I thoroughly enjoyed this series, and have to definitely disagree with previous reviewers regarding the casting of Ali McGraw as Natalie Jastrow. I thought she was brilliant in the role, and was disappointed to find she had been replaced in the follow up series War and Remembrance. I also enjoyed the performances of David Dukes as Leslie Slote, and Peter Graves, Victoria Tennant and Jeremy Kemp. Although I have never been a fan of Robert Mitchum he was acceptable as Victor Henry. Gunter Meisner's portrayal of Adolf Hitler was also brilliant and realistic. I have watched this series more than once and cannot recommend it highly enough.

I first watched this miniseries when it was broadcast on TV and I videotaped it at the time. When it came out on DVD, I rented it several times from my public library. Finally, I bit the bullet and purchased the DVD set for myself. Needless to say, I have watched the 'Winds of War' many times. I also own the book, which I read before I ever watched the miniseries. Of course, there are some differences between the book and the miniseries, but nothing that matters. Robert Mitchum is perfectly cast as Pug Henry. Can't think of anyone else for that part. Polly Bergen is perfect as Pug's wife Rhoda, too, and the rest of the cast seems true to their characters. Bergen's wardrobe is gorgeous. Rhoda is a fashion plate in every scene. Victoria Tennant shines as the much younger Pamela Tudsbury. Very beautiful. Contrary to some other reviewers,I really liked Ali McGraw as Natalie Jastrow and was disappointed when she was replaced by Jane Seymour in the sequel 'War and Remembrance.' One thing the book didn't have that the TV series has is the great background music. Awesome. Don't miss 'The Winds of War' if it is ever rebroadcast or try to borrow it from your public library. Don't miss

My overall review is similarly enthusiastic to numerous others. There is an isolated technical fault that does not detract from the overall merit of the film that only an aviator would notice in the episode "Defiance". Reference is made to a British RADAR technology with the incorrect abbreviation of "RDF". "RDF" stands for Radio Direction Finding and has nothing to do with RADAR. The correct term is "IFF" - Identification Friend or Foe, a RADAR technology that allows ground-base RADAR to distinguish between British aircraft and German ones through the use of a transceiver device in each Allied plane. The technology is still in use today in civil aviation. Frankly I am a bit surprised this mistake was not caught by the many experts who worked on the script.

Fans of War and Peace will see the obvious parallels between Wouk's two novels and Tolstoy's epic Napoleonic saga.Both tell the story of two families (in Winds of War we have the Jastrows and the Henrys, in War and Peace we have the Bolkonskis and the Rostovs) and their friends swept up in the events just prior and during epic wars. The destinies and stories of the fictional members of those families are intertwined with those of historical figures. In each of the novels there is one character who gives a historical overview in long dissertive essays. In War and Peace there is the unflappable general Kutuzov. In War and Remembrance there is the stolid German soldier, Von Roon.The problem of adapting both authors to the screen is one of scope and length. Do you remember Snoopy's epic adaptation of War and Peace with sock puppets in Charlie Brown? Well, Dan Curtis did a credible job of bringing Wouk's vision to the screen. He replaces Von Roon's larger post-war essays from the novel by the third-person narrator. Had he still been alive at the time I could see Curtis choosing Lorne Greene (the so-called "voice of doom" from those old WWII propaganda documentaries).Aside from the endless redundancy of Nathalie and Aaron Jastrow's trying to get out of Europe and the equally repetitive and saccharine love story between Pug and Pamela, the story goes along pretty well.The portrayal of Hitler has been widely criticized, but needs to be placed in the proper perspective. Hitler is seen through the eyes of the very aristocratic Prussian Von Roon. He would be perceived as a buffoon.As far as historical narratives go, this production gives the next generation a good overall impression of why and how World War II came about. War and Remembrance was more problematic in that it relied a great deal on stock footage and footage purchased from other movies (in particular from Tora! Tora! Tora!) to show the big battles of World War II.