The Great Ships - The Aircraft Carriers (History Channel) (2005) Review

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(More customer reviews)I enjoyed the History Channel's subject on the origins of the aircraft carriers up to the present day. It was an eye opener also that some of the innovations of the modern US aircraft carriers were designed by the British. However, I noticed that the jeep carriers of World War 2 were not included and that although the Forrestal class was discussed at lenght, the Kitty Hawk and JFK class of aircraft carriers were not part of subject. The Enterprise is a class of its own and the Nimitz class ships were very detailed. I would have preferred though that the latest and most modern and recently commissioned Ronald Reagan included in the film. The LHAs and LHDs were also not brought out when one can see that they resemble the carriers, they still are by and large aircraft carriers. Otherwise, the documentary was very good and I look forward to other films about modern ships not only of the US but also with the former Soviet Union.

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Today’s nuclear-powered aircraft carriers are the most powerful warships to ever take to the seas.Able to stay at sea for over a million miles at a time, they can reach any corner of the globe to deploy their incredible arsenal an air strike force more powerful than most nations’. Learn the incredible history of these amazing vessels.See how the first aircraft carriers were invented in WWI.Revisit the epic carrier battles that were essential to Americaís victory in WWII.Footage from some of the greatest engagements in military history shows these mighty ships in action, and interviews with the men who fought aboard them offers a unique glimpse into life and battle aboard these behemoths.And a tour of a modern carrier offers an inside look at the most powerful and complex weapons system ever built.

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Dogfights - The Complete Season One (History Channel) (2006) Review

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(More customer reviews)The History Channel's "Dogfights" series is a huge step forward for air combat documentaries. Rarely can gun camera footage capture what actually happened in a dogfight. Instead you just see the final couple seconds before the target explodes. The "Dogfights" episodes overcome this limitation by adding in computer-generated reenactments of the air battles that make you feel like you are there watching it all unfold right in front of you. You come away with a much better appreciation of the tactics. For archival footage fans, don't worry--there is still plenty of that in these programs. But because they also have the vivid computer imagery, the episodes don't have to rely on showing the same stock footage over and over and over. I especially appreciated this for the jet era battles, where there is generally a short supply of good footage. In particular, I thought the "Mig Alley" episode was a tremendous improvement over previous pre-CGI documentaries about the air war in Korea. And in that episode, the reenactment of Robby Risner's epic mission is the most incredible air battle story I have ever seen.
The whole series is amazing. It is absolutely essential viewing for anyone interested in air combat. That said, let me also offer three minor warnings:
1. Air battles in Europe during World War 2 get surprisingly little coverage in Season 1--only a episode of "Greatest Air Battles" bonus episode and a flashback in the "Air Ambush" episode about Robin Olds. Likewise, World War I air combat is not covered except at the beginning of the "Greatest Air Battles" episode.
2. There is a glitch on the "Greatest Air Battles" episode. When I hit 'play all' or 'introduction' for that episode, it starts with Rickenbacker's mission. It seems like the logical starting point, but that isn't actually the start of the episode. There is a lot of interesting material before that, but you have to manually rewind in order to get the real beginning of the episode.
3. When last I checked, you could get "Dogfights" for much less money from Deep Discount.
Finally, if you want to learn more about the dogfights of World War 2, I strongly recommend VICTORY ROLL by William Wolf. This massive book (460+ pages with over 600 photos) is the most comprehensive history of all the US aces from World War 2 that I have ever encountered.

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DOGFIGHTS:COMPLETE SEASON ONE - DVD Movie

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