Conquest

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...

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.

The weird weapons episode of Conquest was my favorite. Of those weapons i'd Chose the Godedag for the following reasons:

Envision being in the labyrinth of chaos, death and disease that the European world became. Constant conflict ravaged what little society still stood while serfs endured just for survival. However, in these times a class of men, knights, stood out as honorable heroes to all. Powerful they carried heavy armor that only weird weapons of the Age could penetrate. Of these weapons I would chose the Godendag. Initially, invented by peasants in northern Europe the Godendag would be my weapon of choice for its power and versatility. Heavy enough to deliver a crushing blow it consisted of a heavy club end with large metal spike sticking out. If faced one on one with a knight it would be ideal as a thrust could pierce the armor without a doubt. However, the only issue is defense and in this case of the Godendag I believe if wielded by a warrior with the proper skill it would be to suffice. In retrospect, the variety weird weapons around in the middle ages invented to o battle with knights were the most effective when used in combination. In my opinion if faced with the choice, the Godendag would be my weapon. If trained and practiced well enough I believe I could fend off a knight in battle.

Period 5. Seat number 29.

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"!!!

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.