Visually stunning, Good content
Much of the footage in this 2 DVD set is spectacular. It really makes the events of WW2 seem like they could have happened a couple of years ago. Some of it is so good that it looks as though it might have been faked! Not all of it though. A few clips appear grainy, yellowish, etc. Also, I was truly surprised at how few of these clips I had seen before. Some of them I recognized but the majority were totally new to me (and I have seen a lot of ww2 documentaries). A word of caution: like most war docs, there are some pretty gruesome scenes.
As far as the content, it was pretty good. It was a little like "The War" by Ken Burns in that actors would read letters, diary entries, and the like. Indeed,the writings of Quentin Aanenson and Eugene Sledge make their rounds here too (you will know them well from "The War"). It was kind of funny that the actor would read the letter in English but with an accent from the author's country of origin. I guess it would remind you that the speaker was German, French, Russian, Japanese, or whatever. Kind of goofy but I got used to it. Also, keep in mind that it is only about 3 hrs and they were limited to only showing color footage. Because of this, there is very little detail and some major events are barely mentioned. This is primarily a visual experience. If you're a WW2 buff, you won't learn anything new. Then again, of you're a WW2 buff, I highly recommend this DVD.

I was amazed when I saw some of this as a child
I was amazed when I saw some of this as a child in color at a time when most films were black and white. I thought that color film wasn't even invented prior to WW II. Ted Turner can colorize anything these days, even WW I, but this is the real thing and you can tell. Very nice indeed

simply incredible
World War II--The Lost Color Archives gives people a rare opportunity to essentially witness World War II as it actually looked in color. The quality of the color footage varies at times but it certainly gives you the feeling that you were there much more than if you were to watch the same footage shot only in black and white. The quality of the sound is excellent. Thank goodness for the History Channel from which this program comes!

The first of the two DVDs contains color films of events beginning at about the time of The Spanish Civil War and the coronation of a new King (George) in Great Britain. We witness footage of English statesmen actually visiting amicably with Hitler; Hitler sure had them fooled! There is interesting footage of great historical value concerning the German invasions of countries like Poland and The Soviet Union; and we also see the horrifying color footage of the fires in London during the German bombing of the city.

The first DVD also includes footage of the fight in the Pacific; we see our men fighting to capture islands in the Pacific that could be sued as bases for important military maneuvers including the Enola Gay flight that would drop "the bomb" on Japan.

In addition, there is color footage of the brutal Wausau ghetto where Jews were housed like cattle and children were left as orphans on the streets to die. The brutal treatment of the Jews and other Nazi atrocities are made very clear throughout the course of this two DVD set.

The second DVD gives us footage of the last year and one-half of the war. We see D Day, the rescue of France, other countries, and the people in concentration camps from brutal German occupation and the gradual erosion of Hitler's German military machine. The footage continues to show us a great deal of bombing, damage from bombing and carnage. It's truly fascinating to watch World War II in color.

The DVDs have some extras on the second of the two DVDs. What we get is mostly more color footage that was not used for the actual program of World War II in color. There is footage of Hitler and the elite guards at his country estate and we get great footage of Americans fighting their best. We see more footage of fires raging through destroyed cities--and more. This is excellent bonus footage and it lasts about twenty minutes.

Overall, I highly recommend this two DVD package for history buffs, military buffs and veterans of World War II. This color footage is actually quite rare and I believe that it has great historical significance.

World War II - The Lost Color Archives
History and war buffs, rejoice. Just when you thought you'd seen every World War II documentary, from "The World At War" to "Victory At Sea", this set appears. While you may not glean a wealth of new information or insight into the period, the color films imbue the war with an immediacy you've never experienced before- unless of course, you were there. This alone makes the DVD a worthwhile investment of time and money. Bear in mind this is all bona-fide color footage-nothing has been colorized. The effect is spellbinding, almost miraculous- as when Judy Garland as Dorothy first lands in Oz.

Good, not great
Based on reviews I'd read beforehand, I expected something big with this 2-disc set. To its credit, it runs 2 hours and 51 minutes. But it's on the pricey side and a lot of what's shown here has been on other more recent (and less expensive) DVD's, like "Hitler, in Color," which is really outstanding. I also expected this DVD set to be better than "World War II in Color, the British Story." On the contrary, the latter costs less than half of this one, ran over an hour longer and had more unique footage and commentary. The "British Story" is all on a single, collector's edition, digital disc.

For those building a DVD library on World War II, especially color features, this 2-volume set belongs in your collection. For those operating on a budget, choose the two DVD's noted above, first. Then, consider "Visions of War, Vol. 2--Hitler, in His Own Words," and various pieces on Winston Churchill, for greater value.