Mark Hone Posted 13 February , 2014 Share Posted 13 February , 2014 I did notice Mr Paxman's rather rolling gait at one point but it was not as distracting as what Mrs H. once described as Niall Fergusson's 'George Bush power walk', usually employed in long shots of him striding across bridges, along the Great Wall of China etc. Give me Paxo, a fellow, albeit somewhat more illustrious, alumnus of my old college, any day. As I think I mentioned on another thread, I met someone who had been involved as an interviewee in an earlier historical series of his and commented on what a nice chap he seemed in 'real life'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Tom Posted 13 February , 2014 Share Posted 13 February , 2014 Seadog, At least it gave you something else to comment on. It was only intended as a light hearted comment. Old Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveMarsdin Posted 13 February , 2014 Share Posted 13 February , 2014 In the last episode I found the scenewith him rowing around the wreck of the German U-boat, particularly atmospheric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Ridgus Posted 13 February , 2014 Share Posted 13 February , 2014 As someone who has persistently over your entire time on this forum, gone out of your way to sidetrack serious discussion, make fun of various writers/celebrities, and inflict your so-called 'humour' on the rest of us endless times, I consider you have a real nerve to take others to task over comments like this. A comment on production of a programme is as valid as any other. You need to get off your high horse and get down to offering something useful and individual to Great War research. Sue Sue Much Ado About Nothng Act 1 Scene 1 Line 83 David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Clay Posted 13 February , 2014 Share Posted 13 February , 2014 In the last episode I found the scenewith him rowing around the wreck of the German U-boat, particularly atmospheric Put me in mind of "Great Expectations". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seadog Posted 13 February , 2014 Share Posted 13 February , 2014 Seadog, At least it gave you something else to comment on. It was only intended as a light hearted comment. Old Tom Really well thats alright then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squirrel Posted 13 February , 2014 Share Posted 13 February , 2014 Put me in mind of "Great Expectations". The Riddle of the Sands came to mind for me.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenneth505 Posted 14 February , 2014 Share Posted 14 February , 2014 Skindles please Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianw Posted 14 February , 2014 Share Posted 14 February , 2014 The Riddle of the Sands came to mind for me.... "One Man in a Boat"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 14 February , 2014 Share Posted 14 February , 2014 We'd better watch or this will get moved. Good fun, but it would be a shame to lose a very interesting thread? Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianw Posted 14 February , 2014 Share Posted 14 February , 2014 Well it is effectively n pause mode while we await the next episode so that we can make further august and deeply relevant comments. So perhaps we can desist from wearing a hair shirt while we wait. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanCurragh Posted 14 February , 2014 Share Posted 14 February , 2014 We'd better watch or this will get moved. Good fun, but it would be a shame to lose a very interesting thread? Mike I shouldn't think it will get moved - but perhaps a little less comment on Mr Paxman's legs would help... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 14 February , 2014 Share Posted 14 February , 2014 Just as well it wasn't presented by Susanna Reid Britain's Great War Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianw Posted 14 February , 2014 Share Posted 14 February , 2014 Just as well it wasn't presented by Susanna Reid Britain's Great War Mike Stop it , Mike! But your useful link also leads to the royal cousins programme which I think was generally commended by Forum members and well worth a watch. Paxo's show on Monday includes footage of last years burial of Captain Pritchard HAC and his words with great niece and Forum member Janet Shell. Janet discovered the details of the finding of her relative's remains on the Forum so we teed this up! (and not a single mention of his ambulatory appendages) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Filsell Posted 14 February , 2014 Share Posted 14 February , 2014 Actually where ever it ends up suits me - as I have said I think Paxo's presenting a good series (and I'm quite enjoying the War of Paxman's legs too.). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 14 February , 2014 Share Posted 14 February , 2014 He hasn't joined us yet; I did invite him. Perhaps the comments on his 'bandy-legged-ness' has put him off? We're just joshin Jeremy. Please join us, it would be fantastic to hear your comments. I absolutely mean that. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
towisuk Posted 14 February , 2014 Share Posted 14 February , 2014 "Please join us, it would be fantastic to hear your comments. I absolutely mean that. :thumbsup:" Were you the teachers pet at school Mike???? best regards Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 14 February , 2014 Share Posted 14 February , 2014 "Please join us, it would be fantastic to hear your comments. I absolutely mean that. :thumbsup:" Were you the teachers pet at school Mike???? best regards Tom What if I was? Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yoshi1912 Posted 14 February , 2014 Share Posted 14 February , 2014 I am thoroughly enjoying the 'Britain's Great War' series. I particularly like the social effect/home front slant it is exploring. It contains footage, photos and stories I have never seen or heard before and I like how it is presented. I became fascinated with the relationship between the Kaiser, the Russian Tsar and George V after reading 'The Three Emperors' so I also highly rate the series 'Royal Cousins at War' as well. I don't normally watch much television but at the minute I am loving it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Kilkenny Posted 14 February , 2014 Share Posted 14 February , 2014 What is the story behind the U-boat? I kind of thought they'd tell us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonraker Posted 14 February , 2014 Share Posted 14 February , 2014 I wouldn't normally link to the Daily Mirror but it was the first relevant hit that came up when I Googled. Moonraker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fattyowls Posted 14 February , 2014 Share Posted 14 February , 2014 I wouldn't normally link to the Daily Mirror but it was the first relevant hit that came up when I Googled. Moonraker Of course, didn't the U-boat fleet (or most of it) end up in Kent while the surface vessels went to Scapa Flow? Good spot Moonraker. Pete. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glengarry1950 Posted 15 February , 2014 Share Posted 15 February , 2014 Hi all, I finished reading the book which accompanies the series and I must say the program follows it fairly well but obviously not in all its detail. There are some interesting facts in the book on the political side covering the going's on behind the scene in government, leading up to the War, which are not mentioned in the TV program, one that springs to mind is the sterling work Grey the Foreign Secretary of the time did to try and prevent the War but was not fully backed up and he did a lot of crying when he realised he had failed, I feel he was not given the credit he deserves. It will be interesting to see if the BBC lets Mr Paxton mention that George V was against the whole idea of the unknown Soldier until Lloyd George had a word in his ear. In fact the way Mr Paxton covers the whole event in the book, of the Unknown Soldier, is very moving and brings a tear to the eye. Having also watched the " Royal Cousins at War " which Mr Paxton covers very well in the book, George V was rather selfish and narrow minded in his view's with regards to the British people as a whole and the way that he handled the fait of the Tsar's children. I would say he does not come out smelling of roses. Kind regards Hiram Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anneca Posted 15 February , 2014 Share Posted 15 February , 2014 Having had the opportunity to watch again: '...But in November 1917 came a glimmer of hope another terrifying new weapon had entered the war, but this time it was British. The tank was a brand new British invention...' OK perhaps I'm being a pedant; I'll concede that the tank, despite entering the war much earlier, might still have been considered as 'brand new' at Cambrai, & there's no doubting that the advances made would have given a 'glimmer of hope' at the time, but the impression was still given that the very first use of tanks was at Cambrai, a fact I remember being mistaught at school, and I suspect that many of my age, without further insight, would answer a general knowledge question on the first use of tanks with 'Cambrai, November 1917'! NigelS Earlier in his book Paxman mentions tanks being used at the Somme: “But the tanks had not arrived at the Somme in time to take part in the launch of the attack, and by September General Haig had only just over four dozen of them available. Although this was not an adequate number to fulfil the needs of a mass attack he decided it was better than having none at all…….One officer thought their only function had been to raise morale: ‘Haig tried his forty tanks. Thirty six started, some were ditched, some broke down, some were shot up, eleven crossed the front line, and four or five made a useful contribution to the battle.’ It would be another year before the British learned how to use them properly.” Later in his book Paxman goes on to state: “Soon, Haig was also looking elsewhere, as he searched for the elusive breakthrough. It was to come, he decided at Cambrai in Northern France, where drier conditions would allow him to use a series of new tactics effectively – including the new wonder weapon, the tank…… Success was due to inventive new artillery and infantry tactics, but also to the deployment for the first time of massed tanks." On watching the programme I certainly agree the impression was given that the very first use of tanks was at Cambrai. Had I not read the earlier part of his book in which he states the tanks arrived at the Somme I would have thought he had been misinformed. However, I can't recall any mention of the tanks at the Somme in the programme, or did I miss that bit? Anne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris_Baker Posted 15 February , 2014 Share Posted 15 February , 2014 “Soon, Haig was also looking elsewhere, as he searched for the elusive breakthrough. It was to come, he decided at Cambrai in Northern France, where drier conditions would allow him to use a series of new tactics effectively ... " Thanks for this, Anne. I have not read his book. The text you have quoted is a mis-reading of Cambrai. It was not planned as a breakthrough battle, and, while he may have made the decision, Cambrai was not Haig's idea but one that was presented to him. See http://www.1914-1918.net/bat21.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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