Espar, David

In August 1914, the people of Europe were swept into the first of the wars that would make this century the bloodiest ever. Seventy million soldiers from more than twenty countries marched off to do their duty. In this film soldiers from all sides give a personal account of the trenches and the tactics--and the terrible nature and scale of the slaughter that shattered the old world order. In the end, four empires collapsed and nine million gave their lives. Some became pacificts while others sought retribution and many found themselves fighting another war only two decades later.

By the mid-1920s, millions were already confirmed "moviegoers". Movies reflected and affected the way people dressed, thought and spoke, teaching the inexperienced about love, courage, and how to dress, while the governments around the globe were quick to realize the power of film: this new mass entertainment would also prove an unrivaled tool of mass persuasion. Here moviegoers reminisce, revealing how the new medium persuaded, influenced and entralled them, as it offered a welcome refuge from the century's pressures.

In the early 1900's, competitive sports were still not far removed from recreation--more for the player than the spectator. This film follows boxing, baseball, soccer, and more, as sports transition from a modest pastime to a fiercely competitive--and commercial--business to a potent expression of national pride and politics. Throughout, sports fans the world over remember the drama, the thrill, the exhilaration--and the patriotism--their favorite athletes and sports teams aroused. Includes a look at the role of American sportswriters, and live radio and television broadcasting of sporting events.

From 1900 to the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, interviewees from Europe, Asia, and the United States recount the part they played in the century's early history.

Introduces major concepts of evolutionary theory and explores why Darwin's idea might matter more today than it did in its own time. Interweaves the drama in key moments of Darwin's life with documentary sequences of current research.