Search - The Last Days of World War II (History Channel) on DVD

This is NOT the 2005 version!

M. Keogh | New York, NY | 02/03/2009

(2 out of 5 stars)

"The History Channel produced two documentaries entitled "The Last Days of World War II"- one in 1995 and one in 2005.



The version being advertised here is the 1995 one which is a cheapo production. It is only a couple hours long and provides minimal detail. What little detail it provides is solely about the European theater of operations which makes its cover showing the marines raising the flag on Iwo a bit deceptive. I'd pass on this one.



The 2005 version is infinitely superior in both depth and detail, but unfortunately it is not available on DVD. It premiered on The History Channel in twenty-six (26!) one hour episodes in 2005 to commemorate the 60th anniversaries of the events being portrayed. It's an extremely detailed, almost day-by-day account of the war in both the Pacific and Europe from February to August 1945. It's one of the best things The History Channel ever produced. It is very unfortunate that it unavailable- it really is vastly superior to the 1995 version!"

Last Days of World War II: History Channel

Lt Col L. Cantolupo | 09/01/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Sobering, well-done -- a valuable addition to the literature on World War II, its tragedy and its conclusion, in triumph. Amazon delivered the product on time and in superb condition."

SO MUCH I DIDNT KNOW !!!!!

Robert M. Bonnett | towson, md. | 06/20/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have viewed a lot of WWII documentaries and still I find things I never knew about! This set of DVDs gave me so much information that I haven't received from the many , many others! Thrilling and exciting , compelling and informative is all I can say to describe this set! BRAVO !!! And the low price it was offered at cant be beat either...."

The Last Days of WWII is Pretty Good

David Ahlstrom | Hong Kong | 02/18/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I was surprised at a couple of the negative reviews of this DVD. Yes, this is the older "Last Days of WWII" produced in the 1990s (there is a newer version, available from The History Channel's website which has over 20 one hour segments - that one is excellent, though expensive). This DVD is not at all a 'cheap production'; it is well-made and gives some good information about WWII, and not all about the end of the war. For example, the segment on Karl Haushofer and his influence on German thought in the early 20th century (through the study of Geopolitics, the World Island, the heartland, etc) is very interesting. In addition, the long segment on the research by the Japanese on chemical and particularly biological weapons and the systems to deliver them (smart bombs, long range bombers, special carrier subs) is also very interesting, and one of the least-known aspects of WWII. The Japanese had extensively tested biological weapons in particular in China during the war; at least one outbreak of plague is linked to these tests - and they were field tests on live populations where it is thought that as many as 100,000 Chinese civilians died. If the Japanese and Chinese archives of this time are ever made available, perhaps the extent of these tests can be confirmed, but for now, this DVD, though made over ten years ago, is quite interesting and has stood up well to more recent research on German, Japanese, and Italian research into smart bombs and long-range bomber technology. This DVD is well-worth purchasing and is a good value. Of course also try to get the longer, series (made in 2005) by the same name, from the History Channel's website. It is excellent, but is complementary to this one."