BBC - War Walks Series 2 (1997) Part 6 Blitz

A series of six journeys through six centuries of warfare in the company of military historian Professor Richard Holmes. Battlefields were Holmes's natural habitat, and defined him as a television presenter, often up to his knees in mud for the BBC series War Walks in the 1990s, in which he toured the trenches of the First World War. Dates such as 1066 and names such as Dunkirk often strike a chord of nostalgia, but the details of the historic events associated with them are forgotten. In the War Walks 1-2 Richard Holmes takes us on fascinating journey through time to visit twelve battlefields throughout Britain, Northern France and Belgium that mark crucial moments in Britain's bloody and turbulent history. From Hastings to Dunkirk, Agincourt to The Somme, Richard vividly recreates the atmosphere of these key battles in our history. With his expert knowledge of weapons and warfare, Richard Holmes provides a brilliantly clear picture of the events which led up to each battle, the conflicts themselves, and the people who fought them. Using practical 'views of the field', he travels the battlefields as they exist today, pointing out their places of interest, paying tribute to the men who fought there, and bringing history to life. In War Walks 2 Richard Holmes takes us on a fascinating journey through time to visit six battlefields that mark crucial moments in Britain's bloody and turbulent history. This series focuses on a selection of battles, six fought in Britain - or, in one case, on a struggle that straddled the Channel.

Part 6 Blitz

From mid-September 1940, London faced night after night of continuous bombing. It became almost a matter of horrific routine, with wardens helping people to the shelters as the sirens wailed over blacked-out streets. But one night, and one image encapsulate the London Blitz - the 29th of December, the Second Great Fire of London, when St. Paul's rose in its glory amongst the smoke and flames. On that night the Cathedral was surrounded by a ring of fire, as centuries of history went up in smoke. The landscape of London was changed forever and those who were there will never forget it. Richard Holmes traces the events surrounding the terrible destruction caused during the night of the Blitz, from the sector control room where the incoming raiders were plotted through to the efforts of the firemen to save St Paul's.

Full Version Available Upon Request