WORLD WAR II The Pacific

This authoritative, fact-filled, and patriotic collection is a fine and representative sampler of the History Channel's many hundreds of hours of WWII documentaries. The strong narration, dramatic music, and battleground sound effects all combine to keep one engaged. The section on Japanese war crimes and trials is shocking. Listening to the voices of survivors of the Bataan Death March and the many prison camps in the Pacific Theater recount their brutal experiences is both harrowing and riveting. The producers do a wonderful job of putting the interviews in context, but it's the words of the men and women who were there that really make history come alive. B.P. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine [Published: JUN/JUL 02]