Rating: 
Summary: If all TV were this good, I'd watch it!
Review: To paraphrase Sir Winston, this was indeed TV's finest hour(s) (pace, "Roots" fans). The events so vividly and personally depicted in this series were, as Shelby Foote (in his dulcet Mississippi-Tennessee drawl) notes, THE defining events in the history of what has since (and in part because of) become the greatest nation in the history of our planet.I have the Laser Disc version of this series, and, like numerous other reviewers here, I pine for a DVD release. But, the intracacies of Copyright Laws being what they are, don't hold your breath -- and mainly don't deny yourself the VHS tape version while you're waiting. You'll never feel that you spent [money] (Amazon price) more wisely.
Rating:
Summary: Five Stars NOT Enough!
Review: I cannot say enough about this remarkable series. Watch it. You will not regret it. As silly as this sounds, I have bits of it on tape from lectures I recorded in my Civil War class and I listen to them from time to time..it is that good.
Rating:
Summary: View the Civil War the way contemporaries lived it!
Review: Fifteen hours of videotape that records a scant four-year period of history might at first seem like something to pass up. Don't; you'd be missing one of the great video-viewing experiences around. Where else could you learn, for example, that General Ulysses S. Grant showed "no more emotion than last year's bird nest" after he read Robert E. Lee's letter of surrender? Or that Union troops marching through Georgia ripped off and bowed so many railroad tracks along the way that Confederates began calling the familiar sight of twisted metal "Sherman's neckties" after the general that led the march? Set to nostalgic period music and refreshed with sideline comments from historical experts, the series is a visual treat meant to be viewed again and again. It's not only a valuable and accessible source of historical information, but a truly entertaining drama that never failes to inspire new insights with each viewing. The test of any work is its ability to present solid information in a beguiling and memorable way, and "The Civil War" excels even at its own high standards. Its open-ended construction is meant to be seen in the open-ended way that history is lived, so that it's logical for a few hours to suspend the historical knowledge of the war's outcome that's known to every school child. Thus, as the film unfolds, it seems realistic to think the "rebs" could rally and defeat the northern blues after all, or that Lincoln might stay home that April evening instead of going to see a play at Ford's Theater. All in all, it's an experience not to be missed.
Rating:
Summary: Must see for all Americans
Review: When I first saw this on the original PBS showing, it aroused an interest in me that was unbelievable. I have since read every major Civil War book that I could get my hands on but they just reinforce what I felt then... this is the best visual document on the subject ever... in my mind it ranks third only to the Shelby Foote trilogy and the works of James McPhearson.. I hope it is available in DVD soon...
Rating:
Summary: Much better than what we learned in school
Review: This video collection is truly amazing. It brings out things we never learned in school, and puts a human face on the struggle of the country. From the pictures to the letters, it is truly amazing and absorbing. If we would've had this in school, history classes would've been a lot more interesting. The narratives, especially from Mr. Foote bring the stories to life. I recommend this to anyone who never thought they would like American history, and for everyone else as well. This is a great collection, and Ken Burns set a high standard that has yet to be matched.
Rating:
Summary: BEST DOCUMENTARY EVER!
Review: Ken Burns' documentary on the civil war is a must see for everyone. My only question is when will this be out on dvd?
Rating:
Summary: We want this on DVD!
Review: I am not what you'd call a history buff. However, I was completely engrossed by this series. It is a masterpiece. Purchased the set years ago, and the tapes have been watched... and watched... and watched. It's time this was released to DVD!
Rating:
Summary: Civil War - The best documentary on our country
Review: This is by far the best documentary ever made. Even those with no interest in history would enjoy this series. Ken Burns and his spectacular cast actually make you feel like you are there to witness the war that defined who and what kind of country we are today.
Rating:
Summary: A must for anyone¿s video collection.
Review: I could kick myself for not recording this PBS special when it aired almost ten years ago. Luckily, I was able to purchase this magnificent documentary, and I can tell you all that it is well worth the steep purchase price. Ken Burns' artistic creation seems to be the standard by which all other documentary films are judged. It was a landmark film disecting a very complex subject. Using actors to read actual letters and quoting dialog from the war's participants, while showing the viewer startling photographs from the war, was a brilliant stroke. And the commentaries sprinkled throughout by the historians, especially Foote, gleaned an insight not often found in documentary films, and brought vividly to life the great battles and the terrible human cost that the people of the era (both male and female / north and south) had suffered. If one wants to see how our nation grew up and is the country we have today, look no further than this epic as a starting point. I would also recommend the four-hour movie "Gettysburg", taken almost word-for-word from the late Michael Shaara's pulitzer prize novel "The Killer Angels", as a fine companion piece. "The Civil War" documentary (nine video tapes--approximately 15 hours of viewing time) is a fine beginning for anyone thirsting for knowledge about our history. Those interested in the "Old West" may also get an insight, or at least an understanding, of where some of the most notorious outlaws and lawmen sprang, and possibly why they felt human life was so dirt-cheap. Between 1 and 10, "The Civil War" rates the highest level possible. If films like these were available when I was going to school, maybe I wouldn't have napped so often in history class.
Rating:
Summary: DVD, where are you?
Review: This documentary just draws you in and won't let you go... If there is any documentary that's just begging to be released on DVD, it's this one. By the way, if liked this, you might also like "Russia's War: Blood Upon the Snow", the TLC series "War and Civilization", and "The Great War and the Shaping of the Twentieth Century".
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