ANY Second World War documentary maker faces the same challenge – how can we be better and differ from The World at War.

That incredible 26-part series narrated by the booming Laurence Olivier will always be the one to beat – but War in the Pacific: Hell on Earth gives it a very good shot.

The series begins with the incredible battle scenes from Pearl Harbour – the most deadly attack on American soil before 9/11.

What is immediately evident is the American ‘yee-hah’ tinge which accompanies most documentaries made for the History Channel.

An American veteran speaks directly to the camera with a grin and says “Anything that can kill you – that’s my job – bombs, rockets, torpedoes, bullets, I’m your man.”

Dramatic and at times slightly prematurely triumphant music loses its impact due to its regularity making a harrowing event appear slightly cheesy and glorified at times – very different from the bleak, harrowing tones of the World at War.

But what Hell On Earth succeeds in doing better than any other Second World War documentary is recreate the battle scenes with stunning graphics and animations.

These scenes allow the viewer to see the bigger picture of the war zone in a much more digestable way than allowed by previous wall charts and grainy maps.

It also takes advantage of recently discovered still and moving images from the Pacific theatre showcasing these scenes for the very first time.

The tempo in this series never drops. From the moment the first Japanese torpedo lands in episode one, through the attrition of Iwo Jima and Guadalcanal and into the final major battle at Okinawa before the atom bomb lands.

War in the Pacific: Hell On Earth makes for compelling viewing and the incredibly spritely and healthy-looking American veterans provide moving and infinitely descriptive testimony of war in the Far-East against an enemy which refused to surrender.

Well worth a watch - but it ain't pretty.

War in the Pacific: Hell On Earth is out now on DVD and Blu-ray.

Episodes: Pearl Harbour, Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Saipan, Iwo Jima, Okinawa, Sledgehammer.