The Civil War

As a historian I can say that there is little so difficult or gratifing as to bring history accurately alive for others. As a military historian I will say that war is both the highest and lowest achievement and calling of humanity. All wars are filled with pathos, and it is almost by definition impossible to fully understand and contextualize them until they are of the past. It may be that the US Civil War is that around which the greatest pathos exists; perhaps the last war in which honour and purpose were equally upheld on both sides - which is not to say that all those who participated were honorable or idealistic. In this work, Ken Burns brought history to life, made the war as understandable as possible, and transmitted the pathos, the honour, the horror, the vileness, and the humanity of the thing. In so doing he redefined film documentary. The Civil War is the best use to which television has been put.

When The Civil War first aired in 1990, it became a phenomenon. I

was a little kid, but I remember "Ashokan Farewell" and the

intriguing black and white images and voiceovers from the screen,

and people talking about it all over the place. To be sure, the

intimacy of the film eventually made me a Civil War buff, as it has

for tens of thousands across the country.

The fact is, Ken Burns created a monumental piece of television

that chronicled, if not in a general fashion, by far the most defining

moment in our history and an incredibly groundbreaking way.

The film is simple, yet is so profound in it's simplicity and style,

using just pictures and accounts and music and some bursts of

color from modern cinematography. For the first time, we heard the

accounts of real soldiers and people, and instead of taking sides,

it gave a sense of humanity to both sides in a war that is riddled

with political and social posturing, but was ultimately all slaughter.

This is by far the best documentary I've ever seen. History is my favorite subject to study and I have seen a lot of documentaries and "The Civil War" by Ken Burns is by far my favorite.

The Civil War is my favorite subject in history to study and Ken Burns does and excellent job at spacing out the sequence of the war in this set, basically two videos per year of the war. Many people stereotypically think of documentaries as dull and boring, but Ken Burns definately does not let "The Civil War" fall into that stereotype. Thats why this documentary is not only good for learning but the soundtrack, the scenery and everything else put into it makes you really appreciate and get a feel for the Civil War era. As you watch through the videos from Fort Sumter through Antietam and Gettysburg and up to Appomattox, you can really get the fealing of how the actual Yankee and Rebel soldiers felt during these times. burns does not only focus on the battles which would stand out as the most interesting part of a war, but he gets into the personal lives of the soldiers, the soldiers' families, abolitionists and slaves.

David McCullough has a wonderful voice as the narrator and it was also nice to hear some familiar voices for some of the characters such as Jason Robards, Morgan Freeman, and Sam Waterston. The interviews by Edwin Bears, Shelby Foote and other historians were always nice to hear among the documentary.

Overall a very well done documentary on the Civil War. If you are interested in American history in general this and "The West" also by Ken Burns are an excellent choice to see.

For someone who lives outside the United States of America and has an interest in it's history 'The Civil War' for me delivers everything that I'm unable to get here in the UK.

History books don't even come close in highlighting the lives and stories of the those involved in this watershed of America history, it's effects not only felt in North America but eventually the world.

Outstanding.

Ken Burns is a genius and we owe him a huge debt of gratitude for making this wonderful documentary on the American civil war. Even though this is several hours long, I have watched it over and over and still never tire of it. Each time I see it I learn something new. The voices doing the various parts are perfect, the pictures are perfect, EVERYTHING IS PERFECT! From the experienced historian to the novice all will enjoy this. So many things touched my soul from the start of the war to that lovely true letter from the soldier, Sullivan Ballough written to his wife when he knew he would die... (many tears were shed at this point) to the end. In my opinion I could comment on this for pages and pages but no matter what I said it could not show my depth of gratitude for seeing this masterpiece. It will go down as the best documentary ever about the civil war.