Really Surprised!

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

This is a defining TV program produced by documentary filmmaker Ken Burns. He starts with the first episode "The Cause" diving into the slavery issue and the spread of secession. The program follows the major events and battles throughout the war to its conclusion and the aftermath. David McCullough's steady narrations give the material great weight. There is a steady stream of great voice work reading old letters and speeches of that era. The talking heads are limited and they give terrific short comments. Most of the visuals are the black and white photographs but Burns give them movement. This is the most epic of American history done in a way that gives it reverence and substance. Almost everything is perfect from the music to its depth. This is the best of educational American TV.

Well, what can be said in the superlative about this fabulous film that already hasn't been said? Just watched this again for the 25th anniversary airing on PBS, and it's still FANTASTIC! And I hope this film will also open up a new audience of fans not only for this film but also to showcase what a national treasure Shelby Foote was. I don't know of any other historical writer that could so eloquently "put you there" and truly give an audience a sense of the humanity involved in the national crisis that was the Civil War. Shelby's descriptions of the "day-to-day" and his relating of the personal musings and thoughts of our fellow citizens at such a terrible time truly humanizes both sides of the conflict and makes the whole episode seem less abstract but more "real" - as it actually was.And as for the film itself, it is "top flight" is every respect; and the casting is fantastic - complete with David McCollough's terrific matter-of-fact yet authentic narration! Ken does a terrific job in opening up the reasons behind the conflict without any judgment or taking any "politically correct" tact which has become SO overwhelmingly overused today!!! The film is so wonderful in so many respects - and educates all at the same time - that I truly believe it should be REQUIRED viewing for all age-appropriate school-age students! Ken and company have made a film - and archive - for the ages! We need more of this kind of film making!!!

There's very little which needs to be said about this work, which truly needs no introduction from me. There will be spoilers ahead:Today, April 9, 2015, is the 150th anniversary of Lee's surrender to Grant at Appomattox Court House, which effectively signaled the end of the US Civil War. It seems, therefore, an appropriate date for me to post a comment on this remarkable piece of work.If Ken Burns has a single masterpiece, this is that masterpiece. Composed primarily of still photographs, with voice-over work by the narrator, David McCullough (a noted historian) or various voices reading from the writings of figures both notable in the time and just ordinary individuals witnessing/living through history, supplemented by interviews with four historians (Shelby Foote, Ed Bearss, Barbara Fields and Stephen B. Oates) and a former Congressman (James Symington) it would have been remarkably easy for this to be static, become boring and sink of its own weight. That it doesn't do so is testament to the abilities of Ken Burns and those working with him.Over more than 11 hours, the documentary covers the events which led to the South's secession and the start of the war itself, the conduct of that war and its aftermath and effect on both those individuals involved and the nation (and, to some degree, the rest of the world).The effect, certainly to me, is spellbinding. For physical reasons, I have trouble sitting for long periods of time, yet I've watched this under every possible set of circumstances (including a one day marathon once of the whole thing) and the time flies by.A fair and balanced portrayal of all sides of the question is provided here, with even John Brown and Nathan Bedford Forrest being presented evenhandedly and fairly, which is quite an accomplishment, given the polarizing nature of the two men.I've been fascinated by the Civil War for decades and have read much of the contemporaneous material from which the narration was drawn, including most of the material from Lincoln's speeches and writings, Mary Chesnut's diaries and so on. This represents a remarkable undertaking and I recommend it unreservedly and most wholeheartedly.

The greatest documentary series ever made.Incredibly well researched, superbly narrated, insightful interviews. When I first watched the series, I didn't know much about the American Civil War. The series made me want to find out more as it showed the what for it was – the higher ideal. Of course, it also showed the military strategy nd tactics, but it showed a lot more than that. It showed the causes of it, the impacts on everyday people as well as senior politicians and generals. Plus it showed the ramifications of it.Over the years I have watched the series many more times. As my knowledge of the Civil War has grown, you would expect my enjoyment of the series to diminish. Not the case. Greater knowledge makes you appreciate the series even more, as you realise how much there is to know, and how they managed to condense it into such an entertaining series without straying from the truth or dumbing it down.Just having those prominent historians explain certain things is enthralling. Moreover, the impact of the gravitas of David McCullough's narration cannot be understated. Just hearing him say "The line held" is spine-tingling, and very emotional.A brilliant series.