Eyewitness: Horse

Did you know that the word "cocktail" derives from horse breeding? Or that a horse spends fifteen hours of it's busy corporate executive day eating? Or that one of the reasons the Brits got their saucers kicked over their teacups during the Battle of Hastings in 1066 was because the Normans had stirrups? These are just a few of the interesting info-nuggets in Horse, one of 13 episodes in the outstanding PBS series Eyewitness. Based on the gorgeous picture books by Dorling Kindersley, the Eyewitness series is narrated by Martin Sheen and takes place in a three-dimensional "virtual museum," where pictures come to life. In Horse, the filmmakers stayed close to the winning style of the book, but added elements outside the reach of print, such as motion and special effects: the former allows us to see warriors battling astride their steeds, the latter--in a stunning sequence--puts wings on an actual horse and lifts it into the air àla Pegasus. Physical facts, historical facts, myths and legends, and always, always sumptuous graphics, Eyewitness: Horse the video is a real winner. Other titles in the series include: Amphibian, Reptile, Bird, Dog, and Cat. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. [Note: Houghton Mifflin/Dorling Kindersley is also selling the Eyewitness titles at $12.95 each through major distributors.] (R. Pitman)