The Battle History of the United States Military

This five-disc collection, comprised of programs that originally aired on the History Channel, celebrates the accomplishments of the United States military over the course of America's 200-year-plus history. Each disc is devoted to a different branch of the service—Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, and Coast Guard—and combines extensive combat footage, recreations, feature-film excerpts, photographs of official government documents, and commentaries by historians and veterans, while revisiting the great battles fought on land, sea, and in the air. Every aspect of each major conflict is explored, with attention paid not only to the legendary military heroes, but also the troops that served with them and the countrymen (and women) who supported their efforts. With a total running time of nearly 13 hours—each disc, with the exception of the one devoted to the Coast Guard, features three or four individual programs—this collection also includes a wide range of DVD extras: the bonus film “Pageantry of the Corps,” three downloadable books and historical documents, and guides to heraldry for the various service branches. Highly recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (E. Hulse)