The term D-Day is something that is typically applied to the Battle of Normandy on June 6, 1944. While that particular D-Day may have been the most prominent during World War II, the term actually is used to denote the day when combat actually began. In a new release from the History Channel a collection of documentaries involving D-Day focus entirely on the conflicts that took place in the Pacific during this tragic, yet oft romanticized, time period.

In all there were over 100 D-Days in the Pacific and this set of documentaries takes you from the events at Pearl Harbor to the dropping of the bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The documentaries here move in chronological order and are a great way to squeeze in a few history lessons. Anybody that has an interest in personal accounts and historical footage from WWII with revel in what this set has to offer. From Guadalcanal in 1942 to Okinawa in 1945, these documentaries cover most all of the bases.

The first documentary in this collection is "Death at the Tideline". Since this is the start of this historical series the events that take place here range from 1942 (Guadalcanal) to 1943 (Tarawa). Ripe with footage and interviews from soldiers that were actually involved in these battles, "Death at the Tideline" is a fountain of information. If you've never heard of Edson's Ridge or what transpired on the Alaskan island you'll appreciate the depth that this documentary hits.

The second documentary, "Closing the Jaws" takes place shortly after Tarawa and follows the American campaign right up through General MacArthur's charge towards Japan. Most of this feature follows the exploits at the Marianas Islands archipelago just nine days after the infamous D-Day assault on Normandy. American forces were expecting ten thousand Japanese to be at Marianas (most importantly Saipan and Guam), unfortunately for our forces there were thirty thousand Japanese entrenched and waiting. As America took control of the land a huge Japanese naval fleet was on the way with aspirations of delivering a crushing blow. Thanks to some quick thinking on the part of American generals our soldiers got the jump on the advancing force and tilted the scales.

The final documentary featured on the first volume of this two disc set is called "The Final Graveyard". Now that the American forces had control of Marianas it opened the door to potential attacks on Japan. Iwo Jima was the first stop and one of the more iconic locations found during the Pacific battles. With its hellish terrain Iwo Jima seemed to be the perfect natural defensive point. It was vital though, especially if America wanted to tackle Okinawa next. The introduction of the kamikaze is handled well and the documentary really gives a graphic glimpse into what happened on that island.

On the second disc of the set there are two biographies included chronicling the lives of arguably the two most important leaders in the Pacific campaign; Admiral Chester Nimitz and General Douglas MacArthur. Both men earned their place in the history books based upon their actions and leadership. These biographies are interesting because they go beyond simply their list of achievements. Instead they look at the lives of the two men and their careers as a whole.

Finally, "The Bloody Hills of Peleliu" is another documentary that takes a look at that battle in particular. Beginning September 15, 1944 and lasting for nearly two months this conflict caused more casualties than the American's had originally anticipated. Presented much in the same fashion as the other documentaries on this set you can expect a collection of interviews and stock footage. The information is more in depth though since it deals specifically with this battle instead of a multitude of others.

You really do have to be a lover of wartime history in order to appreciate D-Days in the Pacific. Then again you probably could have figured that out just by reading the title. Historians will appreciate the footage and information provided here since the History Channel did a fantastic job of putting them together. In my opinion the biographies of Nimitz and MacArthur really helped to round out the appreciation of material involving them. I'd advise watching those first before actually digging into the documentary portion of the release.

Presented with a 1.33:1 full frame aspect ratio, The History Channel Presents D-Days in the Pacific features a variety of video qualities. The modern day interview segments are crystal clear and sharp with only a hint of edge enhancement to complain about. The footage varies in degree of degradation based upon its age. Whether it's black and white or color the film is riddled with vintage-like grain and dirt. Given the nature of the video you can't really complain about it, though overall I'd say the video quality is fair for this release.

Every documentary featured on these discs is presented with an English language track that is presented in 2.0 stereo. The soundstage isn't very diverse and the quality doesn't surpass what you'd expect from a stereo track. I encountered no technical flaws while watching the documentaries so at least the quality control department did their job. No subtitles are included.

No extras are included on either disc. Then again with a release like this the only other extra would have probably been a documentary of some form which we really didn't need.

War is something that is often romanticized on film and TV. Books are written on the subject of valor and tragic tales retold by the surviving soldier. Few things are as riveting as a good documentary on a conflict or engagement and this set has four of them. Historical buffs will appreciate the wealth of footage and information present in these documentaries and the biographies go along way to add depth to these features. If you're interested in stuff like this you owe it to yourself to check this release out.

Check out more of my reviews here. Head on over to my anime blog as well for random musings and reviews of anime, manga, and stuff from Japan!