Battles of the World-

I know I have found a really great program when I find myself not wanting to stop in order to write the review! I was amazed to find myself so drawn into a program dealing with war. Compton's has done a superb job with this new program.

"Battles of the World" is an interactive history of war. While there are CD's available dealing with specific periods of history, this one differs in that it covers great battles from the year 2700 BC to the present. The 3D animations allow you to "watch" as each strategic battle unfolds. The ten battles included were chosen carefully. Each battle from the battle of Kadesh to Agincourt or Austerlitz had a dramatic effect on the course of history. Some battles had dramatic effects on how wars were fought from that point forward. I especially enjoyed learning more about the battle of Agincourt being an avid Henry V fan. As you study each battle you will learn about the commanders involved, the strategies used and weaponry of the time. The battle unfolds in front of your eyes as each phase is explained to you. While there is plenty of text to delve into, the vast majority of the program runs more like an interactive television special. Naturally there are no real video clips of most of these battles, but Compton's has done a wonderful job making this a truly interactive experience.

From the main screen you can access an extensive data base of articles and pictures. These can easily be printed or copied to other programs for research papers. Click the "ask the expert" button and you can choose from a list of frequently asked questions to ask Professor Martin Van Creveld, world renown war expert. A fully interactive timeline helps you put the whole picture together. As you move along the timeline you can click on many of the references to read more. The timeline includes historically important dates and events along with "the battles." This makes for a very interesting study of history. I found intriguing tidbits as I pieced together various wars and what else was happening around the world simultaneously. If you want to sit back and watch history unfold, simply click the autoplay button. Each narration plays in order as you move along the history timeline. Our only complaint regarding this program were the frequent screen-freezes. Our system has had a rough week however and I am willing to write it off to some quirks. Compton's generally does not have problems with the quality of their software. If you find yourself having similar problems please don't hesitate to call them.

This is the way to study history in my mind. There is nothing more dull than a textbook which plods along one event after another until you doze off. With this program and others like it you become involved in history and follow along paths of knowledge which make sense to you. "Battles of the World" also comes packaged with "The Atomic Age" which helps develop this particular aspect of military history. The two make a marvelous combination. If you have a history or war-buff at your house this is a must buy!

Grading:

Educational value- 5
Entertainment value- 5
Use of medium- 4
Dollar value- 4
Age- 12+

Sorry, this program is out of production. Watch for it on sites like Ebay!