The World at War with Laurence Olivier: DVD Cover
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The World at War Cast: Laurence Olivier, Eric Porter

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  • DVD Release Date: 08/24/2004
  • Rating: Not Rated
  • Sales Rank: 353
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  • Overview
  • Editorial Reviews
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  • Customer Reviews
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Features

Bonus documentaries: "The Making of the Series," "Secretary to Hitler," "The Two Deaths of Adolf Hitler," "Warrior," "Hitler's Germany: The People's Community 1933-1939," "Hitler's Germany: Total War 1939-1945," "The Final Solution: Parts 1 and 2," and "From War to Peace"; "Making the Series" - A 30th anniversary feature-length retrospective; "Experiences of War" - Unseen interviews from the film archives of the Imperial War Museum; "The Making of The World at War"; Biographies; Gallery of photos from the Imperial War Museum collection

Full Product Details

Scene Index

Side #1 -- Vol. 1
1. National Socialism Gains Power [9:28]
2. Restoring Hope for a Future [10:37]
3. Economic and Social Recovery [11:24]
4. Peace Time Militarization [6:52]
5. European Tensions Increase [12:14]
6. Credits [1:13]
1. A State of War Declared [9:26]
2. The Defense of Britain [11:28]
3. English Morale Bolstered [5:18]
4. Norway and Finland Invaded [15:28]
5. Political Change in England [8:49]
6. Credits [1:11]
1. Tactics of an Older War [9:09]
2. Actions and Consequences [12:50]
3. The Invasion of France [8:46]
4. A Defeated Homeland [9:48]
5. Negotiations for Peace [10:30]
6. Credits [1:12]
1. Cast in a New Light [5:56]
2. Genuine Material Only [10:26]
3. Newsreels of a Nation [13:08]
4. Eyewitness Interviews [11:46]
5. Television Narrative [6:14]
6. Credits [:50]
Side #2 -- Vol. 2
1. The Retreat at Dunkirk [9:41]
2. For King and Country [9:35]
3. Battle Over Britain [11:51]
4. The Bombing of London [9:35]
5. North African Operations [9:34]
6. Credits [1:11]
1. Camouflaged Intentions [9:53]
2. Bitter Rivalries [10:01]
3. The Russian Frontier [10:37]
4. Moscow Under Siege [9:46]
5. No More Victories [10:48]
6. Credits [1:12]
1. Aggressive Actions [9:42]
2. Ultra Nationalism in Japan [10:38]
3. Politics of War [7:43]
4. The Attack on Pearl Harbor [11:56]
5. Conflicts in Southeast Asia [10:37]
6. Credits [1:12]
1. An Isolated Nation [9:58]
2. Arsenal of Democracy [9:39]
3. The Enemy Within [11:48]
4. Early Pacific Conflicts [7:54]
5. The Turning Point in the Pacific [11:58]
6. Credits [1:12]
Side #3 -- Vol. 3
1. Dreams of an Italian Empire [9:21]
2. The Desert Fox [11:19]
3. Tug of War [8:49]
4. Supply Line Importance [9:32]
5. Montgomery's Command [12:03]
6. Credits [1:12]
1. Into Southern Russia [9:39]
2. Not One Step Back [10:50]
3. Precarious Position [9:31]
4. Germans in the Pocket [10:11]
5. Never Surrender [10:19]
6. Credits [1:12]
1. Coastal Pirates [12:37]
2. Inside Information [5:59]
3. The Atlantic Lifeline [9:51]
4. Iron Coffins [12:32]
5. Final Days of the U-Boat [9:32]
6. Credits [1:12]
1. Scorched Earth [11:11]
2. The Siege of Leningrad [10:05]
3. A Season of Bitter Endurance [8:14]
4. An Inspired Confidence [9:48]
5. Russian Counterattack [12:08]
6. Credits [1:13]
Side #4 -- Vol. 4
1. Strategic Bombing [9:01]
2. Radar Improvements [9:05]
3. Close Formation Flying [12:17]
4. Escalated Efforts [8:47]
5. Deep in Enemy Territory [11:48]
6. Credits [1:12]
1. Operation Torch [10:29]
2. Invasion of Mainland Italy [10:45]
3. Changes of Attitudes [7:56]
4. The Anzio Abscess [10:20]
5. Destination: Rome [9:37]
6. Credits [1:11]
1. A Territorial Shield [9:47]
2. Burmese Expedition [9:28]
3. An Equal Ground [10:32]
4. Prisoners of War [9:29]
5. Pitched Battle [11:46]
6. Credits [1:13]
1. Civilian Services [9:09]
2. An Island Fortress [10:31]
3. Political Rivalries [8:44]
4. A War Economy [12:08]
5. Forward to the Front [10:34]
6. Credits [1:12]
Side #5 -- Vol. 5
1. A Triumphant Return Home [10:25]
2. An Eastern Enemy [9:56]
3. Total War Declared [9:17]
4. Race and Empire [9:24]
5. Political Resistance [12:06]
6. Credits [1:12]
1. The Dawn of a New Day [9:14]
2. Preparations for an Invasion [10:40]
3. Naval Bombardment [9:51]
4. Amphibious Assault [10:03]
5. Liberation at a Grievous Price [10:59]
6. Credits [1:12]
1. Holland Surrenders [10:14]
2. A Subjugated People [10:11]
3. Appeasing the Rulers [10:37]
4. The Solution in Holland [7:01]
5. Resistance to the Occupation [13:09]
6. Credits [1:12]
1. The Champagne Campaign [10:01]
2. The Failure at Arnhem [10:17]
3. A Forgotten Poland [9:22]
4. Desperation in the Ardennes [9:36]
5. Push Towards the Rhine [11:44]
6. Credits [1:12]
Side #6 -- Vol. 6
1. The Elite Guard [9:27]
2. Bottom of the Heap [11:14]
3. The Final Solution [8:52]
4. New Arrivals [9:42]
5. Hell on Earth [11:32]
6. Credits [1:28]
1. Total War [10:11]
2. The Fall of Berlin [9:40]
3. Surrender [8:04]
4. Inside the Bunker [12:18]
5. German Losses Unknown [10:39]
6. Credits [1:13]
1. Subdued Doubt [9:14]
2. Patriotic Virtues [9:07]
3. The War Comes Home [9:48]
4. Fight for Survival [11:35]
5. Mainland Bombing [9:52]
6. Credits [1:15]
1. Island by Island [9:25]
2. The Marinas [10:07]
3. The Philippines [6:35]
4. Iwo Jima [14:22]
5. Okinawa [8:59]
6. Credits [1:12]
Side #7 -- Vol. 7
1. Target: Hiroshima [9:44]
2. Two Atomic Bombs [11:26]
3. Moves Toward Peace [8:44]
4. A Final Ultimatum [9:07]
5. Truman's Decision [11:59]
6. Credits [1:11]
1. Counting the Costs [9:38]
2. Rebuilding Germany [10:36]
3. Nuremberg Trials [9:28]
4. Allied Occupation [9:35]
5. Post-War Impressions [10:46]
6. Credits [1:12]
1. Remember the Dead [9:48]
2. Fear and Fun [9:28]
3. Scarred Survivors [10:28]
4. Collective Guilt [9:01]
5. Generation Gap [9:33]
6. Credits [1:26]
Side #8 -- Vol. 8
1. Post-War Depression [10:14]
2. Propaganda and Terror [8:15]
3. The Jewish Boycott [10:56]
4. Relief and Hope [10:01]
5. Another Step Forward [9:32]
6. Strength Through Joy [8:14]
7. Unity and Equality [16:30]
8. Credits [1:02]
1. An Uninformed Public [10:15]
2. A Web of Fear [8:12]
3. Victory Beyond Belief [5:51]
4. Hitler Turns East [:37]
5. Civilian Targets [13:26]
6. The Reich Under Siege [8:50]
7. An Abandoned Nation [14:08]
8. Credits [13:51]
1. Closing Days of the Third Reich [10:37]
2. The Last Hours of Hitler [11:10]
3. The Remaining Evidence [6:13]
4. Genuine Clues [13:04]
5. A Crucial Conclusion [4:43]
6. Credits [1:02]
Side #9 -- Vol. 9
1. Grave References [5:09]
2. The Point of Defeat [8:22]
3. Inside the Bunker [8:43]
4. Credits [:57]
1. Chain of Command [10:24]
2. The Sounds and Smells [8:16]
3. Sacrifices of a Soldier [11:03]
4. Loss of Humanity [9:50]
5. The Cost of War [8:37]
6. Credits [2:08]
1. East Meets West [8:10]
2. A Divided Country [6:02]
3. Global Outcome [7:36]
4. Credits [:51]
Side #10 -- Vol. 10
1. A Sense of Duty [3:06]
2. Defeated and Bitter [12:51]
3. A New Government [13:35]
4. Renew and Improve [8:39]
5. Total Obedience [9:27]
6. "Reasonable" Anti-Semitism [6:39]
7. War Against Poland [7:37]
8. Re-Germanization [9:25]
9. The Ghettos [7:14]
10. Sub-Human Enemies [7:07]
11. Murder Squads [8:59]
12. Credits [:58]
1. A Demonstration [10:25]
2. The Jewish Problem [9:17]
3. Surviving the Journey [6:25]
4. The Railway Men [9:30]
5. The Next Step [9:04]
6. Reduced to a Number [9:31]
7. Where Is the Whole World? [11:44]
8. The Resettlement Story [2:51]
9. Jewish Resistance [8:37]
10. A Moment of Life [2:58]
11. Liberation [8:27]
12. Credits [:58]
Side #11 -- Vol. 11
1. A First for the Medium [11:36]
2. High Expectations [7:52]
3. Faces of the Battlefield [12:53]
4. The Music of the Series [11:36]
5. Narrative Contributions [5:02]
6. A World Abound With Film [16:23]
7. Personal Experiences [10:50]
8. The Big Interview [14:45]
9. The Final Solution [8:11]
10. Moral Choices [2:07]
11. The Changing Nature of War [11:40]
12. Credits [9:34]
1. The Battle for the Atlantic [11:55]
2. A Gentleman's War [3:56]
3. British Pows [10:18]
4. D-Day Landing [5:09]
5. Bomber Escort Tactics [9:57]
6. A Draftee in Okinawa [8:32]
7. The Stress of War [5:21]
8. Respected Men [3:17]

Scene Index

Editorial Reviews

Sir Jeremy Isaacs' 1974 documentary The World at War remains the definitive World War II masterpiece, an in-depth look at the 20th century's defining conflict in 26 hour-long episodes. The series' scale is almost as grand as the war itself, and the narration provided by Laurence Olivier serves as the perfect background to a period of history that requires no overdramatization. The series gives time to various segments of the war, offering multiple perspectives and utilizing aerial footage shot by both sides as well as eyewitness combat footage. Among the participants interviewed are Adolph Hitler's secretary, Traudl Junge; the leader of the Pearl Harbor attack, Mitsuo Fuchida; U.S. State Department official Alger Hiss; and many more. It's all here: Hitler's rise to power in Germany in the '30s, his first big victory in Poland, the atrocities of the Holocaust, the Normandy invasion, the war in the Pacific, the Manhattan Project, and the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The World at War makes for the perfect visual reference to the war that shaped the second half of the century, and while the collection is never less than thorough, one is left with the feeling of wanting to know even more. R.J. Wafer, Barnes & Noble

Customer Reviews

A wonderful and informative documentary.by empeegee

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November 18, 2009: I enjoyed this very much. So often we tend to forget the war was going on for a few years before we were brought into it; we were the beneficiaries of what the British Commonwealth and European exiles did before us, especially in North Africa.

While some may not like the information presented, it is a fact that Montgomery was the man in charge in North Africa for two years and he pushed the Axis troops back to Tunisia when American troops entered. Eisenhower and Montgomery worked in coordination to finally defeat Rommell.

And like it or not, Stalin's USSR was part of the Allied forces.

This is a British production and the perspective is British. It doesn't ignore the US role in the war, nor is it disparaging of the US role.

I would recommend this to any teacher who is teacing a class on World War II for its unique perspective.

I Also Recommend: The War: An Intimate History, 1941-1945.

An Emotional Lieby EinsteinVA

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July 11, 2009: Laurence Olivier is the best thing about this historically inaccurate - and worse - effort to review WWII. It is the propaganda which we were exposed to all during that very painful period. A sentimental and, in important ways, false recounting of our "Victory" over evil. What's wrong with this melodrama? As examples; Stalin is portrayed as "a good guy", Montgomery is the brains of our African and European victories(barely a mention of Patton and the fact that Americans were the reason for victory. This is a British production and it makes Dunkerque and North Africa look like big wins for the Brit's (no mention of American involvement in N. Africa). It is heavy on justifying our war crime in bombing civilian German women and children for a year and a half by showing MANY graphic pictures of starved and starving concentration camp prisoners. What else could one expect when allied air power stopped all transport, including food, in Germany for almost a year? This effort is slick but so out-dated by since revealed history that it is not worth owning. Try to remember that Stalin was much, much worse than Hitler. Churchill got it wrong.


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