My Grandparents’ War

Kristin Scott Thomas Learns About the Russian Arctic Convoys

Actress Kristin Scott Thomas learns about the horrors of the Russian Arctic convoys that her grandfather endured during World War II and reads a harrowing diary entry from a sailor who traveled on the same convoys as he did.

Kristin Scott Thomas Learns About the Russian Arctic Convoys

2m 19s

  • Emeli Sandé: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Emeli Sandé

    S2 E4 - 44m 43s

    Singer-songwriter Emeli Sandé explores her grandparents’ remarkable stories, which span World War II, the Mau Mau insurgency in Kenya, and the fight for independence in Zambia. She faces a mix of emotions: “Both sets of my grandparents were involved in violent struggles in Africa,” she says. “One, tasked with upholding the British Empire. The other: trying to overthrow it.”

  • Toby Jones: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Toby Jones

    S2 E3 - 44m 15s

    Actor Toby Jones uncovers the remarkable World War II stories of his maternal grandparents, Reggie and Dorki, whose love endured despite the trauma and hardships they faced. He learns about his grandmother’s dramatic escape from the Nazis in Northern France, and solves the family mystery of how his grandfather was shot while fighting the Japanese.

  • Keira Knightley: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Keira Knightley

    S2 E2 - 44m 4s

    Actress Keira Knightley (Pride and Prejudice, Atonement) has starred in several films set during World War II, yet admits she never knew much about her grandparents’ actual wartime experiences. Now, through conversations with family members and historians, she learns of the triumphs and tragedies her grandparents faced during some of the biggest conflicts of the century.

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