Product Description

Joseph Stalin - the supreme leader of the Soviet Union - was a tyrant responsible for the death of millions. Yet he also had some unlikely relationships during the Second World War. Not just with leaders of the great democracies like Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt, but also with Hitler and the Nazis. For the first time on television, this ambitious series from award-winning filmmaker Laurence Rees uses exclusive evidence gained from the actual conversations and secret meetings Stalin conducted with Roosevelt, Churchill and Hitler, to dramatically reveal the true natures of the three leaders and how the meetings they had - and the decisions they made - shaped the world today.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #12563 in DVD
• Brand: Warner Brothers
• Released on: 2009-05-26
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.77:1
• Formats: Color, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 2
• Running time: 346 minutes

Features

• Joseph Stalin - the supreme leader of the Soviet Union - was a tyrant responsible for the death of millions. Yet he also had some unlikely relationships during the Second World War. Not just with leaders of the great democracies like Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt, but also with Hitler and the Nazis. For the first time on television, this ambitious series from award-winning filmmaker Lau

Customer Reviews

Revealing series very well made
This is 20th century history that we, as Americans, are by and large fairly ignorant of. Pearl Harbor, D-Day, and Battle of the Bulge have obscured our knowledge of the most devastating and in many ways more significant aspects of World War II on the eastern front. The dramatized sections are excellently produced and portrayed, which only the BBC seems to be able to do so well. It gives us a glimpse of the power dealing leading to some of the most violent and tragic consequences of the war. Highly recommended.

Revealing the truth
I would say that this is probably the first time I have seen a report on the vital role the Poles played in World War II and the first to give them the credit they have long deserved. It even intimates that Churchill does not go scot-free when it comes to the duplicitous role he played in turning them over from one tyranny to another. Add to that his refusal to allow them to participate in the victory parade in London.

Some useful insights into World War II
This is a useful and creative series. The organization is a bit uneven but there is a lot of hard information that is relevant. The section on Churchill's 1942 meeting with Stalin was quite interesting where Churchill openly admits that the purpose of British bombing was to wipe out German cities, not just to hit military targets. If you are interested in Nazi relations with Stalin, you might want to read Deadly Embrace. There is a book related to this DVD World War II Behind Closed Doors: Stalin, the Nazis and the West.