Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #17662 in DVD
• Released on: 2002-09-16
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 180 minutes

Special Features
4:3
DVD 9
English
Region 2
Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround English
Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
5 Diary Pieces With Extra Footage
Written Biographies Of Leading Empire Figures
5 Posters
Time Line
Key Facts
Maps
English

Synopsis
A major historical documentary that revisits the lives of the British colonies during the best part of the 20th Century. Features original colour film, much of which is previously unseen.

Customer Reviews

DISAPPOINTED
This DVD really concentrates mainly on the breakup of the British Empire with the focus on India. This is done very well with authentic film footage of a few of the famous events, but we do seem to get a rather biased point of view througout the narative. Most of the countries which formed part of the British empire are not even mentioned or are given very scant coverage. There is no reference whatsoever with regard to how the Empire was built and the people who were instrumental in building it.
This DVD tells only of it's decline. It would have been a good idea to cover such famous figures as James Wolfe, Robert Clive, Captain Cooke,etc. The British Empire was the largest ever, so let's have the whole story from start to finish.

Past in true colour
Truly a beautiful disk. It presents only original footage with voiceover (subtitles optional), and no present-day hosts to ruin the illusion. For example, you get to see the best shots by Friese-Greene from his journey through Britain in 1926, without the annoying presenter popping up, trying to recreate the journey (as in The Lost World of Friese-Greene). There are some amazing shots from 1906 on, but as the programme continues, it becomes more mainstream, since we have all seen a lot of colour footage from the fourties. Nevertheless, a spellbinding film. The quality of the clips is good to exceptionally good.

Where is South A frica in this series?
A very good series, and the colour really does bring it to life. However, one of the most interesting countries in the whole story of the British Empire, South Africa, whose tortured imperial history was only really resolved in 1994, is strangely missing. There are a couple of tantalising bits of it in the "making of the documentary" extra, but nothing else. This to my mind is a serious omission. However, what is included of the rest of the British Empire is first rate and well worth watching.