The Civil War - A Film by Ken Burns

Any serious student of American history will find Burns' account of the Civil War fascinating and enlightening. It provides a wealth of information that to me seems definitive and encompassing.
If you have an interest in the Civil War, this documentary is an absolute "must have!"

Dr. Stephen C. Wallace
Professor Emeritus

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 conveys the vital information of the war, and does so in a way that doesn't stagnate. In essence, a very tight, well-produced series.

The only reason I give this set four stars out of five, though, is that it lacks (althouht through no fault of its own) the emotional punch of Burns' more recent "The War" (World War II) series. Such things as personal interviews and live video could obviously not be obtained from the 1860s, but the reading of letters and still photographs doesn't quite measure up. The best example I can give of this is that while watching the Civil War series I found myself treating it as one extended history class session, while "The War" was almost more of a dramatic event (what with the live interviews and video footage).

So, although the Civil War documentary by Ken Burns is a brilliant work of research and cinematography, I can only give it a four-star rating due to its lacks of live video footage or emotionally moving personal interviews. I do, however, strongly recommend this series to anyone wanting to learn a bit more about the most brutal war in United States history. You may not need the tissue box while watching this series (unlike "The War"), but I guarantee you will come away with a much more solid understanding of the events that caused, prolonged, and ended the American Civil War.

Ken Burns did a fantastic job with this. It is enjoyable to watch and so very informative. I, and my entire family (including grandchildren) watched it and enjoyed it.

I had watched this series when shown on PBS and enjoyed it very much. It portrays an important part of our history that everyone should watch.

If there was a 6 star rating, I would give it that. I saw bits and pieces of this series, and decided to get the whole series. I live close to the Lincoln museum and library, and have a special interest in the Civil War. Ken Burns did a GREAT job of describing the causes and trials of the war. Would recommend it to anyone even remotely interested in this subject.