We're going to be runners up again. :-(

[Ganpati's Goonerz--AFC's Aboriginal Fertility Cult]

Larry Olivier was the narrator.

It's Michael Redgrave, Chief.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_War_(TV_series)

The won about the war with Pershing, not Patton.

[WES]

It's Michael Redgrave, Chief.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_War_(TV_series)

The won about the war with Pershing, not Patton.

He?s talking about World at War, GG,

And his narration is brilliant, to the extent that they can be.

[Herbert Augustus Chapman]

"Japanese peasants, armed only with sharpened bamboo sticks lined the

He?s talking about World at War, GG,

And his narration is brilliant, to the extent that they can be.

beaches and waited for the end. But the end would come from the sky. Unimaginable, irresistible ....... mushroom shaped." It was Larry's excellent timing that made his narration so compelling and poignant.

[Peter]

beaches and waited for the end. But the end would come from the sky. Unimaginable, irresistible ....... mushroom shaped." It was Larry's excellent timing that made his narration so compelling and poignant.

It feels like an odd thing to say, but these types of series are so reliant on the quality of narration. Almost as important as the script. The wrong voice can ruin the drama.

The music in that series was perfect. Dramatic and slightly terrifying.

[WES]

It feels like an odd thing to say, but these types of series are so reliant on the quality of narration. Almost as important as the script. The wrong voice can ruin the drama.

The music in that series was perfect. Dramatic and slightly terrifying.

My favourite episode was the one on the defeat of France, the Maginot Line, the French reaction etc

Also the first episode on the new Germany

Magnificent stuff

[Peter]

My favourite episode was the one on the defeat of France, the Maginot Line, the French reaction etc

Also the first episode on the new Germany

Magnificent stuff

I like Alone and Barbarossa. The tipping point of the war in Europe.

[Sir C]

I like Alone and Barbarossa. The tipping point of the war in Europe.

The tragedy of the thing is that it was filmed before the release of the Enigma files; without the story of Ultra and Bletchley Park the story was lacking one of its most important elements.

Doesn't stop me watching it over and over again, of course.

[WES]

The tragedy of the thing is that it was filmed before the release of the Enigma files; without the story of Ultra and Bletchley Park the story was lacking one of its most important elements.

Doesn't stop me watching it over and over again, of course.

Shirley the cathartic moment of the series must be the episode on the fall of Berlin where the German woman un-emotionally tells of her and her mother being raped by Russian soldiers.

For some reason I found that more disturbing than the Holocaust episode, which at the time just seemed unfathomable.

[Peter]

Shirley the cathartic moment of the series must be the episode on the fall of Berlin where the German woman un-emotionally tells of her and her mother being raped by Russian soldiers.

For some reason I found that more disturbing than the Holocaust episode, which at the time just seemed unfathomable.

I think the scale and severity of the war on the Eastern front is almost unfathomable. There is a scene after Stalingrad that shows hundreds of thousands of German soldiers being taken captive before quietly informing you that fewer than 3% of those pictured returned home alive...... the difficulty in feeling sympathy for German soldiers shows that war can sometimes be as dehumanising as genocide.

[redgunamo]

I think the scale and severity of the war on the Eastern front is almost unfathomable. There is a scene after Stalingrad that shows hundreds of thousands of German soldiers being taken captive before quietly informing you that fewer than 3% of those pictured returned home alive...... the difficulty in feeling sympathy for German soldiers shows that war can sometimes be as dehumanising as genocide.

Germany, innit. A fantastic piece of real estate but, with avaricious foes on all sides, she has proven to be impossible to defend or protect. Almost every competent invading army in history has had a go at her and most have succeeded.

Interestingly, while the British get up on our hind legs about hordes of military-age men overrunning our islands, the Germans shrug their shoulders; it's normal for them, it's their history.

[redgunamo]

Shirley the cathartic moment of the series must be the episode on the fall of Berlin where the German woman un-emotionally tells of her and her mother being raped by Russian soldiers.

For some reason I found that more disturbing than the Holocaust episode, which at the time just seemed unfathomable.

My late grandmother-in-law was like that. Dying of cancer, she would wake from her coma from time to time to warn us "Der Ivan kommt! Der Ivan Kommt!"

[Ganpati's Goonerz--AFC's Aboriginal Fertility Cult]

I think the scale and severity of the war on the Eastern front is almost unfathomable. There is a scene after Stalingrad that shows hundreds of thousands of German soldiers being taken captive before quietly informing you that fewer than 3% of those pictured returned home alive...... the difficulty in feeling sympathy for German soldiers shows that war can sometimes be as dehumanising as genocide.

Not like the majority of them had a choice. Wasn't like Blighty in the 2nd war where you could be a conchie and just help out down a mine or in a hospital. Adolf didn't like being told you wouldn't fight for him.

Also, by the time of Stalingrad, the Krauts fighting would have had 9 years of Goebbel's pwoppa-ganda and the Hitler Youth. So all those 23 or under would have only known Naziism=Good since their bollox dropped.

The poppies go back to WW1 and ask us to remember those that fell on all sides in all wars for a reason.

Something the current culture warrior ****wits of both left and right would do well to remember when banging on about poppies.

But anyway, WW2's **** compared to WW1. The first war wins on the poetry alone. {And that's before we mention the Indians giving the Hun a slap on their own turf and thus saving the empire 1914-15.}

[Peter]

Not like the majority of them had a choice. Wasn't like Blighty in the 2nd war where you could be a conchie and just help out down a mine or in a hospital. Adolf didn't like being told you wouldn't fight for him.

Also, by the time of Stalingrad, the Krauts fighting would have had 9 years of Goebbel's pwoppa-ganda and the Hitler Youth. So all those 23 or under would have only known Naziism=Good since their bollox dropped.

The poppies go back to WW1 and ask us to remember those that fell on all sides in all wars for a reason.

Something the current culture warrior ****wits of both left and right would do well to remember when banging on about poppies.

But anyway, WW2's **** compared to WW1. The first war wins on the poetry alone. {And that's before we mention the Indians giving the Hun a slap on their own turf and thus saving the empire 1914-15.}

I completely agree re the German soldiers. But it stings a little at first when you are left with little choice but to sympathise.

Max Aitken, the son of Lord Beaverbrook appears in the episode about the Battle of Britain and disagrees with the other contributors about there being any sense of camaraderie between British and German pilots. He said he hated them. And in the middle of war, if that is what he needed to feel, that's fine.

With our distance and hindsight, it is difficult not to see the starvation and death of hundreds of thousands of prisoners of war as a pretty awful thing. Even if they are the dreadful Hun.

I will never agree about the relative qualities of the two wars. WW1 is a stodgy 0-0 with a late winner given by VAR. WW2 is an all time classic, a thriller. Goals galore and a real 'war of two halves'

[Ganpati's Goonerz--AFC's Aboriginal Fertility Cult]

I completely agree re the German soldiers. But it stings a little at first when you are left with little choice but to sympathise.

Max Aitken, the son of Lord Beaverbrook appears in the episode about the Battle of Britain and disagrees with the other contributors about there being any sense of camaraderie between British and German pilots. He said he hated them. And in the middle of war, if that is what he needed to feel, that's fine.

With our distance and hindsight, it is difficult not to see the starvation and death of hundreds of thousands of prisoners of war as a pretty awful thing. Even if they are the dreadful Hun.

I will never agree about the relative qualities of the two wars. WW1 is a stodgy 0-0 with a late winner given by VAR. WW2 is an all time classic, a thriller. Goals galore and a real 'war of two halves'

Counting up how many for and against individual primary sources we have is a mug's game. But the Hun did let us fly Baader's legs in to hi PoW camp, giving us clear passage. Also, when a visiting Luftwaffe chap at one of the camps found they were holding a couple of RAF escapees, he totally kicked off, said that all RAF are in the control of the Luftwaffe, got them scubbed down, fed and handed over to him, with him apologising profusely to our boys and telling the camp commandant that if this happens again, he'll send a couple of Stukkas to take out his family home there.

Also seen/read several sources of GB RAF Pilots in '40 saying they would never shoot down a parachuting pilot but the Poles did and they could understand that.

So perhaps it's just the Tory press baron's a bit more of a psycho than the average RAF officer. Who'd'a thunk it?

If you want to play footie analogies WW1 wasn't "a stodgy 0-0 with a late winner given by VAR." It started with the big no.6, Joffre, pulling off the greatest ever goal line tackle when the Hun forward had rounded our keeper. {Let's call him Antwerp or Mons.}

Had he mistimed that, it would have been a pen and down to ten men. Game over.

We then have a peak PV4 vs Woy Keane MF battle for the ages. The Hun then go 1-0 up late on when an injury crisis forces the Russians to bring on Oleg and Stepanovs.

The then go 2-0 up when they break the leg of our no.5, Gough, and get away with it.

We are forced to make a tactical change. Our starry French striker takes the captain's armband with the top English boy moving to no.10 to play 2nd striker to him. We bring on an Aussie on one wing and a Canadian on the other.

We then score literally the three finest goals in the whole history of football to turn it round in the last five mins and win 3-2 11 mins into injury time with the last overhead kick of the game.

But in all seriousness, it's the poetry. You watch your WW2 doc and good as it is, you're watching a telly doc.

If you read Owen, you are there, in the trenches, watching your mate drown in the poisoned gas.

Likewise Sassoon.

If the war had only ever given us McCrae's In Flanders Field it would still have won hands down.

What has WW2 got? The Naming of Parts and that's it. And that's not even about the war. It's just about how training doesn't turn him on as much as a good buggering does. NTTAWWI.

[Peter]

Counting up how many for and against individual primary sources we have is a mug's game. But the Hun did let us fly Baader's legs in to hi PoW camp, giving us clear passage. Also, when a visiting Luftwaffe chap at one of the camps found they were holding a couple of RAF escapees, he totally kicked off, said that all RAF are in the control of the Luftwaffe, got them scubbed down, fed and handed over to him, with him apologising profusely to our boys and telling the camp commandant that if this happens again, he'll send a couple of Stukkas to take out his family home there.

Also seen/read several sources of GB RAF Pilots in '40 saying they would never shoot down a parachuting pilot but the Poles did and they could understand that.

So perhaps it's just the Tory press baron's a bit more of a psycho than the average RAF officer. Who'd'a thunk it?

If you want to play footie analogies WW1 wasn't "a stodgy 0-0 with a late winner given by VAR." It started with the big no.6, Joffre, pulling off the greatest ever goal line tackle when the Hun forward had rounded our keeper. {Let's call him Antwerp or Mons.}

Had he mistimed that, it would have been a pen and down to ten men. Game over.

We then have a peak PV4 vs Woy Keane MF battle for the ages. The Hun then go 1-0 up late on when an injury crisis forces the Russians to bring on Oleg and Stepanovs.

The then go 2-0 up when they break the leg of our no.5, Gough, and get away with it.

We are forced to make a tactical change. Our starry French striker takes the captain's armband with the top English boy moving to no.10 to play 2nd striker to him. We bring on an Aussie on one wing and a Canadian on the other.

We then score literally the three finest goals in the whole history of football to turn it round in the last five mins and win 3-2 11 mins into injury time with the last overhead kick of the game.

But in all seriousness, it's the poetry. You watch your WW2 doc and good as it is, you're watching a telly doc.

If you read Owen, you are there, in the trenches, watching your mate drown in the poisoned gas.

Likewise Sassoon.

If the war had only ever given us McCrae's In Flanders Field it would still have won hands down.

What has WW2 got? The Naming of Parts and that's it. And that's not even about the war. It's just about how training doesn't turn him on as much as a good buggering does. NTTAWWI.

I wasnt suggesting old Max was right, simply noting that different people see these things differently. I'd guess if I was forced to kill someone I would probably find it easier to train myself to hate him first.

Nobody had time to write bleeding poetry during WW2. They were too busy fighting a war by air, land and sea. Dodging rockets, ducking from bombers or blowing up subs.

Of course, it was only that western front that was dull and literally stuck in the mud. There was excitement elsewhere. Dardanelles, Gallipoli, Jutland. My great grandfather got shot in the arse in Basrah.

And I don't like much of that poetry, aside from Brooke. And that isnt really war poetry as such.