For King and Empire (1 Viewer)

blaster

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Sep 10, 2008
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Hi All,

A very interesting series on the Canadian contribution to WWI. I've just seen the first episode on Ypres and it is very good. The narrator takes you on a spell-binding trip of the battle sites and gives quite good details and clarity on each battle.

http://www.amazon.ca/For-King-Empire/dp/B000NDFFN6

Rgds Victor
 
The narrator/host also does a series on the Second World War called "For King & Country" and another one on the Korea War, but I can't remember what it's called. All of them are pretty good, but I think "For King & Empire" is the best one. The final episodes really show how the Canadian Corps became quite the formidable force on the Western Front in the later years of the First World War.
Cheers,
Brendan
 
I am really taking my time with this series, savouring each episode as they come. I've just finished episodes 2-Somme and 3-Vimy Ridge. Pretty grim statistics especially for the Somme . I note that the Canadian corps didn't think much of Haig's military capability. Following the Somme fiasco, Vimy Ridge was very carefully planned by the Canadians themselves and was relatively successfully carried out.
 
Just watched the Passchendaele episode. The poor Canadian division that did so well at Vimy Ridge is now shunted north to take over from the Aussies who could not take the ridge. The Canadian officer Arthur Currie prophetically predicted 16,000 casualties for the Canadians who prevailed against the mud.
 
I think the Passchendaele episode was my favourite. There is just something about the immense slaughter of that campaign for virtually no gains that gets me every time.
Regards,
Brendan
 
I like the first four episodes.

I've just finished the 5th episode which covers the last few battles and the 6th episode which deals with the aftermath of the war for the Canadians. The 5th episode was all about mopping up with the Canadians being asked to take Mons as a symbolic gesture before the war ended. The 6th episode didn't have much material, following on the sad tales of some of the veterans and there was some material on Hitler and the rise of the Nazis as filler.

Overall, a very good WWI series and it presented material about the Western Front which I was not familiar with. I hope there are comparable DVDs on the Anzacs and other commonwealth troops. It would be great if there was a DVD or a short series on the African theatre but there's probably very little existing footage. We all live in hope.

Rgds Victor
 

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