Best WWII Documentary?

3,787 Views | 21 Replies | Last: 5 yr ago by Jimmy McNulty
ClassOf17
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Hey guys, never posted on here before but after reading a few of the posts, I'm definitely going to be around here a lot more.

Anyways, I've always been fascinated with history, especially WWII. My question to you all is what is the best documentaries to watch about the war? I'm Mostly interested in the battle against the Third Reich, but I'd be interested in anything WWII related.
Corporal Punishment
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I always liked The World at War. It was made in the early 70s. Limey narration and and classical music add dramatic effect. My high school history teacher would just throw episodes into the vcr and bail.

It's on YouTube.
OldArmy71
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I agree with World at War. I watched it when it first came out in the early 70s. It was the first documentary to add sound effects to silent movie footage. The limey narrator is Sir Laurence Olivier, and he is a treat to listen to.

I always enjoy the WWII in Color offerings.
dcbowers
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Ken Burns' "The War" is available on Netflix. Lots of emphasis on the home front. Typical Ken Burns fare with some novel insights.
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OldArmy71
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Also, they are not documentaries, per se, but they are very closely based on real people and events:

Band of Brothers

The Pacific
BrazosBendHorn
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Corporal Punishment said:

I always liked The World at War. It was made in the early 70s. Limey narration and and classical music add dramatic effect. My high school history teacher would just throw episodes into the vcr and bail.

It's on YouTube.
by all means, World at War

also, Victory at Sea (also on YouTube)

and look for Hitler's Lost Sub (a PBS documentary, also on YouTube)
AgMarauder04
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If you want specific parts of the War, Battle 360 is a fantastic account of the USS Enterprise in the Pacific.

Patton 360 is also excellent.
Cinco Ranch Aggie
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Agree with World At War. Hands down the best. I also like the mention of the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers and The Pacific. Yes, they are not documentaries but they are based on true events and do paint a good picture of the events they portray.

Others that I have enjoyed watching over the years include Hitler's Bodyguards, Wings ofnthe Luftwaffe, any of the WWII In Color, and The Third Reich: The Rise and Fall.
Maximus_Meridius
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Not a documentary on the overall war, but this is one of my favorites about the Spitfire. It's got a lot of good interviews (Robert Stanford-Tuck, Douglas Bader, some others I can't remember). The fact that it's one of my favorite aircraft ever helps...

74OA
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"Victory at Sea" and "The World at War" are the top two broad overviews of the war, imo.

Victory at Sea

World at War
BQ78
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You already got the best recommendations with World at War and Victory at Sea but just to throw another one out there the History Channel's World War II in HD was a good series too.
The Original AG 76
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74OA said:

"Victory at Sea" and "The World at War" are the top two broad overviews of the war, imo.

Victory at Sea

World at War

Victory At Sea is without a doubt the best video naval history series of all time. By default it is also possibly the best series on the Pacific War. It also has the best musical score ever written for ANY documentary or , possibly, any non-musical film ever made. The score by Richard Rodgers does an unbelievable job of actually making the viewer feel like he is on that rolling deck or on that idilic tropical island. This series is a definite " Robinson Crusoe bag of videos if you had to chose" choice.

Cen-Tex
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I like most documentaries narrated by Richard Basehart. The Rise & Fall of the Third Reich is a good WW2 doc that comes to mind.
Jimmy McNulty
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I have the book Rise and Fall of the Third Reich but I put off starting it because it's so big.
95_Aggie
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It's a slog to get through at first. I was so intimidated by the size of the book that I bought the Kindle version.

I have the hardback version sitting on a shelf in my library. The giant swastika on the spine kind of sticks out when you first walk in the room.
Jimmy McNulty
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Did you enjoy it?
Jimmy McNulty
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And agreed. I've had a few friends notice the swastika and ask what the hell that was.
95_Aggie
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Quote:

Did you enjoy it?
Yes. A lot of historians don't agree completely with his reporting now that time has passed, but it was still an informative read.
Jimmy McNulty
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What problem do historians have with it now that it's been years?
95_Aggie
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Here's a discussion on Reddit (so take it for what it is worth):

https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/284ms6/why_is_william_shirers_the_rise_and_fall_of_the/
Cardiac Saturday
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Always enjoyed watching episodes of Victory at Sea on TV and listening to the three sound tracks (vinyl) that were produced by RCA. Still have them in the original dust jackets....
BQ78
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Jim:

I've been intimidated from starting two books, Rise and Fall and Shelby Foote's The Civil War: A Narrative. In both cases I should not have been and both were great and fast reads for me.
Jimmy McNulty
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Sweet. I'm definitely going to start it soon. Baby #1 arrives in late July so we'll see how that comes in to play. Thanks for all the responses guys. I've read up on WW2 quite a bit in the last several years and have really enjoyed the content.
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