Narrated by Brian Cox

PART ONE: Alexander the Great, The Battle of Issus
In November 333 B.C., twenty-three year old Alexander of Macedonia led his army against the Persian Host of Darius, which outnumbered the Greeks by more than 2 to 1. The Battle of Issus, which saw the comprehensive defeat of the Persians, is a case study where strategic brilliance and daring deliver a battlefield triumph. Alexander's victory over Darius was the beginning of the end for Persian hegemony in the Near-East, and began the Hellenization that would dominate the region for more than 500 years.

PART TWO: Julius Caesar, The Battle of Alesia
In 52 B.C. Rome's pre-eminent general, Gaius Julius Caesar found himself locked in a titanic struggle against the forces of King Vercingetorix of Gaul. Pacifying Gaul was paramount to Rome's security and Caesar needed a decisive victory to quell Gallic resistance once and for all. Having surrounded Vercingetorix and his army at Alesia, Caesar now found himself attacked in turn by a relief force which outnumbered him by 5 to 1. Using superior Roman tactics, discipline and military technology, he crushed the Gauls forced Vercingetorix's surrender. This victory cemented Roman control of Western Europe for 400 years and elevated Caesar to mythic status as a battlefield commander.

PART THREE: Napoleon Bonaparte, The Battle of Austerlitz
The Battle of Austerlitz in 1805 lasted 9-hours, and saw Napoleon decisively defeat the combined Austro-Russian Coalition through tactical brilliance. Having convinced the Coalition that his army was weak on the right flank, he maneuvered them into attacking, inadvertently weakening their center. Napoleon's plan was to then overwhelm the Austro-Russian center, effectively destroying them. By no means an assured victory for Napoleon, the battle was marked by the constant movement of armies and sudden battlefield developments. It is a testament to Napoleon's tactical genius that he succeeded in inflicting 3 times the casualties on the Austro-Russian force that the French suffered. His victory at Austerlitz realigned the boundaries of the continent and laid the foundations for the political evolution of Europe in the 19th Century.

Running time: 135 min., Year released: 2008
Close captioned?: N, Color?: Y
Avail. formats: dvd
ISBN: 1-55974-764-1
Language: English, Subtitled?: N
For classroom?: Y, Study Guide?: N
Grade level: 7th and up

Reviews:

"Spellbinding"
- Daily Telegraph

Other Credits: