History Channel Documentaries

No battle in the 10 years of the Vietnam War received more agonized attention from home-front America and its leaders than did the siege of Khe Sanh. The 77-day siege was a political chess game, with the lives of unsung heroes as pawns who paid the price every day. The battle was so fierce that skeletons of the enemy dead hung in the triple lines of barbed wire. During the siege the U.S. Air Force launched a massive aerial bombardment called "Operation Niagara" to support the Marine base. President Johnson was adamant Khe Sanh would not become another Dien Bien Phu. Subsequently, the combined aircraft of the U.S. Air Force, Navy and Marines dropped over 100,000 tons of bombs (equivalent to the destructive force of five Hiroshima-size atomic bombs) onto the surrounding areas of Khe Sanh in an attempt to prevent its overthrow. This was roughly 1,300 tons of bombs dropped daily, or five tons of bombs for every one of the estimated 20,000 NVA soldiers killed. Watch the personal, up-close i

Follow the career of the legendary Confederate raider and visit the ship's final resting place at the bottom of the English Channel. She was known as "the ghost ship." During the Civil War, the CSS Alabama sailed over 75,000 miles and captured more than 60 Union vessels. But her career came to an end in June of 1864 when she was sunk by the USS Kearsarge off the coast of Northern France, where the Alabama had gone for repairs. RAISE THE ALABAMA! descends into the murky depths of the English Channel with the marine archeology team led by the renowned Gordon Watts. 200 feet beneath these foreign waters, the legendary Confederate ship is surrendering her secrets, despite weather conditions that make it safe to dive only a few days a year. The program also documents the Alabama's extraordinary career, from her construction in Liverpool to the surprise attacks that made her the scourge of Union shipping and the valiant, 90-minute battle with the Kearsarge. Confederate and Union documents, contemporary accounts and the testimony of noted scholars brings the complete story of the CSS Alabama to life.

Led by a former schoolteacher named Pol Pot, the Khmer Rouge regime killed between 15 and 40 percent of the Cambodian population in a brutal attempt to transform the nation into a classless society. At the heart of this orchestrated campaign of terror was a death camp known by the code name S-21. Untold thousands of prisoners entered S-21. Only seven escaped alive.INSIDE POL POT'S SECRET PRISON is a harrowing look at one of the most purely evil institutions of the 20th century. Riveting interviews with former guards, executioners and two survivors paint a picture of the unspeakable horrors that were commonplace at S-21. The incredibly detailed prison archives open a window into the Khmer Rouge's program of genocide, raising the question of why no one has been prosecuted so far for the crimes against humanity committed in Cambodia.INSIDE POL POT'S SECRET PRISON also includes an interview with journalist Nate Thayer, who interviewed the ailing former dictator just months before his death

In 1961, 24 brave men gave their lives in a superhuman effort to save the the Soviet Union's first ballistic missile submarine - and the world - from environmental catastrophe. This is their story.

It is 3450 BCE. Egypt is in chaos. Nomadic tribes maraud the desert, clashing in bitter conflict for control of land and wealth. Into the struggle steps one man who unites the warring factions and lays the foundation for the greatness of Egyptian civilization. His name is King Scorpion. He is more than a Hollywood action hero, he is real, and is one of the founding Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt. Evidence in King Scorpion's recently discovered tomb, and primitive writing in a remote location in Egypt's Western desert, is revealing that the foundation for Pharaonic Egypt begins earlier than previously believed. The evidence is forcing scholars to rewrite history, establishing a whole new dynasty of Egyptian kings, Dynasty Zero. The quest to uncover the Real Scorpion King is a journey to the origins of Egyptian Civilization and the birth of history.

The varied and interesting lives of the mothers of America's presidents, and the influence they had on their famous sons.

When Ronald Reagan denounced the Soviet Union as the "Evil Empire", some thought it frank, some thought it excessive. Not until after 1995 did we realize how applicable his words were. The President of Kazakhstan opened a western inspection of the worlds largest Anthrax plant.

A riveting special that reveals the never-before-told stories of eyewitnesses, including amateur and professional photographers, caught in the horror of the World Trade Center tragedy. Images captured by many of the photographers are seen for the first time on television. Together, they provide startling and intensely personal firsthand accounts of that fateful day--stories of terror, hope, and survival.

It is the second largest of the world's great religions, and the fastest growing. Its name comes from the word for peace, yet to many Westerners it is synonymous with terror. INSIDE ISLAM lifts the veil of mystery surrounding a misunderstood faith. Trace its roots back to the Hebrew Bible and discover how the Five Pillars, the religion's central tenets, helped spread Islam to the far corners of the world. Find out what the Qu'Ran says about war, violence and suicide, and how these words have been co-opted by extremists. And hear from experts like Khaled Abou el Fadl (author of Speaking in God's Name), who explore the challenges facing Islam today, including a crisis of authority and deep divisions among many sects. Illuminating, important and objective, INSIDE ISLAM exposes the heart of a faith mired in controversy.

Dinosaurs roamed and ruled earth for more than 150-million years, then suddenly vanished leaving only fossils to fascinate and befuddle us. In a feature-length unique approach to historical analysis of these creatures, we don't focus on the latest technology or the most controversial theory. Instead, we look chronologically at what we've gotten wrong about dinosaurs throughout the short history of scientific study of these magnificent, misunderstood creatures, and see where paleontologists are digging today.

Former KGB, CIA and FBI agents analyze six recent, high-profile cases where double agents compromised America's security.

In its day, the Titanic was a technological wonder. People were so enthralled with the largest moving man-made object in the world that they truly believed it unsinkable. Until it slipped out of sight on April 15, 1912. In a 90-minute special filled with spectacular footage of both recent and archival expeditions, we explore the history of the ship and the technology that finally found it and enabled exploration and salvaging dives.

Ronald Reagan has been off the world stage since his letter to Americans announcing that he suffers from Alzheimer's. But his impact on the U.S. and the world lives on. In a series of intimate interviews, including Nancy Reagan and the Reagan children--Patti Davis, Ron Reagan, and Michael Reagan--we present the private stories of a very public man. Fellow leaders, including Mikhail Gorbachev, also appear, along with intimates who tell behind-the-scenes stories about key turning points.

Heroes who fight tax collectors and moral crusaders, or just common criminals? Like it or not, America was built by rumrunners, moonshiners, and bootleggers--even founding father John Hancock was a smuggler. In the 1920s, Prohibition turned fishermen into rumrunners and two-bit gangsters into millionaires, and moonshine haulers in their souped-up cars helped create NASCAR. Rare archival footage and photos help weave the compelling tale of our nation's love-hate relationship with illegal alcohol.

The true story of the Christmas Day truce between opposing British and German forces that took place in No Man's Land during World War 1. Told through archive interviews and reconstructions of the event.

The world of the Ancient Greeks lives on today through its mythology. For countless generations prior to biblical times, tales of gods and goddesses were passed down by storytellers and interwoven into traditions and philosophies. Each city devoted itself to particular gods. But these gods also had human frailties. Where did the pantheon originate? Did any of the stories in Greek mythology actually occur? We look at new archaeological evidence that supports the possibility.

The programme is centered on the director of security of Morgan Stanley, Rick Rescorla, who predicted an attack on the World Trade Center and led hundreds out of the South Tower before dying in its collapse.