Masters of the Sky on British History Channel

[Gregvan]

Hi All,

I just stumbled across this DVD on international ebay:



Apparently this is a 65-minute documentary about Albert Ball and MvR that (I assume) was shown on the British version of the History Channel. Can any of our British forumites comment on it?? Anything new? Looks good, and Ball gets top billing over MvR! Of course, it's a region 2 DVD.

Of course, the USA "History" channel wouldn't stoop to airing anything so historically interesting or significant as this. Noooo, we have coverage of those REALLY historically significant subjects like ice road truckers, 'monster' hunter-nuts and lumberjacks.

[bristol scout]

Hi Greg,
Sometimes i have grave misgivings of the 'History Channel' over here though.not so long ago i sat through a most excruciatingly bad 'Documentary' on the Crusades called 'The Crescent and the Cross' and had to listen to the 'British Pakistani' Tariq Ali, a Muslim 'Historian'---i use the name loosely---misrepresent the period so badly, in the name of polical correctness, i assume, that it makes one wonder just how much 'one sided' history is being sold these days.

Dave.

[John McKenzie]

Hi Greg and Dave.....I hartily aggrea....I also was very dissapointed with that one.(Crusades are high on my interests.).......Generally these documentaries seem to be made to perpetrate usually old or errorous facts..and make those with a reasonable knowledge,"squirm"...Dont ever recal seeing the Albert Ball one though.....It ?could ? be the exception ! Regards JM

[bristol scout]

Hi John,
Or to be especially nice to Islam : 'Historian' Ali seems to forget that Islam 'spread' (that's a nice word, concealing so much) by the peremptory arbitration of the sword, and that after the battle of Manzikert (1071---twenty years before the call to crusade) Muslim armies were conquering more Christian land and increasingly persecuting Christians..................Oh! history channels leave an awful lot to be desired.

I'm sorry guys---i know this is not the place---just wanted to voice ----caution---regarding the history channel.

Dave.

[Willi Von Klugerman]

Of course, the USA "History" channel wouldn't stoop to airing anything so historically interesting or significant as this. Noooo, we have coverage of those REALLY historically significant subjects like ice road truckers, 'monster' hunter-nuts and lumberjacks.

I totally agree Gregvan!The only thing that I see thats about WWI is the documetary about the Christmas Truce about every Christmas Eve.What is so interesting about cutting down trees or guys searching for paranormal activities (which they never find or solve).And I notice that they market over recent films like 300 and Valkerie by producing show specials of the subject (thats getting annoying).I never did see WWI in Color on THC anymore

At least The Military Channel shows The First World War and occasionaly,episodes of Birds of a Feather.Wars like the war of 1812 and WWI are very neglected periods in history.Majority of Americas youth may never understand or ever notice the sacrifice of countless lives of men of all theaters of WWI.Who cares if the US wasn't involved in the war very long,plenty of our mens blood was spilled in the fields of France,so we have a good excuse to remember the lives lost in The Great War!

I guess Im one of the few youths in America that thinks about The Great War everyday.

[bristol scout]

Hi Willi,
Remember the film 'The Buccaneer' with a be-wigged Yuyl Bryner--and the superb Charlton Heston as Jackson---culminating in the Battle of New Orleans? Not a bad film as memory serves---but it's bloody years since i saw it. Can't think of much else on the war of 1812---but then again, it is another one steeped in mythology, i'm afraid.

For REAL HISTORY on T.V. (video or DVD) go no further than Ken Burns' incomparable 'Civil War'---still an absolute masterpiece---and all done without bloody re-enactors Or the masterly 1960's British series 'The Great War'----now they are two examples of the very best T.V. Documentary.

(I have, in truth, no problem with re-enactment groups)

Dave.

[scooterjmuggs]

Hi All;

I totally agree with regard to the History Channel. I would suggest the Military Channel instead. Only issue with it is that they constantly re-run the same programs over and over. They do have a bit of WWI content from time to time, but far more WWII and the Gulf War etc. They do run some interesting programs though, Weaponology, Great Planes Series, etc. etc.
I much prefer it to the History Channel. All military though, no general history content. But I would imagine that most on this site would lean more towards military history anyway.

Oh, btw, the Masters of the Sky video is available on Amazon.uk for sale as well. I would also like to know about the content of this program. If anyone has viewed this and thinks it is worthwhile I would purchase a copy for my collection. Just not enough video out regarding the Air War in WWI, good, bad or otherwise...

scooterjmuggs out...