Silver Spring, MD —Seen on HBO in February, The Battle for Marjah debuts in a Blu-ray/DVD combo pack from Athena on September 6, 2011. Written and produced by award-winning journalist Ben Anderson (Taking on the Taliban), The Battle for Marjah documents the U.S. Marine Corp’s dangerous operation against a Taliban stronghold in southern Afghanistan, offering a view of the war like never before. The release includes both the DVD and Blu-ray versions of the program, along with a 12-page viewers’ guide, biographies, timelines of the war, and much more ($34.99, www.AcornOnline.com).

On February 13, 2010, American-led coalition forces launched the biggest military operation since the beginning of the Afghanistan War. Their target was the town of Marjah, a Taliban stronghold in southern Afghanistan. There, the Marines had four tasks: remove the Taliban, hold all ground seized, build infrastructure and governance, and transfer control to Afghan security forces.

In this powerful account, award-winning journalist Ben Anderson tells the story of Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Marines, and its commanding officer, Captain Ryan Sparks. At the battle’s outset, Sparks and the 272 men of Bravo are flown 12 miles and dropped into the center of Marjah, where the Taliban lie in wait. For the young Marines, their first task begins. Embedded with Bravo Company, Anderson provides an intimate and sobering look at the realities of counterinsurgency warfare

Journalist Ben Anderson covers Afghanistan for the London Times and regularly writes for BBC World Service, GQ, Independent on Sunday, and the Guardian. His recent works include the BBC documentary Taking on the Taliban.

BONUS FEATURES

• 12-page viewer’s guide with articles on the histories of Afghanistan, the Taliban, Osama bin Laden, the U.S. Marine Corps, counterinsurgency warfare, and more
• Timeline of the Afghanistan War and biographies of Ben Anderson and photographer Goran Tomasevic
• Plus an explanation of IEDs, the story of the Buddhas of Bamiyan, and discussion questions at athenalearning.com

Street: September 6, 2011
SRP: $34.99 Approx. 84 min.
Blu-ray: 1080i/16:9 widescreen - 5.1 DTS-HD MA/5.1 Dolby Digital/2.0 stereo PCM - SDH
DVD: 16:9 widescreen - 5.1/2.0 Dolby Digital - SDH subtitles
Contains strong language, violence, and graphic and disturbing images

Athena releases provide an authoritative and entertaining learning experience through high quality, informative, non-fiction programming. Athena’s releases include 20th Century with Mike Wallace: America at War, Genius of Britain, The Making of the President, Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth with Bill Moyers, Bill Moyers: God & Politics, Cosmos-A Beginners Guide, The Genius of Design, Discovering Hamlet, Playing Shakespeare, The Story of Math, and World War I in Color. Clips are available at www.athenalearning.com. Athena’s DVD sets are available from select retailers, catalog companies, and direct from Acorn at (888) 870-8047 or www.acornonline.com.