Cold War

This is a worthy successor to Jeremy Isaac's "The World At War". It is a very even-handed account of the entire post-war period up to the fall of the Soviet Union. Isaacs repeats his brilliant move of hiring a top-notch Shakespearean actor to do the narration. Kenneth Branagh's voice has clarity and authority, as did Laurence Olivier's in the earlier series. One is amazed at the range of people interviewed - even jailed spies are heard from! The facts are of course all there for the grasping and this series is chock full of them. I thought I had a fairly good mental picture of the period but was constantly shown something new, something that demanded a new perspective. That is all you can ask from an extended series like this. The production values are absolutely outstanding. And like the earlier series, this one features the outstanding music of Carl Davis. The opening theme ends with a jarring dissonance played by a single violin, almost a cry of pain. While "The World At War" ends in triumph and nostalgia, this series ends with question marks and regrets. "If only.." Yes, if only. If only there had been no Stalin. If only.

I cannot recommend this series enough. It deserves a 10.

It certainly is the best on the subject. Interspersing newsreels and film with interviews of participants ranging from Gorbachev to Castro to Carter is extremely effective. Even McNamara is in it giving his views on many aspects of the Cold War. How ironic to call it "cold" when it was very HOT in so many places around the world! If you have any interest in world developments since WWII, you will not be disappointed by this documentary. After watching 1120 minutes of it, I hated for it to end.

Over time, many documentaries on The Cold War have been made. There are so many things that can go wrong, especially when you take on such a huge and important subject as The Cold War. Impressively enough, nothing fails. This documentary is exciting from the first chapter to the last chapter. It is detailed, fairly balanced and exciting. While obviously American, it does not feel overly biased. It is well-organized and you do not feel that you are finishing the documentary with important questions left unanswered or significant events left out. It explains in detail, without becoming slow-paced.

If you want a comprehensive presentation of The Cold War, this is THE documentary to get, no matter if you are a newcomer or intermediate on Cold War history. Very recommended.

Excellent documentary series! I found this series at my local library, and it's an excellent primer for the events of the so-called "Cold War" from the beginning to the end. Contemporary footage is successfully mixed in with many interviews of still-living witnesses/participants of history, and Kenneth Branagh's voiceovers keep the viewer up to date on every crucial detail.

If you've ever been interested in learning the real historical background behind John le Carre's and Ian Fleming's spy novels, this is the series that will bring you up to date. CNN also has a Cold War website with further information, as well as a list of books which one may wish to borrow from the library to learn still more about specific events.

I borrowed two videos at a time and watched them in order, and I was never disappointed. If you love history as much as I do, you'll love this documentary series!

I really love this documentary. Interviews with people actually in the room with US and USSR during the Cuban Missile Crisis. One of the best documentaries I have watched.

The only gotcha is when they released the DVD version in "widescreen" all they did was crop the top and bottom of the original material. This isn't a huge problem but some of the interviews are not in English and some of the subtitles are chopped and cut off.

This was developed for TV and should be watched in the 4:3 version, so try and find a copy of the original VCR tapes if you can.