DOCUMENTARIES

Seapower volume 1

The history of naval warfare from ancient to modern times

Cromwell Productions
(2000)
150 minutes
PG

The First Warships - From Ancient Times to the Medieval World.

The story of the very first warships designed in ancient Egypt, the improvements of the Greeks, the rise of Carthage and Rome's determination to rule the waves. Included is footage and a section on the longships of the Vikings who roamed the seas in search of plunder.

The Tudor Navy - From the Mary Rose to the Armada.

Naval power in the 16th Century is examined in this episode and focuses on the first tailor-made sailing warship King Henry the VIII's Mary Rose. The flagship was overturned in a storm and 400 years later recovered from the seabed. The other main story is that of the Spanish Armada and includes footage of a full-scale replica of Sir Francis Drake's Golden Hind.

Nelson's Victory - Wooden Ships and Iron Men.

Wooden sailing warships had reached their peak in the age of Admiral Nelson and this episode examines them in detail. Close-up focus is given to Trafalgar, possibly the world's most important naval battle, and the HMS Victory. The Victory was Nelson's flagship and there is extensive footage of the vessel, which is the last survivor of Trafalgar.

Volume II
The First Ironclads - Into the Modern Era.
The Ghost Ships of Truk Lagoon - Operation Hailstone.
U-Boat 534 - Echoes from the Ocean Floor.