Silver Spring, MD — Narrated by four-time Oscar® nominee Kenneth Branagh (Henry V), World War I in Color arrives on DVD from Athena on July 13, 2010. Archival footage and engrossing commentary from WWI veterans create a vivid reconstruction of the war that forever changed the world. The DVD 3-volume boxed set is being released by Athena, Acorn Media Group’s new home video brand for consumers interested in lifelong learning through documentary programming. Bonus features include a 50-minute special - Tactics & Strategy, a 12-page viewer’s guide, and a behind-the-scenes featurettes ($59.99, www.AcornOnline.com).

World War I claimed the lives of 10 million soldiers and shaped an entire century. This extraordinary documentary brings the war’s horror and heroism to life in a way never before revealed. Rare archival film—meticulously colorized under the guidance of expert historians—makes the past fresh, relevant, and alive.

In addition to these newly reclaimed sights and sounds, surviving WWI veterans share their experiences, personally testifying about life in the trenches, the terror of “going over the top,” and the courage and sacrifice of battle. Analysis by military historians, detailed maps, and excerpts from the diaries and letters of men and women in the struggle offer a full range of perspectives on this unimaginably brutal, bloody clash of empires.

Episodes: Catastrophe, Slaughter in the Trenches, Blood in the Air, Killers of the Sea, Mayhem on the Eastern Front, and Victory and Despair

World War I in Color aired in the UK in September 2003 but has not aired in the U.S.

Since 1990, the British team of Philip Nugus and Jonathan Martin has created popular, critically acclaimed historical documentaries, including Hitler’s Bodyguard and Churchill’s Bodyguard (DVD 4-vol., www.AcornOnline.com) as well as The Century of Warfare.

BONUS FEATURES

• Tactics & Strategy, a 50-minute special showing how new technology and bold thinking changed warfare
• Making the Series behind-the-scenes featurette (15 min.)
• Biographies of political and military leaders, general facts, and a timeline of events
• 12-page viewer’s guide with historical background, including the Global War, Women at War, and Revolutionary Weaponry

Athena releases provide an authoritative and entertaining learning experience through high quality, informative, non-fiction programming. Athena’s releases include Playing Shakespeare, Hitler’s Bodyguard, The Story of Math, Legacy, Testament, The Adventure of English, The Shape of the World, Edge of Existence and Six Centuries of Verse. 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.