I just finished watching all 11 DVDs that came in "The World at War" box set. Indeed, what they covered was very accurate, and I learned things that I was unaware of before, but I was somewhat disappointed by what they didn't cover, or didn't cover well. Yes, military strategies, battles, and events were included, but too often very briefly. Instead, the series focused on the death, destruction, and suffering caused by war. I didn't time it, but I would guess that the Battle of Midway might have been given three minutes, while bombed out cities, burning villages, refugees, and dead bodies took up hours of what the series showed you and commented on. The sinking of the Bismark and many other significant military events were never mentioned. Audie Murphy never made it either. Admittedly, some battles were well covered, but too many only received footnote mention, as the episodes rushed on to show the carnage that resulted from them.
It almost seemed that the series was using military action merely as a vehicle to set the scene and lead into the horror and inhumanity of war, which was the main theme. My guess is that the producers, directors, and writers for this series were very much against war, who used their World War II documentary more to make a statement, than to tell as complete a history of the war as they could in the 26 hours the episodes ran.
As an anti-war film it is a masterpiece, but for those interested in the details of how World War II was fought, it leaves a lot to be desired.
It almost seemed that the series was using military action merely as a vehicle to set the scene and lead into the horror and inhumanity of war, which was the main theme. My guess is that the producers, directors, and writers for this series were very much against war, who used their World War II documentary more to make a statement, than to tell as complete a history of the war as they could in the 26 hours the episodes ran.
As an anti-war film it is a masterpiece, but for those interested in the details of how World War II was fought, it leaves a lot to be desired.