Documentary DVDs

The producers of the internationally acclaimed and award-winning In Colour DVD series now bring Hitler in Colour, a telling story of the rise and fall of a man who devastated the lives of countless numbers of people around the world. For 12 years, Hitler's overpowering personality dominated the German nation. He led his people from economic ruin in European conquest and to the brink of creating a New World Order. In his wake, he brought a reign of terror that caused death to millions. Drawing from recently discovered German film collections that comprise hours of previously unseen color footage, and woven with eyewitness testimony, Hitler in Colour tells the astonishing and disturbing story as never before. Narrated by Emmy Award winning British actor Brian Cox.

On July 14, 1789, a mob of angry Parisians stormed the Bastille and seized the King's military stores. A decade of idealism, war, murder, and carnage followed, bringing about the end of feudalism and the rise of equality and a new world order. The French Revolution is a definitive feature-length documentary that encapsulates this heady (and often headless) period in Western civilization. With dramatic reenactments, illustrations, and paintings from the era, plus revealing accounts from journals and expert commentary from historians, The French Revolution vividly unfurls in a maelstrom of violence, discontent, and fundamental change. King Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette, Maximilien Robespierre, and Napoleon Bonaparte lead a cast of thousands in this essential program from THE HISTORY CHANNEL®. Narrated by Edward Herrmann (The Aviator, Gilmore Girls), The French Revolution explores the legacy that--now more than ever--stands as both a warning and a guidepost to a new millennium

It was assumed no color films existed in Japan until the victorious U.S. forces arrived in 1945. This DVD is remarkable proof that those assumptions were verifiably false. Now you can discover the story of a nation at war from its rare color films, plus letters and diaries from those who lived through it. Almost all the material in this color documentary has been recently discovered and allows the viewer to expereince Japanese culture and events from an entirely new perspective. Subject matter includes Imperial Japanese troops in 1931 Manchuria, remarkable domestic scenes of 1930s Japan, preparation for war in 1939, and images of occupation in 1940s Shanghai.

The world of the Ancient Greeks lives on today through its mythology. For countless generations prior to biblical times, tales of gods and goddesses were passed down by storytellers and interwoven into traditions and philosophies. Each city devoted itself to particular gods. But these gods also had human frailties. Where did the pantheon originate? Did any of the stories in Greek mythology actually occur? We look at new archaeological evidence that supports the possibility.

INSIDE THE VIETNAM WAR (DVD MOVIE)

Studio: Pbs Release Date: 05/06/2009 Run time: 60 minutes

The legendary battle of Thermopylae is still acknowledged today for its brilliant military maneuvers and the well-trained and fearless soldiers who fought to the death. The History Channel® presents a detailed account of this legendary battle, examining the events leading up to the conflict, the tactical expertise that allowed the outnumbered Greeks to stall their mighty foes, and the bloody encounter itself. Find out how an army of a few hundred men overcame impossible odds and witness the conflict that altered the course of Western civilization.

How Islamic civilization tamed Western Europe

"Inspiring" --<i>The Observer (U.K.)

Join British historian Bettany Hughes as she examines a long-buried chapter of European history--the rise and fall of Islamic culture in what is now Spain and Portugal. Although generations of Spanish rulers have tried to expunge this era from the historical record, recent archaeology and scholarship now shed fresh light on the Moors who flourished in Al-Andalus for more than 700 years.

This fascinating two-part documentary explodes old stereotypes and offers shocking new insights. You’ll discover the ingenious mathematics behind Granada’s dazzling Alhambra Palace, trace El Cid’s lineage to his Moorish roots, and learn how the Iberian population willingly converted to Islam in droves. <P>Through interviews with noted scholars, you’ll see how Moorish advances in mathematics, astronomy, art, and agriculture helped propel the West out of the Dark Ages and into the Renaissance. What emerges is a richly detailed portrait of a sensuous, inquisitive, and remarkably progressive Islamic culture in Christian Europe.

The spectacular Incan city of Machu Picchu, high in the Andes Mountains, was long thought to be legendary. Then in 1911, the intrepid explorer Hiram Bingham stumbled upon its remains. But while the walls and chambers have been extensively studied in the years since, the purpose of this ancient site remains unclear. Go to the top of the world to unravel the mysteries of this enigmatic place. See incredible footage of the earliest expeditions to Machu Picchu, and meet the men and women who have dedicated their lives to unearthing its secrets. Wander through the incredible ruins and feel the eerie presence of the past and the timeless secrets that are locked somewhere within. Was it a pleasure palace, an observatory, a fortress or something else entirely? The answers await just below the clouds in LOST CITY OF THE INCAS.

Estonia's coveted position between Europe and Russia has lured wave after wave of occupiers. The nation's darkest chapter, though, dawned in 1939 with the arrival of the Soviets. It seemed this time that the Estonian nation might vanish completely; yet the Estonians waited, and fought, and sang and ultimately, survived.
<br />The Singing Revolution narrates the remarkable story of this tiny nation's struggle for independence, illuminating how the Estonians kept their identity alive even under the oppressive weight of the Iron Curtain through a rich tradition of song. Here, people have joined voices for centuries, and their Laulupidu an immense song festival offered glimmers of Estonian culture and connectedness in even the bleakest periods, proving to The Singing People that their national spirit still smoldered. When the Soviet nation finally began to crumble in the 1980s, the Estonians saw their opportunity: free speech became song, and song became a soaring anthem of independence.

Dramatically capturing the spectacular beauty of Estonia and the overwhelming sea of people and sound that brought this nation together, The Singing Revolution celebrates a people who revolted with no weapons but their songs, no force but their unstoppable dream.