WWII in HD Blu-ray

While the product image of this looked a little sketchy, the product itself is great. It was definitely powerful to watch original footage of WWII, and I appreciated that this particular DVD paired the footage with firsthand narratives that personalized the war experience. The perspectives included were interestingly varied and allowed the narrative to range around the world rather than focusing on a particular theater. This was definitely a worthwhile way to expand our knowledge of this important piece of history. Read more

My father got me interested in World War 2 by lending me his copy of "Why We Fight". I enjoyed it so much I purchased a number of color documentaries such as "Hitler in Color" and "World War 2 in Color" - both are available from Amazon and both are very worthwhile. Still wanting more I purchased this set. I thought I knew a lot about the war - as a child I had watched 1974's "The World at War", and I had heard my mother and father talk about their experiences growing up through it. We learnt about it at school - a little anyways. I knew the Allies won and Germany lost. I knew about the atomic bomb. In color, it all seems so much more alive. This documentary takes you there. The stories which are interwoven with the pictures are fascinating and beautiful, shocking and inspiring all at once. I could not take my eyes off of it. I laughed. I cried. I did not want this documentary to end. The editing is superb. The footage amazing. The affect mesmerizing. Everyone involved with this project deserve the highest accolades. It should be compulsory viewing for teenage children to help them understand the reality of war. This documentary is a masterpiece and essential viewing. Don't miss it! 100 out of 100. Read more

I have only watched the first 6 episodes in this series, but they are GREAT so far. Gary Sinise narates (great job, love his voice) stories from a handful of veterans of WWII. It's only drawback is that all the veterans are from the United States. Amazing in thier own right, as an avid fan of WWII history, I would love to see one day a similar series with UK, USSR, German, Italian, French, Japanese, etc... accounts too. Back to this series though... it is GREAT! These accounts are personal, dotted with pictures, letters, correspondance and many movies. Actors voice over for the veterans and all do an admirable job, while the actual veterans are interviewed quite a bit as well. Fascinating sweeping stories cover all of the war, all theatres. Not good for the massive big picture view of the war, but EXCELLENT for the nitty-gritty up close and personal experiences. Anyone interested in history, espcially WWII era, should not miss this. Where as many documentaries that cover the bigger picture, will over time, end up giving you the same information... these up close stories give you a fresh perspective on an era long passed. See this! Read more

America had just started it's coming out of the world war & my uncles were starting new families. Most were all WW ll vets never talking about it for 50 yrs. History of it wasn't taught in any kind of detailed facts, just general dates of it starting & ending. I grew up asking about what America went through just before I was born in a new generation they called " The Baby Boon " .. It took many years of facts from government records, eye witness accounts & private letters & pictures of the Dads , Uncles & Brothers who fought this war hidden away in attics. I had known so many families including my own that had not known how or why a family member that passed away had these war medals upon them in the casket They simply didn't know what they did in the war. I can't blame the vet when all they wanted was to forget the horrors of war & start out a family in the late 1940s & early 50s. This WWII disc will fill in all the gaps & more. One may even see pictures of your Dad or Uncle's units they fought with. It is note worthy to say that through all these years passed by, the VFW & American Legion were always there for families of our war vets. History should be told & shown in detail with & without the propaganda that often gets used by the evil ones. To know history is to learn from it. This war was shared by all & in the home front of America & England. Everyone had to live without some of the niceties of home, rationing of gas, foods, wares & air raid alerts at night. Women had to work mothers & grand parents. The back yard vegetable gardens of today came from Victory gardens family had, to add more food for households. News accounts of the war would be shown at movie theaters & broadcast over the air on radio which many families gathered around to hear of their loved ones fighting the wars in Europe & the Pacific theaters. It was scary for many to hear of the events going on half way around the world. If there were Televisions & DVD players in the day 70 yrs ago, family members would of been so distraught seeing the war that some would of fainted seeing this collection of WWII. You watch this collection & you will know what your Grandfathers, Uncles, Cousins had to go through. Hitler had a list of American cities he wanted to bomb & the Japs actually sending balloon bombs over the US mainland. It was truly amazing how we won this war fought on so many fronts with our guard down & a military build up of forces 100 fold in such a short period. . God Bless the Greatest Generation in WWII! Read more

This may be the best docuseries on WW2 I've seen. Although it's not possible to capture every detail of that great struggle, the accumulated footage reflects the sacrifices of the "silent generation;" it makes a deep impression eighty years later. Some scenes moved me to tears. The final episode revealed the hell of Hitler's death camps like I've never seen. I don't know how our soldiers managed to stomach the experience of witnessing such incredible inhumanity. Now we know what evil men are capable of committing. Freedom loving people need to always maintain the discipline and resolve to preserve liberty for our children's future; just as our fathers did for us. Read more