The Civil War - A Film by Ken Burns (Boxed Set)
starring: David McCullough
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Amazon.com essential video:
The most successful public-television miniseries in American history, the 11-hour Civil War didn't just captivate a nation, reteaching to us our history in narrative terms; it actually also invented a new film language taken from its creator. When people describe documentaries using the "Ken Burns approach," its style is understood: voice-over narrators reading letters and documents dramatically and stating the writer's name at their conclusion, fresh live footage of places juxtaposed with still images (photographs, paintings, maps, prints), anecdotal interviews, and romantic musical scores taken from the era he depicts. The Civil War uses all of these devices to evoke atmosphere and resurrect an event that many knew only from stale history books. While Burns is a historian, a researcher, and a documentarian, he's above all a gifted storyteller, and it's his narrative powers that give this chronicle its beauty, overwhelming emotion, and devastating horror. Using the words of old letters, eloquently read by a variety of celebrities, the stories of historians like Shelby Foote and rare, stained photos, Burns allows us not only to relearn and finally understand our history, but also to feel and experience it. --Dave McCoy
Description:
Hailed as a documentary masterpiece without parallel, Ken Burns'filmed chronicle of America's most terrible and destructive conflict will hold you in thrallas it portrays the strategies and action of the war's famous battles, and tells the stories of illustrious generals and ordinary field soldiers, politicians and rogues, heroes and abeleaguered President. Winner of two Emmy Awards, the seriesbegins by looking at the fateful causes of the war that led to the firing on Fort Sumter, tothe devastating battles of Shiloh, Antietam and Gettysburg, climaxing with Lee'ssurrender and the assassination of President Lincoln. Vivid photographic imagery andnarration by many of today's most acclaimed performers highlight this epic program.Titles are: "The Cause of 1862," "A Very Bloody Affair 1862," "Forever Free 1862,""Simply Murder 1863," "The Universe of Battle 1863," "Valley of the Shadow of Death1864," "Most Hallowed Ground 1864," "War Is All Hell 1865," and "The Better Anglesof Our Nature 1865 ."
The most successful public-television miniseries in American history, the 11-hour Civil War didn't just captivate a nation, reteaching to us our history in narrative terms; it actually also invented a new film language taken from its creator. When people describe documentaries using the "Ken Burns approach," its style is understood: voice-over narrators reading letters and documents dramatically and stating the writer's name at their conclusion, fresh live footage of places juxtaposed with still images (photographs, paintings, maps, prints), anecdotal interviews, and romantic musical scores taken from the era he depicts. The Civil War uses all of these devices to evoke atmosphere and resurrect an event that many knew only from stale history books. While Burns is a historian, a researcher, and a documentarian, he's above all a gifted storyteller, and it's his narrative powers that give this chronicle its beauty, overwhelming emotion, and devastating horror. Using the words of old letters, eloquently read by a variety of celebrities, the stories of historians like Shelby Foote and rare, stained photos, Burns allows us not only to relearn and finally understand our history, but also to feel and experience it. --Dave McCoy
Description:
Hailed as a documentary masterpiece without parallel, Ken Burns'filmed chronicle of America's most terrible and destructive conflict will hold you in thrallas it portrays the strategies and action of the war's famous battles, and tells the stories of illustrious generals and ordinary field soldiers, politicians and rogues, heroes and abeleaguered President. Winner of two Emmy Awards, the seriesbegins by looking at the fateful causes of the war that led to the firing on Fort Sumter, tothe devastating battles of Shiloh, Antietam and Gettysburg, climaxing with Lee'ssurrender and the assassination of President Lincoln. Vivid photographic imagery andnarration by many of today's most acclaimed performers highlight this epic program.Titles are: "The Cause of 1862," "A Very Bloody Affair 1862," "Forever Free 1862,""Simply Murder 1863," "The Universe of Battle 1863," "Valley of the Shadow of Death1864," "Most Hallowed Ground 1864," "War Is All Hell 1865," and "The Better Anglesof Our Nature 1865 ."
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Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: 
- A Great History Lessons, But Lacks The Emotional Punch Of "The War"
Ken Burns' epic documentary about the Civil War is perhaps the greatest and most all-encompassing history lesson of the North/South conflict that has ever been put on film or page. Not only is every important detail of the war covered (and in such a way that the details are interesting and important, not boring), but two entire episodes are devoted to the build-up and aftermath of the conflict. Essentially, if you were teaching a class on the Civil War, this video is all you would need, as it both ... Read More
Rating: 
- As good as it gets.
This is another great documentary accredited to Ken Burns. Nicely done and extremely informative. I purchased this for my wife who loves it and has watched it several times over.
Rating: - A true masterpiece, regardless of historical reservations!
Regardless of historical reservations and allegations of bias from both North and South, I regard this work of Ken Burns as a true masterpiece. I bought my first set on VHS several years ago at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and played it through a dozen or more times. I went to the expense of having this set transferred to new tapes for my VHS player here in England. Having heard in 2002 that it was available on DVD and that the whole series had been digitally enhanced, I purchased the same and I can vouch ... Read More
Rating: - Great piece of work; good start for beginning historians.
This series is THE definitive documentary on the American Civil War - it's the first of it's kind in style and content and powerfully evocative of the spirit of the time.However, there are some inconsistencies which become apparent to the attentive viewer.For example, statements made throughout the film representing North and South waiver between certainty of Northern perserverance and widespread dissension regarding Lincoln's leadership - points which are not in agreement and do not make a cohesive ... Read More
Rating: - Great but misleading
Very entertaining, a masterpiece really. However, it perpetuates the myth that the abolition of slavery was at the heart of the war. So many facts run counter to this notion. For example, until well into the war, the North made it clear that it would welcome the South back into the Union with slavery intact. When Lincoln emancipated the slaves, he specifically did so only in the rebel states, leaving out the slave states that were loyal to the Union. This clearly indicates that this was a war tactic, pretty ... Read More
- A Great History Lessons, But Lacks The Emotional Punch Of "The War"Ken Burns' epic documentary about the Civil War is perhaps the greatest and most all-encompassing history lesson of the North/South conflict that has ever been put on film or page. Not only is every important detail of the war covered (and in such a way that the details are interesting and important, not boring), but two entire episodes are devoted to the build-up and aftermath of the conflict. Essentially, if you were teaching a class on the Civil War, this video is all you would need, as it both ... Read More
- As good as it gets.This is another great documentary accredited to Ken Burns. Nicely done and extremely informative. I purchased this for my wife who loves it and has watched it several times over.
- A true masterpiece, regardless of historical reservations!Regardless of historical reservations and allegations of bias from both North and South, I regard this work of Ken Burns as a true masterpiece. I bought my first set on VHS several years ago at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and played it through a dozen or more times. I went to the expense of having this set transferred to new tapes for my VHS player here in England. Having heard in 2002 that it was available on DVD and that the whole series had been digitally enhanced, I purchased the same and I can vouch ... Read More
- Great piece of work; good start for beginning historians.This series is THE definitive documentary on the American Civil War - it's the first of it's kind in style and content and powerfully evocative of the spirit of the time.However, there are some inconsistencies which become apparent to the attentive viewer.For example, statements made throughout the film representing North and South waiver between certainty of Northern perserverance and widespread dissension regarding Lincoln's leadership - points which are not in agreement and do not make a cohesive ... Read More
- Great but misleadingVery entertaining, a masterpiece really. However, it perpetuates the myth that the abolition of slavery was at the heart of the war. So many facts run counter to this notion. For example, until well into the war, the North made it clear that it would welcome the South back into the Union with slavery intact. When Lincoln emancipated the slaves, he specifically did so only in the rebel states, leaving out the slave states that were loyal to the Union. This clearly indicates that this was a war tactic, pretty ... Read More
