Churchill's Desert War: The Road to El Alamein

I am watching this again and it is good. But if you only have the energy for documentary on this subject you should seek out David Reynolds 1942 and the soft underbelly. Reynolds in a professor of history and his documentary is history,not journalism like this one. Dimbleby's programme is worth watching,it is filmed all over the Med and has some good points to make but it is not essential viewing for students of the subject. I have nothing against Dimbleby but you wonder does he add much to the history by making this? Dimbleby also made a documentary about the battle of the Atlantic which was good as well. Can you buy these on dvd? of course not

Of course, this opinion is made in the face of what would be overwhelming resources that could be called upon by Mr Dimbleby. The whole production missed most things ranging from the sweat and endeavour of troops from many nations, the climate, the terrain through to the actual reasons for the to and fro battle fronts and the fluidity of warfare. Instead it concentrated on personalities who played and misplayed their parts. Also, there glaring factual errors - true, they were repeating false information that an intelligent eye could see was wrong. Unfortunately, the whole programme did a considerable disservice to those actually involved with that desert war. Rather typically we had a celebrity nigh on 70 striding youthfully from scene to scene and energetically - tho' some might say ridiculously - and vehemently telling us the tale as he gleaned it. One wonders what presenters will have to do in future to appear "wiv it" - dress in a swimming costume so that every bodily vibration can be observed consolidating the twitches, gestures and emphases? Regrettably, the presenter's effort bordered on the ludicrous.