
From swords and axes to great siege engines, two men put the greatest tools of warfare to the test.
Episodes
Ran for 1 season and 6 episodes (2008)
In the United States
Availability data byJustWatch, opens in a new tab
All options, opens in a new tab
Eli Roth's History of Horror2018Rating: 6.4 out of 10
World War II with Tom Hanks2026Rating: 8.3 out of 10
Mysteries at the Museum2010Rating: 8.8 out of 10
Last Chance U2016Rating: 7.2 out of 10
How Do They Do It?2006Rating: 7.5 out of 10
Prop Culture2020Rating: 7.8 out of 10
Top Gear1978Rating: 8.0 out of 10
Baseball1994Rating: 7.6 out of 10
Deadliest Warrior2009Rating: 7.4 out of 10
30 for 302009Rating: 7.5 out of 10
Medal of Honor2018Rating: 6.5 out of 10
Drug Lords2018Rating: 7.3 out of 10
Doctor Who Confidential2005Rating: 8.0 out of 10
The Reluctant Traveller with Eugene Levy2023Rating: 7.5 out of 10
The Story of Film: An Odyssey2011Rating: 7.7 out of 10
The Last Movie Stars2022Rating: 7.0 out of 10
Mind Field2017Rating: 8.2 out of 10
Down to Earth with Zac Efron2020Rating: 7.7 out of 10
History 1012020Rating: 7.1 out of 10
Legacy: The True Story of the LA Lakers2022Rating: 8.1 out of 10Season 1, 6 episodes
Join our two hosts, Monty Halls and Stuart Prior to investigate the history, science of blunt weapons, and their ability to smash, hurt and crush. Blunt weapons are some of the oldest weapons mankind has invented. And yet even now, the baton is one of the most important weapons used by police forces around the world. Monty and Stuart pick the chain flail and the war hammer to champion. They also explore other similar weapons like the Nan chuck, the truncheon, and even the human fist.
Join Monty Halls and Stuart Prior, as they test the use of a canon against various targets for power and accuracy. With the advent of gunpowder, warfare changed irrevocably. Monty and Stuart examine the science behind how firearms work and put the canon and Three Band Enfield head to head. Using these weapons they explore their range, accuracy, rate of fire and ease of use. They also train using the SA80, the submachine gun used by the British Armed Forces.
Follow Stuart Prior and Monty Halls, in exploring the destructive power of Siege Engines in history. Sieges are as old as warfare itself, like Alexander the Great's siege of Tyre, the Siege of Acre in 1191, right up to the modern day. As recently as 1992, the largest ever modern siege occurred in Sarajevo as the city was pounded for four years. Monty and Stuart follow the building of a mangonel, and trebuchet, in order to test their power and accuracy.
In this episode of Perfect Weapon, we look at how the weapons are made and are still in use around the world. In their heyday, projectiles like bows dominated the field of war, and making them was a huge industry. Monty and Stuart pick the longbow and the crossbow as their favourite weapons and then visit a blacksmith to learn about arrow making. Using their weapons they perform a series of experiments to understand the range and accuracy of their weapons.
Our hosts choose their bladed weapon & are trained to test them against various targets including a pig carcass, to assess the damage caused in battle. From the Bronze Age, blades formed the mainstay of warfare. Monty and Stuart choose the long Sword and the Poleaxe and then they conduct a series of tests on their weapons to discover the strengths and weaknesses of both. They wheel in some very modern technology, a Motion Capture system, to help them to use their weapons with better technique.
Our hosts try on various kinds of armour to explore how easy they are to move in, by running over an obstacle course. Monty and Stuart explore the role of armour in warfare from ancient times to the modern era. Having chosen plate armour and medieval brigandine to focus on, they then perform on them a series of tests to find out which protects best and which is easiest to move in.


