Battleship Islands: Alderney [DVD]

An excellent production - detailed, thoughtful and lyrical at times - congratulations to Mr Tabone on all fronts! The blend of fortifications from different eras on Alderney was described and illustrated very well - he has a good eye for a shot and his engaging narration brings the presented structures and geography to life - helped by some nice touches of then and now illustrations of equipment and armament. I felt the historical and military context of Alderney's many fortifications was very well observed - with enlightening interviews with a couple of local experts and enthusiasts to further broaden the finished product. Finally and importantly the shadow of the slave labour used to construct the myriad of impressive bunkers is given proper and respectful attention.I'd recommend this dvd without question - and will certainly visit Alderney as a result of watching it in the next year.

Alberto Tabone's tour of the fortifications of Alderney in the Channel Islands is quite comprehensive, picturesque and informative. He traces the history of the defences of Alderney from Roman times until the end of World War 2 via the fortifications themselves, he describes the purpose of surviving bunkers, gun emplacements, caponiers, ditches, bastions, trenches, barbed wire fences and even explains the function of rusty fixtures and surviving apparatus. He illustrates what is missing from the fortifications with overlaid images of the original equipment, and includes several then-and-now images of various buildings and places. Alderney is only a small island, but is studded with enough history to warrant a visit by holiday makers and history buffs from around the world.

This film is an amazing look at a forgotten part of the history of coastal defences on the the island of Alderney. The presenter leads us on a fascinating journey into the Islands defence system from the Roman to the Nazi occupation taking us round the Island and looking at the remains and the purpose of this important though little known channel Island's defences. Using WW2 archive to bring alive and explain why this Island was so important to the Nazis and why the Island was never captured by the Allies until after VE day. I can highly recommend this film to anyone with an interest in history and the second world war. I will look forward to the next film in this series.  Battleship Islands - Alderney

A very good Documentary on a not so common topic. I was pleasantly surprised by the dept in witch the subject of the Atlantikwall on Alderney was described. My only slight dissapointment was the historic footage not being full screen,it would have been a nice addition to the present day footage. But having said that, i would buy follow-ups on Guernsey(Mirus! do Battery Mirus in particular) and or Jersey. To anyone with a sincere interest in the atlantikwall on the Channel islands,its a must have DVD.Gerrit van Eijk Holland

A very high quality documentary. Alberto Tabone's commentary is first rate and reveals his extensive knowledge of German fortifications and others on this fascinating and beautiful Channel Island. This is a very detailed look at the subject and I look forward to his future releases.

Purchased this prior to travelling to Alderney to see the fortifications, with an unofficaial group from Subterranea Brittanica.This was to give me a taster of what I had in store and it did. If your a curious or travelling it is well worth buying.

An up to date guide to what can be seen on Alderney.Essential if planning a visit as either more is discovered and opened to thepublic or some buildings are converted to private use and closed to the public.

this dvd is a must for anyone who has been to alderney which is one of my favourite islands.memories flood back as our guide takes us round the various historical sites on the island.definitely a good buy.