Victory at Sea vs. The World at War

[decaro]

Recently I bought the V@C collection on DVD for a bargain tnx to Blu Ray; it was my intent to watch it while doing AE turns.

Coincidently, V@C and the WaW were both 26-episode television documentaries on WW II.

V@C was narrated by Leonard Graves, who tended to mock the Axis, where WaW's Sir Lawrence Olivier simply used sarcasm.

I guess if you're knighted you have to behave better, even towards your nation's enemies.

Any opinions on which series you would buy, and why?

[JudgeDredd]

I've never seen Victory at Sea, however I have watched (several times) the World at War series, I bought the boxed VHS set for over £140 and recently bought the boxed DVD set for the bargain price of £28.

World at War is a must have for any historical enthusiast interested in the gings on in World War II. It's comprehensive yet light (as in not over burdoning with detail), it's beautifully narrated and has a touching sound score.

I don't recall Sir Olivier being sarcastic, but then I haven't watched it in many years. From what I remember he was the epitome of professionalism and called it how it was.

Time for a re-watch I think.

As for Victory at Seaa, I probably wouldn't be too interested in it. I've never been a naval afn, though I am interested in some carrier battles.

[Adam Parker]

When I was working on HPS's Sicily I came across Victory at Sea and found it filled a hole that World at War covered broadly.

However, if wanting an overview of the Battle for the Atlantic, I feel that W@W does it a bit better.

You can really feel V@S being a blockbuster for the 50's whereas W@W offers a bit more polish.

[decaro]

ORIGINAL: JudgeDredd

... As for Victory at Seaa, I probably wouldn't be too interested in it. I've never been a naval afn, though I am interested in some carrier battles.

V@C was only 30 min segments, and the CV battles were pre-Shattered Sword, more like a B&W Midway.

ORIGINAL: Adam Parker

... You can really feel V@S being a blockbuster for the 50's whereas W@W offers a bit more polish.

That's the BBC for you.

Richard Rodger's score for V@C recorded by RCA was high tech back then.

[Johnus]

I have both. Victory at Sea is certainly dated (1950's) but has its own charm. WAW is, in my opinion, more accurate and certainly a more modern (1970's) and scholarly documentary.

I would get them both. Victory at Sea, anyway, can be had for peanuts.

[SlickWilhelm]

World at War is the ultimate documentary on WWII. There are some holes, to be sure, but overall it covers everything in a straight-forward, yet poetic way.

Outstanding narration by Sir Laurence Oliver(I don't hear any sarcasm, either), an evocative musical score and unsurpassed use of interviews of people who fought and suffered during the war. Required viewing for anyone interested in WWII.

The best thing about Victory at Sea is Richard Rodgers' fantastic score. I bought the soundtrack and listen to it often.

[decaro]

ORIGINAL: Johnnie
... Victory at Sea, anyway, can be had for peanuts.

About a dozen dollars US for a 5-disc DVD set.

[SLAAKMAN]

Both are interesting and have great actual footage and some great facts about the period but they are also a clear case of the winners writing the history books. Nevertheless I recommend owning both complete sets. [:D]

[ilovestrategy]

I like both!

[goodfoot]

Honestly, there's really no need to pick one over the other. WaW gives you ALOT of stuff that V@C doesn't, and vice versa. In fact, if you REALLY want a more definitive understanding to WWII (and don't really feel like READING!!), you really should watch both.

[ilovestrategy]

ORIGINAL: goodfoot

Honestly, there's really no need to pick one over the other. WaW gives you ALOT of stuff that V@C doesn't, and vice versa. In fact, if you REALLY want a more definitive understanding to WWII (and don't really feel like READING!!), you really should watch both.

This^^

Having seen both, I say that goodfoot is totally right. I got Victory at Sea for 3.99 at Ross. Good deal!

[Anonymous]

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