DVD: Desert Battles of World War II

If you are looking for a DVD about World War II in North Africa then this has got to be the best, all-round documentary out at the moment. Marvelous footage and clear narration take you through the whys and wherefores of the desert war, and follows the ups and downs of both the Allied and Axis forces as they played out the Benghazi stakes…

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Starting with the fall of France and Italy's entry into the war, this well-researched documentary explains just why North Africa was important to both sides of the conflict. Italy wanted a new empire, Britain needed to protect its important shipping routes to the far east, and Germany needed to support Italy when things went drastically wrong for them.

The film footage is exceptional, showing things I've not seen in other documentaries on the North African campaign, and with a surprisingly high quality given that much of it is from the battle field. There is also none of the jingoistic flag-waving which adorns many war documentaries: Rommel's personality cult is described even-handedly, as is the response by the Allies. Even the epic tenacity of the Rats of Tobruk is painted in moderate, unemotional terms.

The documentary winds its way through back-and-forth battles in Libya, to the turning point of El Alamein, and the entry of US forces with Operation Torch, and ends with Alexander's famous cable: "We are master's of the North African shore."