05/17/2003 Entry: ""
Posted by Maynard @ 12:06 PM MST
The World At War
There are some things that people have to know about. World War 2 is one of them, since it has shaped the events of the past 60 years and will continue to do so for the foreseable future. The best video history of the War that I know of is The World At War, made by Sir Jeremy Isaacs for the BBC in the early 1970s. Narrated by Sir Laurence Olivier, it goes into great detail, not only of the battles, but of the people.
Every episode in the series begins with the series plaque rising in flames. It then morphs while the flames burn into various pictures of people no one knows, the people whose lives were permanently changed by the War. It finishes with a skull and an ominous chord delivering the misery of war with force. Isaacs wanted to convey the human side of the War while at the same time delivering a historical view of its significance and impact. He accomplished his goal very well.
The series is 24 episodes long, each one approximately 50 minutes. There is a bonus disk with eight hours of material on it, covering several parts of the series that were left on the cutting room floor. Each episode focuses on one particular aspect of the war, giving the perspectives on the events covered from both sides of the fighting. Isaacs, before production started, asked a historian what the 15 most influential battles were in the war. He made these battles into episodes and used the remaining episodes to convey the civilian side, since this was the first war that was waged against civilian as well as military targets. His coverage of the life of civilians in the war is excellent.
The coverage is factual as well as moving. Whenever the story of one of the occupied countries is told, the facts of the brutalities are not spared. No apologies are made for the Axis powers and their actions. Indeed, this moral absolutism is welcome, despite being 30 years old. Even Truman and the decision to use the bomb is treated with the absolute measure. An entire episode is devoted to the interplay between the Soviets, Americans, and Japanese. In the end, Truman is portrayed as making the best decision under the circumstances, but I have come to the conclusion that a better one existed. I believe a demonstration should have been made to a Japanese envoy, sent with a message that their cities would be bombed in similar fashion if they did not surrender. They discuss this a little in the episode, I wish it had been expounded on.
Steven Ambrose makes an appearance on disk 4 with the astute observation that World War 2 was a European war but the victors were not. Namely, Germany was destroyed, France was not much better, and England was bled of her treasure and territory. The Soviets gained a buffer against Europe, the one thing they had wanted the most, and America became the world's first superpower. His analysis is both good and concise, and it demonstrates how the second half of the 20th century was shaped by events in its middle. Indeed, it explains the behavior of France, Germany, and Belgium today. Today we must remember that Europe has no WW2 heroes. England does, the Russians do, and America does. The stigma of defeat in war makes a nation very hesitant to enter conflict again, even if the defeat was enforced by another nation.
This series is highly recommended, both as an individual purchase and as a gift. It is complete in its coverage of all aspects of the War and makes an excellent complement to any library. Besides, you get the bonus treat of seeing Steven Ambrose in a turtleneck and shoulder length hair.
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