Dakota Beacon

As Christmas 2009 fades, the tangible “stuff” lingers on to join in other “things” as reminders of Christmases past. In particular one item given to me this year is a metaphor of sorts on Christmases past -- the classic history on eleven DVDs titled “The World at War.”

Tersely put, some gifts are more cherished than others. “The World at War” is cherished.

This made-for-television production was first broadcast in 1973 but it wasn’t until the mid-1970s that I gained my first exposure to the series

A classic is defined as something “of the first or highest quality, class or rank.” That’s the only appropriate way to classify this DVD series. “The World at War,” the stellar British documentary of World War II, is the definitive visual record of the war, the events leading up to the war and its aftermath thus setting the scene for the Cold War.

This landmark series comprises rare interviews with eyewitness participants including veterans, survivors, ordinary men and women and political notables of the period. It brings together a collection of powerful visual documentation produced by both the Allies and the Axis powers and compiled from the archives of eighteen nations. It includes footage from newsreels, official sources, home movies and propaganda pieces.

I find truly amazing that such a quantity of documentation has been so well preserved and archived. Contributions span the period 1933 through 1945 including Pearl Harbor, the Final Solution, the bombing of Hiroshima and the reckoning of the world war and beyond.

“The World at War” has been favorably compared to Edward Gibbons’ “Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.” The series offers an incomparable remembrance of the greatest period of the 20th century. It creates an unbelievable panorama illustrating the breadth and scope of World War II as well as the events leading to it and its influence on the events following.

Although the series contains a fair amount of military footage, it is not all graphic combat. Economic, social and political events factor into an intelligible portrayal of the century’s landmark event with combat footage placed in context.

In a world of imagery, where sociologist Neil Postman bemoans the decline of the printed word in his book “Amusing Ourselves to Death,” this DVD series excels as a masterpiece. It is far more than entertainment. It captures for all time an era never to be forgotten and emblazons it upon the memory.

Originally produced by Jeremy Isaacs for Thames Television, the series includes 26 hour-long episodes spanning a wealth of material together with bonus interviews with Sir Jeremy, Stephen Ambrose and others. For his effort, Jeremy Isaacs was knighted by Queen Elizabeth. The series soon appeared on video cassette before being digitally remastered and released by A&E in its current DVD format.

This documentary is far better than anything produced on World War II by the History Channel, PBS or A&E. It is certainly better than anything to come out of Hollywood including the realistic film “Saving Private Ryan.”

I particularly enjoy the absence of political correctness so prevalent in today’s productions. An analytical perspective of a world at war that claimed fifty million lives is seldom achieved without bias. If there is any bias in this definitive visual account of World War II it would be toward the British interpretation of the war.

I continue to appreciate this visual chronicle as I always have. It’s quite gratifying to survey and recall the fine material once again presented after so many years.

No student’s education is complete without viewing at least some of the episodes of “The World at War.” It is an unforgettable viewing experience and cannot be praised highly enough.

Dennis M. Patrick can be contacted at P. O. Box 337, Stanley, ND 58784 or (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).