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Austerlitz was the crowning glory of the French leader's
military successes as he was outnumbered, but fooled his Austrian
and Russian enemies into attacking him and then, by brilliant
leadership, utterly destroying them. Aided by excellent 3D
graphics, experts tell just how astounding Bonaparte's victory
was.
The documentary uses contemporary artworks to give a flavour
for the period, but the winning touch is the use of an in-uniform
actor to voice the first-hand account of Jean-Roch Coignet,
whose memoirs are a prime source of material for Napoleonic
studies.
This is a fantastic look at arguably history's best general
and is worthy of a place in any enthusiast's library.
And buy the DVD, it makes finding the bits you are interested
in so much easier!
Julius Caesar and Alesia
Few leaders have captured the imagination as well as Julius
Caesar, the man who led Rome as an unofficial dictator and
met an unwelcome end at the points of rivals daggers in 44BC.
Under Caesar Rome spread its influence as far as ancient
Britain, but it is his astounding conquest of Gaul that features
in this episode.
Utterly politically motivated and ruthless, Caesar's career
up to the Battle of Alesia is recorded and you get to know
a huge amount about how the man thought and worked.
His decisive battle at Alesia - where he was trapped between
an enemy fortress and a massive relieving army - is one history's
most interesting clashes.
The events are made even more exciting by the obvious respect
that the expert panel has for Caesar's abilities and courage.
Ulysses S. Grant and The Wilderness
A failure at almost everything but marriage and war, Ulysses
S. Grant became the commander of the Union (Blue) forces during
the American Civil War and went on to become president of
the United States.
Apart from looking at Grant's background and career, The
Great Commanders details his crucial battle - The Wilderness
in 1864.
It examines the lead-up to the battle, the effect of Grant's
leadership on his men's morale and how he managed to win a
strategic victory over the formidable Confederate army.
Military history experts give their appreciation of Grant
and why he could be considered one of the great commanders.
Conclusion: 90%
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