The First World War

All aspects are very good. Music, narration, animation and script. Best WW 1 doc by far.

Given my love of history, the cataclysmic, foolhardy nightmare that this represents was something I wanted to investigate further. Video could add a dimension that even a brilliant book could not illustrate.

Lucky me, and fortunate viewer, who took the time to watch this dazzling miniseries! I rented this a few days after the UK's last veteran, and world's oldest man, passed away. He had been in many ways a guardian, helping others comprehend the nightmare, and was so forgiving as to insist on adding German pallbearers at his funeral, age 114.

The miniseries is expansive (as others have mentioned), fascinating, and most importantly, brings the horror to life (and death). A great compliment - it had me racing back to read more about the conflict, especially the myriad ideas on WHY it began.

There are so many memorable scenes! The use of personal memoirs, and the film footage, then and now, are wonderful.

Most highly recommended!

Incredibly detailed account of the war and the European political landscape in the early 1900s. The only thing I took issue with is the perspective of Russia going into the war. Russia had come off a long unproductive conflict on the Korean peninsula. The Russian generals were well aware of Germany's military might and superiority over their capability. They tried in vain to advise the czar against getting involved as they strongly believed they would be crushed by the Germans. I'm also not sure that Germany went into the war with the trepidation that is expressed in the documentary. This is the first documentary I've seen that correctly depicts the Kaiser for the monster he was. Also it does an excellent job of reviewing the worldwide nature of the war and the broad scope of the German attack including fomenting internal turmoil within its adversaries. This is must viewing for any student of history.

I discovered this program on TubiTV, a free video streaming service, and as some of the other reviewers have mentioned, this is, without a doubt, one of the best WWI documentaries produced to-date. At over eight hours in length, it is a comprehensive and balanced look at the Great War for those of us who did not live through it and do not fully understand the political and social contexts of the day. Unlike most others, it examines not only the causes of, events, and impact of the war as it pertains to western Europe, but also, in great detail, the war's global impact on all the major players, their allies, and colonies around the world. A commendable effort is made to present the narrative from a neutral point of view and and avoid being just another sentimental British or American war documentary. It's not perfect--there are a few topics that probably could have been expanded upon-but this is still an outstanding and informative production and a must-watch for anyone studying WWI or 20th century history.

There have been some pretty good documentary series on World War One - like the BBC's '1914-18' and 'The Great War,' which inspired 'The World at War' - but this Channel Four series is the best ever. Unlike almost all of the others it gives you a look at the WORLD war aspect of it, not just focusing on the Western Front or (like most poor US documentaries) on the last year when America was involved, you also see the war in Russia, in Arabia, in Africa to get a real sense of the scale. Unlike 1914-18 it takes a chronological look at the war, but does it in a riveting way: the first episode plays like a thriller, while others are like tragedies. And it doesn't fall in for clichés or easy targets. It dispels a lot of myths along the way (for example, did you know the assassinated Arch Duke Franz Ferdinand was anti-militarist and had actually prevented war breaking out several times? I didn't) and holds your attention throughout. And the haunting end title music written by a composer who died in the war is unforgettable.

One of the greatest TV shows ever, it's a crime this is so little known and failed to win any major awards. It's on DVD and if you've any interest in the subject at all, it's the only WW1 doc you need to buy.