Liberty! The American Revolution

"Liberty! The American Revolution" is about as good a series on the American Revolution as you can find and it not only is about what led to the war as well as the war but also the period AFTER the war when the Colonies were 13 independent nations in need of a stronger central government. How this led to the Constitution is discussed in the final episode. Exceptional production values, nice historical re-creations and an interesting script make this one to watch. As a retired history teacher, I found very little to complain about except in episode five--which made it sound as if the Colonies BEAT the British. This is a misconception. The British cut their losses and left the Colonies because they were involved in a world war with France, Spain AND Holland--so the Colonies ALONE were not victorious--it was clearly a group effort. Well worth seeing--and it's not too surprising since it's from PBS video--and those folks seem to make one amazing documentary after another.

I was looking forward to watching this documentary with great anticipation, but was surprised & disappointed to see the storytelling element where many historical figures are reenacted/represented by actors. I was looking for cited quotations, a more detailed narrative, historic illustrations, & maps. I instead felt like I was watching a "history-lite" documentary that dwelled too long on the entertainment value of dressed up actors. I guess I'll have to find some books to read, because this documentary felt like too little substance for the length of the documentary. My sense was the "living history" actors took something away from the gravity of the narrative & history. "Liberty! The American Revolution" was produced after Ken Burns' "The Civil War." One would think these documentary filmmakers could have learned something from Burns devices for telling a story when one can't rely much on photography or video. Marginally recommend as a supplement to reading histories of the American Revolutionary War.

This is a six-hour program that starts out with such abrasive things like the stamp act of 1765. It covers well-known events and some not so well-known events. This presentation takes you beyond high school romantic history with heroes and heroic deeds that rival the Iliad. We can see some of the underlying motives and accidents that brought about our revolution. We are carried to the very edge of the creation of the Declaration of independents, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

The film is presented by major historians (I have to admit I never saw one or two of them before) but I do have a copy of "The Declaration of Independence and The Constitution of the United States" with an Introduction by Pauline Maier and it was interesting to see her as a presenter in this series. There are great deals of actors that quote actual letters and statements from historical figures; it almost becomes a game on the side trying to guess where you saw the actor before.

We get maps and diagrams to help follow the action. But it is the actual view of the countryside that can be so beautiful that it can take your breath away.

There is a companion book to this presentation and it goes into more depth. However, I do not think the book could do the justice or hold the attention that this 6-part series can , The Reluctant Revolutionaries: 1763-1774 Blows Must Decide: 1774-1776 The Times That Try Men's Souls: 1776-1777 Oh, Fatal Ambition: 1777-1778 The World Turned Upside Down: 1778-1783 Are We to Be a Nation? 1783-1788

Some of the bonus items on the DVD is: "Johnny Has Gone for a Soldier" Music Traditional Arranged by James Taylor and Mark O'Connor Produced by Mark O'Connor Performed by Mark O'Connor (violin), James Taylor (vocals, guitar), John Jarvis (keyboards), Russ Barenberg (guitar), John Mock (pennywhistle, low whistle), Glenn Worf (bass) and Eddie Bayers (percussion)

Extra! The Empire gets the boot in the Rim Colonies! Emperor vilified by common rabble! Imperial forces attacked by Rebel forces! Headlines from "The Tatooine Gazette"? No. The start of an experiment in self government and a war that secured no enemy territory and succeeded where later revolutions failed. With no video, film cameras, or CNN, how does one make the world of 1763 real? By having actors read from speeches and papers of the principal movers and shakers of the day. The actors are to be commended for fleshing out long-dead historical figures, especially "King George III" and "Maj. Gen. Burgoyne." It is an interesting journey, as the American colonists change over time from respectful subjects of King George III to concerned tax rebels, an aroused militia, committee members drafting petitions, to "Common Sense" citizens seeking Independence. This series deserves the DVD treatment, with behind the scenes sections about the many reenacters and preservation societies that show how the world of John and Abigail Adams worked/works. A&E's look at the same subject used paintings and voiceovers to cover the same ground, but Ken Burns' "The Civil War" had photographic impact that oils couldn't capture. I hope that PBS will broadcast this soon, or as a July 4th special for those who missed it the first time.

An excellent primer on the Revolutionary War, LIBERTY is a penetrating view at the causes and motivations as well as the saga of the course of the war. It is interesting that the major source for information on the war is the writings of Sgt Martin. There's an excellent period score Da**[rn] the Defiant that's part of the opening and closing credits. Regretfully the audience for glorious cause is a pale shaddow when compared to that of the lost cause.

This compares favorably to THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION (narr Charles Kuralt) and HOW THE WEST WAS LOST (Amer Indian perspective).