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| | Location: Home » Military & War » General » The History Channel Presents Last Stand of the 300 - The Legendary Battle at Thermopylae | January 8, 2009 |
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| The History Channel Presents Last Stand of the 300 - The Legendary Battle at Thermopylae | 
 enlarge | Director: David Padrusch
Actors: Jeffery A. Baker, Orion Barnes, Erin Bennett, Kristopher Blount, Joshua Bradley
Studio: A&E Home Video
Category: DVD
List Price: $19.95
Buy New: $1.98
You Save: $17.97 (90%)
Buy New/Used/Collectible from $1.97
Avg. Customer Rating:  (42 reviews)
Sales Rank: 6826
Format: Color, Ntsc, Widescreen, Closed-captioned
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Media: DVD
Running Time: 91 minutes
Number Of Items: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.6
MPN: AAED77211D
UPC: 733961772111
EAN: 0733961772111
ASIN: B000OIOPPE
Release Date: July 31, 2007
Theatrical Release Date: 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Editorial Reviews:
Description
The legendary battle of Thermopylae is still acknowledged today for its brilliant military maneuvers and the well-trained and fearless soldiers who fought to the death. THE HISTORY CHANNEL presents a detailed account of this legendary battle, examining the events leading up to the conflict, the tactical expertise that allowed the outnumbered Greeks to stall their mighty foes, and the bloody encounter itself. Find out how an army of a few hundred men overcame impossible odds and witness the conflict that altered the course of Western civilization.
Amazon.com
Last Stand of the 300 is an interesting 90-minute documentary from the History Channel explaining the details of the ancient Spartans' showdown with the Persian army at the battle of Thermopylae. It's long been a fascinating subject, but it hit popular culture in a big way with the 2007 feature film 300, based on the graphic novel by Frank Miller. Last Stand of the 300 helps explain the background behind the battle as well as many of the details not covered in the movie, including how the Ionian Revolt and the famed battle of Marathon led to Themopylae, the naval front led by Thermistocles, and what happened afterward. Numerous scholars and authors (including the writers of Gates of Fire and Empires at War) explain the rigorous Spartan training, military strategy, the Oracle at Delphi, the Persian technological advantage, different kinds of weaponry and vessels (the Spartan hoplon, dory, and xiphos, and the trireme), and how one of Miller's famous lines came from Herodotus ("Then we shall have our battle in the shade"). The maps are extremely helpful for showing how the geography affected the battle (one detour would have cost the Persians an extra two years of travel time), but the reenactments look kind of simple compared to the extremely stylized feature film. --David Horiuchi
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| Customer Reviews: Read 37 more reviews...
 300 Times Better Than 300 December 19, 2008
Unfortunately I saw this shortly before I saw the 2007 release of 300. This Documentary ruined the movie for me. Leaving out the amazing story of the Navies heroic and vital part of the story was a big mistake. IMHO
The more reality based version was so much more accurate and fascinating. Sometimes the truth is more interesting than the fantasy. It was almost like reading a good book before you see the movie. Ninety percent of the time the movie doesn't do justice to the book. I highly recommend this version for entertainment & education. Well done History Channel!
On the whole...good December 16, 2008
On the whole this was an interesting and accurate description of one of the most important battles in history. I especially liked the telling of how this event helped unite the various city states of Greece, the country that planted the seed of democracy.
I only wish the film maker had shown us the actual site today, rather than giving us just maps and computer graphics. It would have been helpful to see just how side the space was between the mountain cliffs and the sea--also that trail around the heights. Since I will never be able to go there, this would have given me a better idea of just what the Spartans and Persians faced.
There was considerable repetition of information, as this was apparently made for television with all its commercials and the lack of attention span, as opposed to those who see the DVD in one fell swoop.
Nonetheless, I would recommend this as an interesting and important depiction of history.
Absorbing documentary on the Battle of Thermopylae October 28, 2008
Easily inspired from the smash theatrical film, "300," this documentary by "The History Channel," is as entertaining as it is informative. Using a panel of historians and actors in sophisitcated, digitally enhanced reenactments, this disc will clearly appeal to the younger set. With a concentration on the battle itself, and to the History Channel's credit, a significant amount of the 91 minute documentary is spent discussing the Spartan philosophy and way of life in contrast to the other Greek city states and the political rivalies they shared.
Considerable air time is also devoted to the weapons and armor used by the Persians and the Greeks as well as the naval battles and the tactical expertise that allowed the Greeks to stave off Xerxes and the Persian army--said to be over 300,000 strong--against a force of about 1,500 men; roughly the legendary 300 Spartans themselves, and a loose confederation of other soldiers from other city states. The commentators and the program itself, in a highly engaging and entertaining manner, illustrate how the Battle of Thermopylae not only changed the course of Western Civilization, but preserved the the concepts of democracy and freedom in the ancient world.
While this installment carries, by no means the depth of Sir Kenneth Clark's "Civilization," (see my review), it is, an acceptable, albeit, glitzy, action-packed, high-tech extravaganza of a documentary no doubt many high school teachers will find useful for the classroom on a slow Friday morning.
I was fortunate to find my copy at Ross-Dress-For-Less for only $4.99 compared to the list price of $12.99 here at Amazon.
Where few stood against many October 24, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
The last stand of the 300 is one of history's greatest military tales of bravery, endurance, and valiantness. The history channel's rendition of this heroic battle between King Leonidas and his 300 Spartan soldiers against three-hundred thousand Persians on land was recreated with painstaking detail. But the battle did not take place only on land - Themistocles led the Athenian naval forces against Xerxes at Thessaly and finishing off the Persians at Artemisium.
This documentary does a great job of recounting the beginnings of the war between Persia and Greece - starting with King Darius the Huckster's defeat at Marathon by Callimachus. King Darius grooms his son Xerxes to exact his revenge which led up to the battle of Thermopylae. In 480 B.C. King Leonidas, with his 300 Spartans and roughly 6000 free men of Greece decided to make their stand at Thermopylae "The Hot Gates" (named after the hot thermal springs) It was at this narrow pass flanked on one side by steep mountains and on the other by the sea, the Greeks made their stand.
"Come and get them" were the words that launched this battle. In this narrow corridor, the Persian numbers counted for nothing - they were restricted from using the stableness of their cavalry. It wasn't until the third day when Ephialtes informed the Persians of a route that would allow them to outflank the Greeks. Now surrounded, the brave soldiers at Thermopylae were doomed. It is then that Leonidas was killed and a battle raged over his corpse - with Xerxes ordering that the head be cut off and stuck on a pike.
Sound and effective retelling of an amazing story July 7, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
The battle of Thermopylae was one of the most decisive battles in world history, as well as being one of the most awe inspiring. If the beurocrats in Brussels truly want to forge a common sense of European identity then perhaps they should ensure that every schoolchild on the continent is at least aware of the story.
Sadly, the battle isn't really as well known as it should be, or at least wasn't until the blockbuster '300' came out last year. And here we have an American made documentary to companion that film, sticking fairly closely to the events as depicted there (and astonishingly as the events are widely agreed to have actually happened). In contrast to what other reviewers have written, I didn't find this to be particularly low budget. True, talking heads take up much of the time, often stating the merely banal and obvious, but the recreated scenes are effective if brief. In fact, they are so similar in style to the film that I'm sure a lot of the same extras and production team were involved.
Its such an astonishing story that its hard to tell badly and this documentary does quite a sound job. I'm far from an expert on Ancient Greece but I was suprised at the historians seemingly claiming that the battle of Thermopylae caused the birth of a collective sense of Greek identity which led directly to a united Greece under Phillip II and then the glory of Alexander's empire. Hmmm...I thought the subsequent war between Sparta and Athens (the peloponnesian) left all of Greece easy prey for the Macedonians (who for hundreds of years had never been allowed to participate in the Olympic Games because they were not seen as sharing in the common Greek cultural identity).
That quibble aside, a well made and effective retelling of an incredible story that everybody should know.
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