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

PBSTHE CIVIL WAR

VERYGOOD DVD, MY ONLY PROBLEM IS THAT CERTAIN EXTRA'S, SUCH AS HOW THE THEME SONG WAS PLAYED BY THE MAN AND WOMAN ON A VIOLIN AND GUITAR WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE 5 DISCS, ALL IN ALL THOUGH FOR A CIVIL WAR BUFF IT DOESN'T GET ANY BETTER THAN THIS.

The Civil War

The Civil War DVD was excellent and I enjoyed it. I would recommend anyone to buy it and learn more about America History.
Gloria

Ken Burns at his best

The civil war by ken burns is a great for those who love history. you not only hear about history from those who studied it but you hear it from those who witnessed it by their letters.