Decisive Battles of the Ancient World

Devotees of military history will appreciate this History Channel series covering 13 of the most famous battles of the ancient world, ranging from the 13th-century B.C. confrontation at Kadesh, in which Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses II defeated the Hittites, through the clash at Châlons, where the Roman general A(tius defeated the Hun army of Attila in 451 A.D. The other 11 battles include three from Greek history—Marathon (490 B.C.), Thermopylae (480 B.C.), and Gaugamela (331 B.C.), all against the Persians. But the majority involve the Romans during the Republican and Imperial periods, from Cannae (216 B.C.) to Ch(lons. All are also land battles, and feature famous figures such as Alexander the Great, Hannibal, and Julius Caesar, as well as the British warrior queen Boudicca and the rebel gladiator Spartacus. Solidly narrated by actor Matthew Settle, the episodes feature on-location footage, maps, expert commentary from distinguished scholars, and CGI recreations of the battles using video game technology (the result isn't terribly realistic—the figures are stiff and doll-like—but the technique does provide a strategic overview of each confrontation that aficionados will relish). Some oversimplification is inevitable in this kind of survey, but in general Decisive Battles of the Ancient World is a fine example of popular military history. DVD extras include an hour-long program on the reign of Ramses II from the Ancient Mysteries series, and a less successful examination of Greek hoplite tactics from the Foot Soldier series, which is marred by an overly cute, juvenile approach. Recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (F. Swietek)