What do professors of american history think of ken burns. The war, a sevenpart series directed and produced by ken burns and lynn novick, tells the story of the second world war through the personal accounts of a handful of men and women from four quintessentially american towns. This is by far the best documentary series on the civil war and also the best of ken burns. Shelby foote was the gentleman in ken burn s civil war series that so effectively told the story of the civil war. In 1861 most of the nations 31 million people lived in peace and in small towns. This is an audio book that accompanies the pbs video series the civil war, by ken burns. A december 2002 poll conducted by real screen magazine listed the civil war as second only to robert flahertys nanook of the north as the most influential. The film is a comprehensive and definitive history of the american civil war, and the recipient of 40 major film and. The complete text of the bestselling narrative history of the civil war based on the celebrated pbs television series vintage civil war library. The civil war was the traumatic event in our childhood, as burns later put it. It was first broadcast on pbs on five consecutive nights from september 23 to 28, 1990. And because it had been years since i read the companion book to that documentary, i decided to reread it. Ill leave it to others to give a good basic list of general books about the civil war. What its about ken burns nowclassic the civil war was seen by.
Documentaries are traditionally advocacy burns said. Indeed, forty million people saw it, more than the populations of the union and the confederacy combined. His landmark film the civil war was the highestrated series in the history of american public television, and his work has won numerous prizes, including the emmy and. Ken burns s documentary the civil war made television history, breaking all viewing records for a pbs series. More a multiartist compilation than an actual soundtrack in the formal sense, the album is filled with lowkey highlights from the series jay ungar s ashokan. Historically, he did ok he has the right people in the right places at the right time. More than 39 million viewers tuned in to at least one episode, and viewership averaged more than 14 million viewers each evening, making it the mostwatched program ever to air on pbs. It took longer to produce than the war itself took. A side portion of the 1991 vhs box set of nine volumes. How two very different historians defined ken burns the. Be skeptical of ken burns the vietnam war the citizen. In a time when the internet has shortened attention spans, it is doubtful that an 18hour documentary history of the vietnam war will mesmerize the country as burnss the civil war did in 1990.
The civil war, is an epic nineepisode series by the awardwinning documentary filmmaker ken burns. The roosevelts, and the war, founded his own documentary film. We were asked by ken burns to come to brattleboro, vermont, and record music for the civil war series, and this would be a lot of the traditional, period music. Newsweek praised it as a stunning television documentary. The complete text of the bestselling narrative history of the civil warbased on the celebrated pbs television series ward.
A very bloody affair 1862 the year 1862 saw the birth of modern warfare and the transformation of lincolns war to. Americans during this war would kill each other what started as politics ended as a war for freedom. Debate over ken burns civil war documentary continues over. Documentary filmmaker ken burns and his associates spent five years. Yeah, the upcoming captain america movie looks cool, but wouldnt civil war be way better as a multipart pbs documentary.
The documentary inspired enough discussion to become a book, ken burns the civil war. This epic work hailed around the world as one of the greatest documentary series ever made took academy awardnominated director ken burns five years to produce. The film is based on mukherjees 2016 book of the same name. And because it had been years since i read the companion book to that documentary, i decided to reread it as well. Ken burns, the authors of the acclaimed and bestselling the civil war, jazz. Burns understood that the tragedy of the civil war wasnt just the body count625,000 military deaths, still the largest of any american warthe mother who lost five sons, the piles of limbs. It seems whenever it was on, i wasnt able to watch it, so i just finally decided to get the dvd so i could watch it at my convenience. He wasnt part of burnss initial research circle, but a recommendation from all the kings men author robert penn warren led the. Pbs revives and restores ken burns hit series, by verne gay, newsday, sept. Elektranonesuch scored one of the biggest successes of the classical specialty labels history with this soundtrack to the ken burns public television series the civil war.
Yet many professional historians criticized it sharply. Ken burns the civil war episode 1 the cause 1861 totaro. Shelby is a noted historian, and wrote the quintessential book on the conflict. Before the civil war, shelby foote was an obscure academic. Since the academy award nominated brooklyn bridge in 1981, ken has gone on to direct and produce some of the most acclaimed historical documentaries ever made. The documentary pivots around the stories of families affected by genetic disorders and the perspectives of doctors working toward cures.
Enlightening, as well as entertaining, burns documentary examines the unique elements of the civil war through colorful accounts and photographs. These are very short and only last for a few minutes. Shelby foote, from the civil war when the illustrated edition of the civil war was. A former editor of american heritage, ward has also written a number of documentary films for public television, including the civil war, huey long, the west, and thomas hart benton. On its 25th anniversary, the civil war by kens burns is airing on pbs as a remastered edition. Explore the civil war pbs show by ken burns on books, blu rays, dvds, and more from shop award winning filmmaker ken burns takes you through this historical event on screen with indepth insights. The takeaways from ken burns opus can be hotly debated, but it is indisputable that the civil war is a profoundly moving tapestry of historical detail.
Selected portions of the conclusion to ken burns the civil war. Burnss company, florentine films, is based in walpole, new hampshire, where. So ken burn s the civil war is on pbs once again this week. Search images maps play youtube news gmail drive more. Burns elevenhour long masterpiece is a major contribution to how ameri. Historians respond, a 1995 publication featuring contributions by such leading scholars as c. Dear lastcat, the ken burns documentary got a lot of people started on in depth study of the acw, including me. Jun 17, 2008 this talk was presented today in philadelphia at the 2008 meeting of the society of civil war historians. Ken burnss documentary the civil war made television history, breaking all viewing records for a pbs series. The documentary the civil war when where monday to friday, wnet at 9 p. The series explores the most intimate human dimensions of the greatest cataclysm in history a worldwide catastrophe that touched the lives of every family on every.
Sep 04, 2015 before the civil war, shelby foote was an obscure academic. Dec 03, 2015 yeah, the upcoming captain america movie looks cool, but wouldnt civil war be way better as a multipart pbs documentary. Mar 02, 2008 dear lastcat, the ken burns documentary got a lot of people started on in depth study of the acw, including me. Sep 11, 2015 when ken burns and i met in new york in may to discuss the process of remastering the civil war, his ninepart documentary about the conflict that aired on pbs for the first time in 1990. Ken burns the american civil war is the most ambitious, comprehensive and definitive account of the bloody conflict ever produced. The criticisms have less to do with the history than with what wasnt in the film such as women who fought di. The library of congress may or may not own a copy of a particular film or video. The civil ward defined us for the good and the bad.
The civil war film tells the story of the bloodiest war in american history. The better angels of our nature 1865 why i decided to make the civil war by ken burns ken burns nearly 20 years ago, on christmas day, 1984, i finished reading a book that literally changed my life a wonderful, historical novel called the killer angels by michael shaara. A pbs documentary film join in on a screening of the civil war by ken burns, a widely acclaimed pbs documentary outlining the american civil war in vibrant and dramatic detail. Remodeling the capital soldiers were being trained. Combining video and audio from ken burnss beloved film with animated maps. Ward, historian and screenwriter, is the author of sixteen books, including a. The civil war, the awardwinning film produced and directed by ken burns, was rebroadcast as a newly restored, highdefinition version in september of 2015. So how accurately did the ken burns documentary get the. Ken burns has been making documentary films for over forty years. The panel was titled, gearing up for the civil war sesquicentennial in the high school classroom and included, james percoco, ronald maggiano, and andy slap when it aired in 1989 ken burnss epic documentary about americas civil war garnered the largest audience in pbs history. For a generation of americans, this documentary is the civil war.
The emergence of franklin roosevelt, which won the national book critics circle award for biography. The series was painstakingly researched and had historians overseeing the production. This talk was presented today in philadelphia at the 2008 meeting of the society of civil war historians. Aug 12, 2010 the civil war 1990 pulled in 39 million viewers. Jan 01, 1990 to help pass the time while doing so, i decided to watch the iconic ken burns documentary on the civil war for at least the third time. A former editor of american heritage, ward has also written a number of documentary films for public television, including the civil war, huey long, the west, and thomas. Sep 27, 2015 selected portions of the conclusion to ken burns the civil war. The first segment of this award winning documentary series by ken burns is an excellent video showing the causes of the civil war and ends with first manassas bull run. To help pass the time while doing so, i decided to watch the iconic ken burns documentary on the civil war for at least the third time.
This book brought about wide perspective of analysis of ken burnss acclaimed series, the civil war. From the time it aired nearly 30 years ago, ken burns civil war documentary has been a popular sensation and subject of debate. It was first broadcast on pbs on five consecutive nights from september 23 to. There are 2 minor audio glitches in the film where there is no sound. Sep 17, 2017 in a time when the internet has shortened attention spans, it is doubtful that an 18hour documentary history of the vietnam war will mesmerize the country as burnss the civil war did in 1990. Ken burns, the producer and director of numerous film series, including vietnam, the roosevelts, and the war, founded his own documentary film company, florentine films, in 1976. It interweaves thousands of photographs and paintings with the words of those who lived through a war that shattered a union and shaped a nation.
Ken burnss merciful portrayal of the south in the civil. The civil war is a 1990 american television documentary miniseries created by ken burns about the american civil war. It is read by ken burns, who does a fantastic job reading it. My initial thought was historians looking at the material that burns used in his series but in actuality it is a bunch of academics complaining about the lack of inclusion of their pet topics. It is abridged, so it doesnt go into as much detail as the videos, but it hits all of the high points.
If you have only one resource on the civil war, this should be it. The civil war, an epic nineepisode series by the awardwinning documentary filmmaker ken burns and produced in conjunction with weta, washington, d. The civil war, wrote robert penn warren, is, for the american imagination, the great single event of our history. As you join the civil war trust generations virtual viewing event of this magical documentary, use the resources below to further your knowledge of the civil war. Ken burns, founder of florentine films, is one of the most celebrated documentary. Twentyfive years after pbs first aired ken burns masterful documentary the civil war, burns and his colleagues at florentine films went back and.
Ken burns civil war, shelby foote, and narrative history. The young franklin roosevelt and a firstclass temperament. When ken burns and i met in new york in may to discuss the process of remastering the civil war, his ninepart documentary about the conflict that aired on pbs for the first time in 1990. Why i decided to make the civil war by ken burns ken burns nearly 20 years ago, on christmas day, 1984, i finished reading a book that literally changed my life a wonderful, historical novel called the killer angels by michael shaara. Documentary filmmaker ken burns has tackled the civil war.