Today only, amazon has the complete documentary (26 hour series) of the World at War for $36.49. This would make a great gift for a history buff.
More than 30 years after its initial broadcast, "The World at War" remains the definitive visual history of World War II. Narrated by Academy Award winner Laurence Olivier and unsurpassed in depth and scope, its 26 hour-long programs feature an extraordinary collection of newsreel, propaganda, and home-movie footage drawn from the archives of 18 nations that present an unvarnished perspective of the war's pivotal events.