Pen & Sword Digital offers an array of military history documentaries made by talented filmmakers, historians, authors and battlefield guides. The selection of films cover World War I and II, the Hundred Years War and the Napoleonic War, engaging multiple sources in the drawing together of interesting stories that encapsulate the life and, sometimes, death of a soldier at war. Our DVDs also examine different technological and tactical advancements of warfare such as tanks, aviation, naval, plus trench and siege warfare.
Whether you have been to the Western Front, or are about to visit, the series 'Walking the Western Front' continues to serve such a useful purpose of explaining the battlefield. With the continued probing questions of Ed Skelding, and the military expertise of Nigel Cave, this second volume in the series on the First Battle of Ypres, breaks down, sometimes complex military movements, with detailed clear descriptions, alongside views and being on the ground.
Jon Sandison
Whether you have been to the Western Front, or are about to visit, the series 'Walking the Western Front' continues to serve such a useful purpose of explaining the battlefield. With the continued probing questions of Ed Skelding, and the military expertise of Nigel Cave, this second volume in the series on the First Battle of Ypres, breaks down, sometimes complex military movements, with detailed clear descriptions, alongside views and being on the ground.
Jon Sandison
The story of the Battle of Mons is relayed by film maker Ed Skelding, and military historian Nigel Cave who is the series editor of the excellent Battleground Europe guides to the battles of the Western Front. The focus on Mons brings to life visually to the fore how this quiet Belgium town was to witness the first great battle between the British and the German during the First World War. The Battle of Mons was fought over two days in late August, 1914, marking the start of the British action on the Western Front. For anyone who has watched any of this series of documentaries, the ultimate strength of them is two fold. Firstly if you have not previously had the opportunity to visit the battlefields, they serve the fantastic purpose of not only inspiring you to want to visit, to plan a visit, and also give you a fantastic overview of the sequence of events and ground at particular locations. At the same time, they bring the locations into a modern concept with sweeping views of the ground... Read more
Jon Sandison, Freelance
The story of the Battle of Mons is relayed by film maker Ed Skelding, and military historian Nigel Cave who is the series editor of the excellent Battleground Europe guides to the battles of the Western Front. The focus on Mons brings to life visually to the fore how this quiet Belgium town was to witness the first great battle between the British and the German during the First World War. The Battle of Mons was fought over two days in late August, 1914, marking the start of the British action on the Western Front. For anyone who has watched any of this series of documentaries, the ultimate strength of them is two fold. Firstly if you have not previously had the opportunity to visit the battlefields, they serve the fantastic purpose of not only inspiring you to want to visit, to plan a visit, and also give you a fantastic overview of the sequence of events and ground at particular locations. At the same time, they bring the locations into a modern concept with sweeping views of the ground... Read more
Jon Sandison, Freelance
Another outstanding documentary from the Battlefield History TV team, following the efforts in the last days of 1944 by Jochen Peiper's 1st Panzer Regiment of the 1st " Leibstandarte" SS Panzer Division, to break through the Allied lines in the northern sector of the Ardennes. The excellently informed historians first describe the state of this much reconstituted, fully staffed but in materiel understrength Division, and with the assistance of maps, photographs, archive footage and re-enactors, vividly bring to life the story of their advance. By walking the ground and describing the key phases, they reveal how the Leibstandarte attempted to make rapid progress but were continually hampered by poor roads, blown bridges, and ever stiffening resistance, and show how this frustration culminated in the Malmedy Massacre where almost one hundred American prisoners of war were murdered. The main focus of the narrative, however, is concerned with the Division's spearhead and their constant struggle.. Read more
Pegasus Archive
Another outstanding documentary from the Battlefield History TV team, following the efforts in the last days of 1944 by Jochen Peiper's 1st Panzer Regiment of the 1st " Leibstandarte" SS Panzer Division, to break through the Allied lines in the northern sector of the Ardennes. The excellently informed historians first describe the state of this much reconstituted, fully staffed but in materiel understrength Division, and with the assistance of maps, photographs, archive footage and re-enactors, vividly bring to life the story of their advance. By walking the ground and describing the key phases, they reveal how the Leibstandarte attempted to make rapid progress but were continually hampered by poor roads, blown bridges, and ever stiffening resistance, and show how this frustration culminated in the Malmedy Massacre where almost one hundred American prisoners of war were murdered. The main focus of the narrative, however, is concerned with the Division's spearhead and their constant struggle.. Read more
Pegasus Archive
A DVD of original German newsreel footage as it would have been broadcast to the public at the time, showing the arrival and parading of the Afrika Korps in Tripoli and their subsequent advance on Tobruk. As one would expect the commentary is very biased and makes for an interesting study in propaganda, particularly in its repeated attempts to portray Britain's colonial troops as sacrificial pawns. The film footage often focuses on artillery exchanges and the advance of motorised columns, but in between are segments which cover a very broad range of aspects of life in the desert, including anti-aircraft and anti-tank guns in action, the work of medical staff, signallers, the typical daily routine of any German soldier, and the unloading and stockpiling of stores in supply dumps. It also follows the arrival of these stores from Europe in the heavily protected convoys which were repeatedly attacked by the Royal Navy, and includes some superb footage of the Luftwaffe engaging the RAF and.. Read more
Pegasus Archive
A DVD of original German newsreel footage as it would have been broadcast to the public at the time, showing the arrival and parading of the Afrika Korps in Tripoli and their subsequent advance on Tobruk. As one would expect the commentary is very biased and makes for an interesting study in propaganda, particularly in its repeated attempts to portray Britain's colonial troops as sacrificial pawns. The film footage often focuses on artillery exchanges and the advance of motorised columns, but in between are segments which cover a very broad range of aspects of life in the desert, including anti-aircraft and anti-tank guns in action, the work of medical staff, signallers, the typical daily routine of any German soldier, and the unloading and stockpiling of stores in supply dumps. It also follows the arrival of these stores from Europe in the heavily protected convoys which were repeatedly attacked by the Royal Navy, and includes some superb footage of the Luftwaffe engaging the RAF and.. Read more
Pegasus Archive
This is a moving tribute to the Memphis Belle, all of her sisters of the 8th Air Force and her crew. Shot under combat conditions in full colour, this is a remarkable video. The out-takes provide some memorable footage and the whole package is an impressive offering. Aggressively priced, it is also subject to the Pen & Sword promotional discounts. A DVD not to be missed
Read the full review [link=http://reviews.firetrench.com/memphis-belle/#more-4225]here.[/link]
Firetrench
This is a moving tribute to the Memphis Belle, all of her sisters of the 8th Air Force and her crew. Shot under combat conditions in full colour, this is a remarkable video. The out-takes provide some memorable footage and the whole package is an impressive offering. Aggressively priced, it is also subject to the Pen & Sword promotional discounts. A DVD not to be missed
Read the full review [link=http://reviews.firetrench.com/memphis-belle/#more-4225]here.[/link]
Firetrench
Special Operations: Bletchley Park and the Ultra Secret
During the Second World War, Bletchley Park was the site of the UK's main decryption establishment, the Government Code and Cypher School (GC&CS), where cyphers and codes of several Axis countries were decrypted, most importantly the cyphers generated by the German Enigma and Lorenz machines. The high-level intelligence produced at Bletchley Park,… Read more...
Building on the success of various Commando Raids during 1941, Headquarters Combined Operations moved up the scale of size and complexity by electing to attack and deny the only dry dock that could take a German battleship for repairs, the Normandie Dock at St Nazaire on France's Atlantic coast. The problem was that the port was miles up an estuary… Read more...
Hougoumont & D'Erlon's Attack is the second part in the explosive four part series, The Waterloo Collection, which covers the entire Waterloo Campaign from Napoleon's return to France and ensuing battles to his final pursuit and eventual surrender to the British. Following on from Ligny and Quatre Bras, Part II starts by focusing on the concentration… Read more...
This is the first of a new series of DVDs that will build into a collection covering all the highlights of this massive and controversial campaign. One that caught the Allies off guard and was fought in terrible weather conditions by some of the best German and Allied troops fighting in the West. In this section we examine the background to the campaign… Read more...
GOLD BEACH - BATTLE FOR THE BEACHHEAD is the second DVD covering this operation in detail and part of the Assault on Normandy series from BHTV and Pen & Sword Digital. While Part 1 examined the combined weight of naval, air and land forces and the tactics they used to break through Hitler's vaunted Atlantic Wall to seize a toe hold in Festung Europa,… Read more...
The Peninsular Collection: 95th Rifles - 1809 to Salamanca
95th Rifles 1809 to Salamanca is the second DVD in 95th Rifles trilogy of films and part of The Peninsular Collection from BHTV and Pen and Sword Digital. The DVD explores the history of the 95th Rifles, who were masters of the battlefield and particularly skilled in skirmishing. Held in high esteem by the French and Allies alike, they played a momentous… Read more...
