Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1837 in DVD
• Released on: 2002-10-07
• Rating: Exempt
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Black & White, Colour, PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 3
• Running time: 690 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
The most successful public-television miniseries in American history, the 11-hour American Civil War defined what has since become known as the "Ken Burns approach"--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 American 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 learn and understand history, but also to feel and experience it. --Dave McCoy

Special Features
4:3
English
Region 2
Dolby Digital Stereo English
Dolby Digital Stereo

Synopsis
A documentary which was five years in the making and investigates the American Civil War. With over 16000 archive photographs, lithographs, period paintings and newspaper features as well as battlefield tours.

Customer Reviews

American Civil War DVD Collection
The TV series by Ken Burns was shown several years ago but this has not been bettered by anything else. As somebody who is interested in the subject the presentation is perfect. The DVD collection is ideal with 3 programmes on each of the three discs, the production values, cinematography, voice-overs, historical documents and photographs are first rate.
Any student of American history this is a must have. Anybody interested in a thought provoking historical account with the benefit on DVD should own this. A most definite reccomendation.

Absolutely Superb
This is without doubt the best documentry DVD I've ever seen.It tells the history of the Civil War from 1861-1865 through the eyes of everyone from soldiers who fought to Lincoln himself with actor's providing the voices.It is well thought out brilliantly presented and theres a guy called Shelby Foote who seems to know everything that happened to everyone. For example: He tells of Stonewall Jackson sitting on his horse eating a peach and surveying the dead on the battleground.Thousands of them.He turns to his doctor and says " God has been very kind to us this day". Its things like this that make this piece of history so enthralling and rightly so.It is presented in 3 discs and tells of every event of the war from Lincoln's speeches to Gettysburg and from Robert E Lee to a private in the Union Army named Elisha Hunt Rhodes. Also do look out for the most tearjerking moment when a letter is read from a soldier called Sullivan Ballou who writes to his wife so tenderly it will make you cry.Words like: If I die with my final breath I will whisper your name.The point being he did die at the next battle. I urge you, if you want to learn about this sad war or have any intrest then you must buy this wonderful DVD. It really is that good.

An Extraordinary Series
Produced some years ago by Ken Burns to critical acclaim. Now available on DVD and any historian or anyone interested in the Civil War years 1861-1865 cannot afford to miss this. Its not just a documentary supplemented by thousands of photographs, but it is a human testiment to a great tragedy which split an entire nation battling for freedom and state rights, and the rights of man to own slaves especially in the deep south. The human aspect of this terrible war which claimed the lives of more than 600,000 Americans is superbly told through the diaries and letters of those who witnessed at first hand this monumental piece of American history beginning with the secession of the southern states from the Union, and the final conflict leading up to the famous meeting between General Robert E Lee and General Ulysess Grant at Appotomatix Court House. Its also a very moving story enhanced by a superb music score of which the Ashokan Farewell is the most famous. An extraordinary series.