The History Channel Presents Engineering an Empire

The History Channel Presents Engineering an Empire

The History Channel Presents Engineering an Empire
Our Price: $49.95
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Category: DVD
See more DVD releases


(Click here)
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada

DVD Cover Information

Actor: Peter Weller
Brand: A&E
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0
Format: Box set, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 564 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2007-03-27
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: A&E Home Video

Movie Reviews of The History Channel Presents Engineering an Empire

Movie Review: Perfect Combination of History and Technology
Summary: 5 Stars

We purchased this set as a supplement to our World History homeschool curriculum, in an effort to help tie in the lessons with audio and visual. We are now half-way through the set, and I can safely say they are a hit!

Not only have the videos made history relevent to a high school student that didn't care a whit about history before, it has sparked an interest in Engineering. The combination of technolgy, culture and history has made a huge difference and resulted in my son's educational goals being set higher long term.

I would highly recommend this set to any Lego-maniac who doesn't find history interesting, and recommend it even more for those students who find reading dry and boring. You will be surprised to find history is cooler than you thought, and you might even feel the need to grab a book and learn more!

Summary of The History Channel Presents Engineering an Empire

Hosted by Peter Weller, ENGINEERING AN EMPIRE examines the most magnificent and sophisticated civilizations in history through the lens of their astounding engineering feats. Walk through the narrow streets of ancient Greece and Carthage and follow the massive expansion of the Roman and Chinese Empires. Trace the rise of antiquity's greatest leaders and discover the architectural marvels and urban planning accomplishments that altered the course of history. Learn about Byzantine architects driven to glory during the Dark Ages and witness the construction of the Tunnel of Samos, St. Peter's Basilica, and Notre Dame.
Some of mankind's greatest achievements are explored and celebrated in Engineering an Empire, a sprawling, ambitious series produced by the History Channel and consisting of 12 episodes spread out over four discs. The scope is wide, both geographically (from China to Central America, from the cities of Western Europe to the plains of Siberia) and temporally (from thousands of years ago to the relatively recent past), but the focus is on specific engineering and architectural projects undertaken by the various civilizations under discussion--not just the what and the why, but more importantly, how some of these ingenious endeavors were accomplished.

A number of the structures and monuments examined here will certainly be familiar to viewers. The Great Wall of China, described as "the most ambitious engineering project ever undertaken," was centuries in the making yet only partially successful as a means of defense. Paris' Notre Dame cathedral, that glorious celebration of the Gothic notions of height, light, and space, was made possible only by the innovative system of flying buttresses used to support its walls, while the Eiffel Tower, defying both the conventions of construction and the tastes of most Parisians, was built in less than two years. In Florence, Filippo Brunelleschi overcame many obstacles in order to complete a magnificent brick dome for the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, now better known simply as the Duomo; in Athens, 30,000 tons of marble was hauled for ten miles to make the Parthenon. Yet as fascinating as these tales are, just as absorbing are some of the more mundane and lesser-known feats, like the canals, tunnels, and aqueducts used for delivering water, the techniques created for rooting and stabilizing enormous structures, or the hoists and cranes devised to lift tons of building materials hundreds of feet into the air.

The execution is typical of the History Channel, including interviews with experts, decent reenactment footage, and computer-generated diagrams and drawings. The series strives for a balance of scholarship (actor Peter Weller, the on-screen host, is identified only as a lecturer at Syracuse University--apparently "star of RoboCop" was deemed undignified) and entertainment (the dramatic and portentous voiceover narration overrelies on words like "amazing," "incredible," and "unparalleled"). A good deal of genuinely informative historical context is also provided, recounting the rises and falls of kings and emperors, battle tactics used in various conflicts, and the effect of catastrophes like the Black Plague. A brief behind-the-scenes featurette is the sole bonus item. --Sam Graham

Documentary DVD Video

DVD Video
Movies most talked about in Best TV Ever
Band of Brothers ImageBand of Brothers
BAND OF BROTHERS; Release date: 2002-11-05; DVD
Best price: $34.14
Price in other shops: $79.98
From the Earth to the Moon - The Signature Edition ImageFrom the Earth to the Moon - The Signature Edition
HANKS,TOM; Release date: 2005-09-20; DVD
Best price: $17.49
Price in other shops: $59.98
Planet Earth - The Complete BBC Series ImagePlanet Earth - The Complete BBC Series
Warner Brothers; Release date: 2007-04-24; DVD
Best price: $44.99
Price in other shops: $79.98
The History Channel Presents Engineering an Empire ImageThe History Channel Presents Engineering an Empire
A&E; Release date: 2007-03-27; DVD
Best price: $11.38
Price in other shops: $49.95
Mythbusters: Collection 1 (4pc) ImageMythbusters: Collection 1 (4pc)
Image Entertainment; Release date: 2007-05-22; DVD
Best price: $19.29
Price in other shops: $29.99
Digging for the Truth - The Complete Season 1 (History Channel) ImageDigging for the Truth - The Complete Season 1 (History Channel)
A&E; Release date: 2006-09-26; DVD
Best price: $14.73
Price in other shops: $49.95
Saturday Night Live - 25th Anniversary ImageSaturday Night Live - 25th Anniversary
Lions Gate; Release date: 2004-02-24; DVD
Best price: $7.41
Price in other shops: $34.98
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart - Indecision 2004 ImageThe Daily Show with Jon Stewart - Indecision 2004
Release date: 2005-06-28; DVD
Best price: $16.99
Price in other shops: $39.98
The Office - Season One ImageThe Office - Season One
Universal; Release date: 2005-08-16; DVD
Best price: $12.99
Price in other shops: $29.98
The Office - The Complete First Series (BBC Edition) ImageThe Office - The Complete First Series (BBC Edition)
Warner Brothers; Release date: 2003-10-07; DVD
Best price: $15.00
Price in other shops: $29.98
Similar DVD Movies
Barbarians (History Channel) ImageBarbarians (History Channel)
Release date: 2004-02-24; DVD
Best price: $9.28
Price in other shops: $19.95
Barbarians 2 (History Channel) ImageBarbarians 2 (History Channel)
A&E; Release date: 2007-04-24; DVD
Best price: $10.96
Price in other shops: $29.95
Digging for the Truth - The Complete Season 1 (History Channel) ImageDigging for the Truth - The Complete Season 1 (History Channel)
A&E; Release date: 2006-09-26; DVD
Best price: $18.99
Price in other shops: $49.95
The History Channel Presents Last Stand of the 300 - The Legendary Battle at Thermopylae ImageThe History Channel Presents Last Stand of the 300 - The Legendary Battle at Thermopylae
A&E; Release date: 2007-07-31; DVD
Best price: $3.18
Price in other shops: $19.95
Digging for the Truth - The Complete Season 2 (History Channel) ImageDigging for the Truth - The Complete Season 2 (History Channel)
A&E; Release date: 2007-02-27; DVD
Best price: $7.89
Price in other shops: $49.95
The Dark Ages (The History Channel ) ImageThe Dark Ages (The History Channel )
A&E; Release date: 2007-05-29; DVD
Best price: $13.88
Price in other shops: $24.95
Decisive Battles of the Ancient World (History Channel) ImageDecisive Battles of the Ancient World (History Channel)
A&E; Release date: 2006-11-28; DVD
Best price: $14.29
Price in other shops: $34.95
The History Channel Presents Rome - Engineering an Empire ImageThe History Channel Presents Rome - Engineering an Empire
A&E; Release date: 2007-09-25; DVD
Best price: $3.95
Price in other shops: $24.95
Lost Worlds (History Channel) ImageLost Worlds (History Channel)
A&E; Release date: 2007-02-27; DVD
Best price: $10.44
Price in other shops: $49.95
The History Channel Presents Egypt - Engineering an Empire ImageThe History Channel Presents Egypt - Engineering an Empire
Unknown; Release date: 2006-12-19; DVD
Best price: $6.19
Price in other shops: $24.95
Compare prices and read customer reviews for more than one million DVD titles.
Oscar 2005 Winners