In the Footsteps of Alexander the Great
by David Wallace (II)
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Product details
Actor: Michael WoodDirector: David Wallace (II)
Edition: VHS Tape
Format: NTSC
Release Date: 1998-05-04
Audience Rating: Unrated
Publisher: Pbs (Direct)
Studio: Pbs (Direct)
VHS Movie Reviews of In the Footsteps of Alexander the Great
Movie Review: These Are The Lessons of History
Summary: 5 Stars
There are no reenactments by second-rate actors; neither are there detailed examinations of ruins, nor are there dry recitations of historical facts from graying academicians. This is a four-hour journey through 20,000 miles in the company of an entertaining, charming, knowledgeable guide, Michael Wood - some of it on foot as Alexander, himself, would have pressed ahead to his destiny into the rumored, legendary, imagined and unknown. What is the legacy of the greatest of all conquerors? What evidence remains on the lands and their peoples today in the distant wake of the still astonishing and forever youthful Alexander the Great? Only by retracing his steps while considering the scraps of eyewitness testimony that remain can one truly hope to know. Carefully examining the lands and peoples of his conquests and the reality of his dreams as they exist today do we come to know the man and the meaning of his existence. These are the lessons of history. Movie Review: Motivation -- Louis J Sheehan
Summary: 5 Stars
I was new to Alexander so I didn't know what to expect. For me, this was an excellent learning experience. Among other things, 1. Alexander was wounded over 20 times personally leading his men in battle, 2. how Alexander lived a life he understood to fit numerous prophecies, 3. the results of his own and his men's motivation on both the large scale and the extraordinary efforts they were willing to make in individual battles. His saga still infuses our culture today. Louis J SheehanMovie Review: A unique and intruiging point of view.
Summary: 5 Stars
This DVD is 4 hours of Michael Wood and his crew literally taking the same path Alexander did on his conquest of Persia and his demise in Asia. There is no dramatization, but I still found myself quite interested. He hitches rides with warlords, his hired guards chase off bandits, and he walks through uninhabited deserts. Really amazing what he did for this production. He tells stories of Alexander throughout. Some of them are shown as dramatizations in the history channels Alexander the Great DVD, others are not. It is an entertaining and informative DVD on the life and conquest of Alexander the Great.Movie Review: I want to recommend this set to you....
Summary: 5 Stars
I am not a graduate level historian nor a college professor - so I am speaking as a ordinary person who (like those of you who are reading this) love history. If you are looking at this item online now then you are probably that rare minority of humans who are history buffs and are interested in learning more about Alexander the Great. I want to HIGHLY recommend this DVD/VCR set to you. I would go even farther and say this is a "must buy" situation. Michael Wood in a very likable British manner takes us on a informative and what is even more amazing an ENTERTAINING journey through history. You see folks...some things cannot be learned or experienced through books. A visual experience of the lands and peoples that are connected with the Alexander story is an absolute must if we are to understand the spirit behind the times. But who has the money to travel like that? Not me. So it is PBS and Michael Wood to the rescue!
The various countries and landscapes experienced in this docu-drama make this video set an education in itself. I will not go into detail of what exactly is in this 4 part film as some of the other reviewers below have done a much better job of that, but let it be known that I have watched my set of tapes at least 15-20 times! There is so much packed into these episodes they never get dull reviewing them time and again.
For some reason the DVD set is now hard to get and very pricy as of this writing. Even the used DVD sets for offer here are a bit much for my pocketbook. You may try getting the VCR version (which is the one I have) and save a bit of cash.
Movie Review: Wonderful documentary
Summary: 5 Stars
I loved reading Alexander.I had hoped that in my lifetime I would be able to go and trace his footsteps like Mr. Wood did.Unfortunately I waited too long.Some of the places are not safe ,and very treacherous. I did go however to many places that he conquered,up to Pakistan and India.
I do not think that this is a waist of money in purchasing this DVD, on the contrary, riding on donkeys sometimes are the only way to go.
In my lifetime I have been to 49 countries,and I understand how Mr.Wood had to travel, it is not fair to judge his ways, without realy having been in some of these places.
Summary of In the Footsteps of Alexander the Great
Begin a journey of epic proportions with Michael Wood as he travels from Macedonia in Northern Greece to India, retelling one of the world's greatest stories. Divided into four parts, "The Speaking Tree" examines Alexander's childhood, "Son of God" traces the invasion of Persia and Alexander's conquest of the Persian Empire, "The Road to Samarkand", follows Alexander's move to Afghanistan, and "To the End of the Earth" sees Alexander invade India, conquering local rulers and ranging as far as the Beas River before his long-suffering, exhausted troops refuse to go any further. Unable to go on, wounded in mind and body, Alexander returns to Persia.British filmmaker Michael Wood embarks on an idiosyncratic journey of 20,000 miles tracing the expedition of Alexander the Great in this captivating documentary. Relying on the words of Greek and Roman historians, Wood sought to follow Alexander's route of world conquest as closely as possible, and it is simply amazing how much folklore about the great general he is able to pick up on the way. Beginning in Greece and proceeding through 16 countries, including Turkey, Israel, Egypt, Iran, Afghanistan, and India, Wood listens intently to local storytellers who are still passing down the legends of Alexander. In one fascinating segment, Wood is barred from entering Iraq, but he is able to view the terrain on which Alexander's troops faced the Persians by scanning the radar screens of an American AWACS plane patrolling high above. In the course of his travels, Wood passes through four war zones and he notes that strategic regions of Alexander's day are still "on the fault lines of history." This is a lengthy production, clocking in at almost four hours, but the relaxed pace is a virtue, as Woods and the people he meets along the way, from local storytellers to noted historians, pass along an amazing array of historical knowledge. Lovers of history will find this documentary to be a joy and may well find themselves savoring every mile of Alexander's great journey. --Robert J. McNamara
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