America's Greatest Victories

A look at three of the 20th century's most important military engagements, this three-volume set, combining archival combat footage with interviews featuring military experts, opens with Nimitz at Midway, a chronicle of the Battle of Midway that illustrates how this decisive 1942 battle really marked the beginning of the end for the Japanese. The second volume, Eisenhower on D-Day, explores Eisenhower's biggest gamble of the war in Europe--Operation Overlord, now considered one of the greatest tactical actions of all time. The third volume, Schwarzkopf at Desert Storm, seems a little out of place here, as the horribly bloody battles of WWII feel far removed from the three-day 'war' characterized by Stealth bombers and 'smart bombs.' Although I sometimes think that the time is rapidly approaching when WWII will have been fought and re-fought on video so many times, it will begin to look like a Game Boy adventure instead of one of the most heroic periods in American history, I have to admit that these A&E productions are all technically top-notch and the interest from patrons is still high. While many non-theatrical VHS releases are simply ported over to DVD, the America's Greatest Victories double-disc set is an exceptional bargain--although priced the same as the VHS boxed set, the DVD includes three additional full-length programs: Patton at the Breakdown from Normandy, Halsey at Leyte Gulf and MacArthur in the Philippines. Recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (J. Carlson)