb and the writing for the narration is equally prominent. Narration is always just right and never excessive allowing the viewer to relish the award-winning musical score with its familiar and sometimes haunting refrains. Three long-playing recordings of the original soundtrack and variations thereof from the series were released in the heyday of "high fidelity" recordings. Soundtrack CDs are currently available for those who enjoy the music as much as the video images.

All footage is in black and white and there are some technical "deficiencies" for the purists among the viewing audience. However, considering the series made its television debut in 1952, the historical accuracy, content and balanced perspective are truly remarkable. In the episode centered around the climactic naval and island battle for Okinawa, Leonard Graves describes the kamikaze threat to the U.S. fleet off the island as a "duel between gunners who fight to live and pilots who fight to die." There is no judgment of kamikaze fanaticism a mere seven years after the end of the war. Episode after episode, it is a factual account of what occurred on the vast oceans and seas of the world without political inclination of any sort.

"Victory at Sea" is a true classic documentary of American television with the bonus of one of the most enduring soundtracks of any film presentation of any kind. It is a mandatory addition to the video library of anyone interested in World War II -- especially all aspects of the war at sea. Selections from the series should be used to educate the youth of the nation in the secondary schools to convey the scale and sacrifice of so many six decades ago.

58 of 59 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Victory at Sea equals Quality Documentary, August 26, 2000

By 

A Customer - See all my reviews

This review is from: Victory at Sea 1-6 (6pc VHS): The Most Famous Award Winning Historical Drama of World War II: Special Collectors Edition (VHS Tape)

The combination of Richard Rodgers music and Henry Salomon's direction makes this 26 part series the ultimate documentary of the Second World War, beginning with Hitler's U-Boats versus Britain in the Atlantic and ending with the war's termination, Japan's surrender and American/Allied servicemen landing back home. Leonard Grave's narration is superb as he intertwines his descriptions with Rodgers music to capture the war at sea, in the air and on the ground in theaters as diverse as North Africa and the Mediterranean to Dutch Harbor, Alaska and Okinawa in the Pacific. The music scores richly describe the national aspirations of both the Axis and Allies, and the film collected from diverse sources is used to paint a vivid and at times, painful picture of total war. Beneath the Southern Cross, the Magnetic North, Mediterranean Mosaic and the Pacific Boils Over are just a few of the episodes contained in this documentary. Victory at Sea is unmatched in showing the role of seapower in accomplishing victory over Germany, Italy and Japan. Perhaps it can be described as propaganda in the view of some, but not to this writer. It is the finest documentary describing war ever made.

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Older VHS vs new DVD, May 31, 2004

By 

qualuku (Beltsville, MD United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Victory at Sea 1-6 (6pc VHS): The Most Famous Award Winning Historical Drama of World War II: Special Collectors Edition (VHS Tape)

Buyer beware! The newer DVD set of this FABULOUS series is not up to the quality of this VHS edition. The DVDs are made by the History channel, and the sound quality is awful. This older VHS version, produced by New Line features (although on tape) has a much finer sound quality and even the video isn't that bad, compared to the lousey transfer of the DVDs.
These are still the finest chronicles of war footage AND narration that have been made of WWll, in my opinion. Try to get thru them without tearing up at the human sacrifice and bravery.

UPDATE: Mill Creek Entertainment now has a 3 disc DVD set for UNDER $10.00 with all the 26 episodes. I have compared them side by side PIP on my TV....Identical prints as the VHS tapes, only slightly sharper on the DVD's. Sound quality same as tapes, Great bargain!