Product Details

• Actors: BBC Atlas of the Natural World
• Format: Box set, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 6
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: BBC Warner
• DVD Release Date: October 31, 2006
• Run Time: 1055 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000HC2LX0
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #26,799 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

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  Movies & TV > Television > BBC > Nature & Wildlife

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

This staggeringly beautiful collection of four BBC series about the natural (and often social) history of the Americas and Antarctica is something to behold. Rich in endless detail yet satisfying as an integrated vision of continental eco-systems, BBC Atlas of the Natural World makes our planet look like a miraculous place indeed, with an astonishing diversity of wildlife and habitats. The story of human migration across Western lands figures into several of this box set's 18 hours of viewing, providing a subjective view of the environments which people explored and settled over many thousands of years.

Central America is the subject of the four-part "Spirits of the Jaguar," which begins with Mayan creation myths about a battle between gods leading to the formation of the Earth. In fact, islands of the Caribbean were forged by volcanoes 150 million years ago, with plant and animal life following some 70 million years later. Typical of BBC Atlas of the Natural World is the extraordinary photography in this program: frogs and insects suddenly caught in flowing tree sap, crocodiles leaping to pull prey from trees. The story of the Mayans—farmers, astronomers, inventors—moving from the deserts of Mexico down to the jungles of Central America, their lives sustained by slash-and-burn agriculture and good nutrition, is told. So is the tale of the lost civilization of the Aztecs, wanderers for ten generations, viewing themselves as a chosen people, extinguishers of other peoples in Mexico and ultimately destroyed themselves by Spanish conquistadors.

"Land of the Eagle" is a four-part, eye-opening history of North America’s transition from home to 10.000 years of native peoples to carved-up European territories eventually devoid of many natural wonders (including buffalo and massive forests). This melancholy story of paradise exploited is offset by remarkable cinematography of wolves, grizzlies, snakes, beavers and birds, while "Wild South America," with its own quartet of episodes, is equally dazzling in its nature photography. South America looks like a magical place of dramatic beauty in this series, a continent once joined to Australia (the two lands share an abundance of marsupials) and home to the world's largest mountain chain and a river (the Amazon) that carries one-fifth of Earth's water. The incredible sights of the Andes and Patagonia (the latter so near Antarctica) are almost indescribable. Speaking of the bottom of the world, "Life In the Freezer," in six epsiodes, is one of the BBC's most splendid productions, a tour of Antarctica hosted by Davd Attenborough that is far more compelling than March of the Penguins. --Tom Keogh

Product Description

The first release in BBC Video's ambitious Atlas of the Natural World series presents an in-depth look at the Western Hemisphere and Antarctica. This six-disc set brings together four landmark BBC series that combine to give one of the most comprehensive portraits of the Americas and Antarctica ever assembled. In over 18 hours of programming viewers will explore the vast richness of the land, wildlife and peoples of North America (Land of the Eagle), Central America (Spirits of the Jaguar) South America (Wild South America) and Antarctica (Life in the Freezer).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ASTOUNDINGLY FANTASTIC NATURE SERIES, September 7, 2007

By	CelticNatureBoy "CelticNatureBoy" (Ohio) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This series has very good explanations of how wild life is affected by the environment; how it affects their life style, behavior, diet, etc. The greatest diversity of environments and creatures of any nature series I have ever seen. Fantastic cinematography. No gory scenes of predators killing prey. Just a broad coverage of the web which makes up all life in the Americas. A scientific presentation with great humor and appeal. I own a large library of nature and wildlife DVD; this is one of the very very best. I have waited for this one to come out on DVD for a long time.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great BBC Nature Documentary, December 2, 2007

By	Dijon "djohn48946" (Brooklyn Center, MN USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

I knew prior to ordering this set, sight unseen, that it would be very good but it surpassed my expectations. The BBC is probably the foremost producer of outstanding nature documentaries and in this series lies the proof. The BBC Atlas explores how geology, and human history among other factors formed the Continents as we know them today. It covers how humans altered and adapted to life in North & South America and Antarctica with fabulous visuals and amazing photography. Ranging from pre-history right up to the 21st century we see how man and animals have co-existed through the ages and adapted to the environment as it has gone thru various changes. All the various narrators of segments are excellent, especially Sir David Attenborough. I highly recommend both sets.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Perfect (natural ) Storm !!, April 5, 2008

By	Wayne Beaupre "man-of-the-worldly-1's" (constant global traveller, Texas based.) - See all my reviews

This series on the Natural world is as good as it gets ! Anyone who has not viewed this magnificent set of DVDs has no idea what they are missing.

The recent series ' Planet Earth ' - also remarkable - is not as intense, is not as defining, and is not as awe inspiring as is this production !
Secondly, the Planet Earth item focuses more on the action of the predator claiming its victim ... I assume to match today's demand for violent, shocking viewing. This Atlas of the Natural World avoids this unnecessary predator/prey activity, going only as far as showing up to where the prey will notescape - moving on without the blood, gore & deaths. A very pleasant surprise to those of us who realize this predator/prey activity is there but don't need to always see the details of the killing/death.

All of that, plus the man who has no peer - David Attenborough !

Being an educated, professional male of 60 years, I can say this : I have NEVER seen better than this program on the natural world ... EVER !!
Words such as ' stunning, breath taking, awe inspiring, and beautiful ' would be the ones I will use to describe this outstanding & refreshing product !!