Battlefield Britain

I would never have sought out a show on British military history but, when it was shown on my local PBS station, I found myself watching my way through the series! Father and son presenters Peter and Dan Snow are fun to watch as they experience various situations such as carrying pikes for miles, slashing melons on motorbikes, and scouting out bogs for battlefields. Though the CG animations of troop movements can seem cheesy at times (and may have caused a double-take at first), the inclusion of modern computerized elements makes the overall presentation distinctive. The inclusion on confessional-style accounts from actors in period costume enhances personal interest. The rapport between the presenters lends itself to smooth transitions as the various elements are discussed. In one afternoon I learned a lot about battles that I, as an American student, had either been unfamiliar or completely ignorant of. The presentation created a sense of authority and I feel as if it was a very informative-I highly recommend this series to anyone who has an interest in military histories. Don't forget, it truly is a fun series as well!

This is probably the best history series I have ever watched. The father son team of Peter and Dan Snow have come up with an amazing technique of using a portable model of the battlefields in combination with very well played battle scenes and actors playing roles on both sides who talk directly to the audience about their feelings before, during, and after the battles.

They went into amazing detail of such things as how the Roman army's discipline and battle formations made it almost invincible to much larger forces. The battle with the Spainish Armada was especially well done. The battle scenes and explanations were incredible in all of the episodes.

This series proves to me that truth can be stranger and more interesting than fictional movies in general.

I recently had the pleasure to see Battlefield Britain. I found it to be very in-depth and interesting. It focuses on battles which have occurred in Britain and were big turning points. The battle that I saw was "The Battle of Culloden". I found that the presenters, Peter and Dan Snow (a father and son team) bring the history to life. The show focuses on the battle but also gives details to the culture at the time, the leaders, common people and many other small details which help a person to understand the history of the period and the battle. I would recommend this program to anyone who has an interest in history, it is well done and a lot better than many programs they show on the Canadian History channel.

Peter and Dan Snow give a unique look at the great battles of Britain. The episode I happened to see was the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Through the use of mock battle scenes, interviews with actors, computerized minatures, site visits, and limited recreations and experiments, the hosts do about the best they could to make you feel part of the battle in one hour's time. I was absolutely floored. The only technique that I felt didn't work was to engage in some of the commentary while walking through (sometimes crowded) contemporary urban settings. I guess they did that to "bring the story home", but I thought it wasn't entirely effective and somewhat contrived. Otherwise a great neutral presentation, none of this Time/Sports Illustrated I-knew-what-was-going-to-happen-all-along post-mortem stuff. These guys flat out know their material and present it in a technologically advanced, enchanting fashion.

Among the finest historical documentaries I have ever seen. There are many shows about the wars of history, but few get to the real meat of the battles like this one. Although some time is spent on the events leading up to the battle, the most interesting moments revolve around the battle itself.

The father and son team spend a great deal of time showing the viewer what it may have been like to be involved in these battles from either side of the conflict. There are excellent computer animations of the troop formations and movements, prevailing winds, weather, terrain, and other important battlefield considerations. The progress of the battle from start to finish is shown also using detailed computer animation to display troop armaments, arching arrows, etc. The Snows also test modern reproductions of the armaments used in each conflict, displaying their accuracy or killing potential. Some time is spent on the aftermath of the contest, and the often tremendous loss of life and injury inflicted.

I hope that the Snows continue to create such fascinating material in the future. They have apparently hosted another series called "20th Century Battlefields," but I have unfortunately been unable to see it yet. If it is anything like "Battlefield Britain" then I'm sure it would also be excellent. This series should not be missed by any with an interest in military history.