Hew Strachan "The First World War" DVD Set

While Americans tend to see WWII as the seminal event of the last century, in actuality, it is merely one of the many events set in motion by the true great tragedy of our age, the Great War.

This ten hour video series, available on DVD or airing on the Military Channel, is a splendid introduction to the facts and the reasons behind the facts of the First World War.

In many ways, the issues that broke loose in the conflict of the First World War are issues that fester today - Balkan nationalism, Russian corruption and self-doubt, the fall of old powers and the rise of new. This war drew lines in the sand of the Middle East which vex us today.

This series is incredibly written, dramatically portrayed, assumes no great knowledge of the subject, yet provides a deep analysis of deeper causes. Moving pictures and color images from around the world make this truly global disaster personal and immediate. I cannot recommend this lesson in history highly enough.

Here is Episode 10, War Without End, on YouTube.