You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
Must see documentaries..
- Thread starter Forzacitizens
- Start date
Northernstorirs
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 16 Oct 2018
- Messages
- 1,216
"They shall not grow old" is on the BBC iplayer. Insightful viewing.
Uncle Wally One Ball
Well-Known Member
Is it on the iPlayer?I've been watching Berlin 1945 on BBC4, film footage and actual diary entries from people who lived through it.
There's a great 3 part documentary on the iplayer at the moment which covers the Battle of the Somme. We are always told about the horrendous first day and calamitous mistakes made by Generals but was intriguing to hear how the battle progressed over the summer months.
It's good but Peter Barton takes a rather unusual approach. I found some of his pro-German stuff to be unpalettable. Episode 1 was excellent.
Northernstorirs
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 16 Oct 2018
- Messages
- 1,216
It's good but Peter Barton takes a rather unusual approach. I found some of his pro-German stuff to be unpalettable. Episode 1 was excellent.
The man does take an eccentric approach in the documentary.
It was odd how pro German he was. I thought his take on the allied handling of prisoners was quite unfair. Obviously I wasn't there and neither was he but I have mostly heard accounts where Brits looked after German POWs well. It is often suggested that once the Germans would surrender with their hands up, the Brits just allowed them to walk past and hand themselves in, plenty of footage displaying how accommodating allies were to the Germans. Both sides had respect for each other, they were doing the same job being dictated to by clueless Generals. I have heard accounts of Brits who gave German machine gunners a hard time and would just slot them due to the devastation they had caused, not sure if this was a minority of cases or was typical.
Barton could have balanced things out by citing the death and devastation caused by the Germans to French/Belgian civilians etc.
I do think his overall view on the Somme was accurate, it's a tough pill to swallow but we do have a blinkered and glorified view of what happened. Barton nails the truth in that Haig was a butcher, it was a tactical retreat for the Germans with the allies not taking up much ground but no doubt inflicted some impact on the Germans. The tragic period sums up the whole war I think in terms of waste of life and attrition.
I've been watching Berlin 1945 on BBC4, film footage and actual diary entries from people who lived through it.
It’s excellent. I’ve watched two programmes and I’m absolutely captivated. The background music isn’t great but I’d recommend it highly.
S
S
Summerbuzz
Guest
BBC 4 have just repeated a handful of Richard Holmes' excellent War Walks series. They're still available on Iplayer.
Yes, I thought I was pretty much de-sensitised regarding war documentaries but this is mainly from the perspective of ordinary people who lived through it and you almost do gain a sense of what it must have been like.
Same as that. You can’t help but put yourself in the situation those poor people were in. And then the Russian army turn up!
Fourinarow
Well-Known Member
We watched 'Secrets of the Saqqara Tomb' on Netflix this evening.
Fascinating if you find ancient Egyptian tombs interesting.
Fascinating if you find ancient Egyptian tombs interesting.