BBC2 9pm The Neccessary War

[Fenton]

Programme by Max Hastings about WW1

[Steve J]

Also on BBC4 this evening, a repeat of the WWI documentary series first shown on Channel 4, based on the book by Hew Strachan. Just like waiting for a bus really...

Hopefully Techno gets to read this post in time .

[Fenton]

Thats not the Great War series is it?

[mollinary]

Sadly no!

Mollinary

[Fenton]

I know the BBC will be showing The Great War at some point

[Steve J]

The Great War narrated by Michael Regrave (IIRC) was just superb and must see telly when I was a kid.

[Fenton]

I have the boxset I managed to pick it up cheap when the BBC shop in Belfast closed down

Not sure what to make of the Max Hastings programme. I suppose the problem is that historians have their own agenda as well

[Steve J]

Niaill Gerguson is putting across the 'other point of view' on Friday (or thereabouts).

[mollinary]

I thought Max Hastings made the worst of a good case - and not great television. I found it a bit wearing having Sir Max striding about, or sitting about, with people saying how they were real experts who had been studying this war in detail for hundreds of years (OK, I exaggerate a bit!), and who thought Sir Max was absolutely right.   The highlight for me was seeing Sir Michael Howard looking in great condition, both mental and physical, for  a man in his nineties. Really cheered me up!

Mollinary

[Bernie]

Hi

Yep Sir Michael Howard was at the Waterloo 200 Conference at King's London late last year as well as was in top form