Conquest

I was watching this back when it first aired years back, and always enjoyed the historical insights by Peter Woodward. I had no idea who he was, but then had a look at his bio and was impressed with his list of credits and family background.

The show he presents is a historical overview of a certain breed of weapons, and how they were used by the warrior/soldier of the time. Everything from the historic sword and rifle, to the more obscure Godendag (a giant mace or club with spikes).

Woodward keeps the show moving with lots of energy, and usually a team of stuntmen (or stunt-persons) to act in pairs or as a team to show how the weapons were used, and maybe even act out an action sequence.

Brilliant and fun, this show separates the wheat from the chaff when showing history verse Hollywood. An excellent series for any military buff.

My only complaint, there's few episodes, and even those aren't all listed here on the IMDb. Then again there're only so many weapons and so much history one can delve into.

Either way, cruise on over to either the History Channel or Youtube, and track down "Conquest" with Peter Woodward.

Enjoy.

Peter Woodward's brilliance shines through in EVERY ep of CONQUEST. He brings a special and UNIQUE insight to the history of armed combat. I am a High School History teacher and can testify to the overwhelming popularity of Conquest with my Honors/Gifted classes. This student population is Hyper-Critical about any form of entertainment, and in the area of history they do not suffer fools too gladly. Verily I say unto you that they think....yea KNOW that Conquest "ROCKS"!!!

Along with "Battlefield Britain," I would rate this as one of the finest shows relating (primarily) to military history that I have ever seen. The host, Peter Woodward, is a supremely competent historian and weapons instructor, and brings a unique passion and charm to the show with a very effective dry sense of humor that does not detract whatsoever from its serious nature. His delivery is gripping and a solid cornerstone of the program.

The premise of "Conquest" is for Peter and/or his team members or associates to develop competence in a particular and rather dangerous endeavor, mostly military but with a few detractors like Demolition Derby. Peter goes into great detail about the history of the weapons or machine that they will be using, weaving this masterfully into training and demonstrations. The end will generally involve a contest of sorts, where his team attempts to "win" at the endeavor for which they have been training.

The show reminds me in some ways of "Deadliest Warrior," as there are numerous weapons demonstrations, tests of skill, and a contest at the end. The contest in DW is a staged dramatization, whereas the contest in Conquest is generally real (with safety precautions), and real time. The participants are very sportsmanlike, and there is none of the puerile banter that infects DW. The show came about several years before DW as well, so I have no doubt that the creators of the latter borrowed more than one idea from this program.

This is a serious show for a mature audience with more than just a passing interest in history. That's not to say it is without humor, it does have some light hearted moments. I have rarely seen weapons tactics described and demonstrated in such detail, with as much emphasis on the drawbacks of each as with the benefits. They also describe the mindset or experiences of the warriors in such situations, such as the discomfort of wearing armor, or the fatigue caused by wielding weapons or marching with a full kit. Anyone with an interest in military history should not miss out on Conquest.

I hope the history channel will offer this on DVD soon. It is a great Series and should be available. If they don't they are missing out on a big sale item. My family and friends all enjoyed this show while it was on and we always got together to watch it. We especially enjoyed the Pirate episode. He was the perfect host. We just always found the extras to be rather clueless lot. I mean when he had the show on ninjas and one of the "students" said "I thought that was a motorcycle." You could se the distaste on his face at having to say that line. We roared at that. It was both fun and educational. We really miss this show. If They won't bring it back they should at least offer it for purchase.

I've caught most every ep, and enjoyed them. I especily liked the ep's on matchlock, flintlock and percussion weapons ( all in one ep). And the show on Civil War rifles. I have a reproduction "Zouave" carbine in .58 caliber, and can attest to this bullers power. When you hold one of those minie balls in your hand you can easily imagine the devastation it can bring. Sorry got off topic. Conquest is a fun show with people getting to do what I'd like to do...