Produced by CBS News in honor of the 50th anniversary of the First World War, this is one of the finest documentary series to ever be presented on broadcast television. That a major network would put its resources into such a superb program is unheard of now but it was not that unusual all those years ago. I was indeed fortunate to have witnessed the original Sunday night broadcasts as a young boy fascinated by history. To say it was a moving and memorable experience is to dramatically understate the impact it had upon me. The writing is excellent, the history accurate and poetically presented with a tremendously effective score by Morton Gould and the CBS Orchestra. The narration by Robert Ryan is fantastic and absolutely perfect. This is television at its finest, proving that it is possible for it to actually educate and enlighten, to illuminate and inspire. With this series it fulfills the potential that many saw in television but which faded from view quite quickly. Hope was renewed when cable originally offered The Learning Channel, Discovery, Bravo, The History Channel, Arts and Entertainment, etc., which eventually, sickeningly collapsed into repulsive cesspools fermenting with reality trash of absolutely no value and despicable baseness. Even The History Channel was corrupted into an Ice Road Truckers and Pawn Brokers marathon of brainless flickering lights. So, let this magnificent historical series serve as a monument to what television is truly capable of, with its incredible use of imagery and the power of the spoken word always resonating with the generations who know nothing of the heroic sacrifice and resounding tragedy of World War I.