The
four programs from the History Channel in this set
profile America's Founding Fathers, noting right at
the outset they were a "mismatched group of
quarrelsome aristocrats, merchants, and lawyers."
The story of how these disparate characters
fomented rebellion in the colonies, formed the
Continental Congress, fought the Revolutionary War,
and wrote the Constitution is told by noted
historians, and the production is enhanced with
beautifully photographed reenactments as well as
intelligent use of period paintings and
engravings.
The
complicated life of Thomas Jefferson is the subject
of this excellent documentary by noted filmmaker
Ken Burns. Using techniques that will seem
comfortably familiar to viewers of other films by
Burns, historians and writers (including Joseph
Ellis, Daniel Boorstin, Garry Wills, and Gore
Vidal) appear on camera to speak about Jefferson, a
cast of actors read the words of Jefferson and
others. The visuals include beautifully
photographed shots of Jefferson's famed estate,
Monticello, other locations where Jefferson lived
and worked, and a vast number of period drawings
and paintings.
Celebrate
America's 20th-century Chief Executives with "The
Republicans," a fabulous compilation from the
award-winning PBS series "The American Experience,"
featuring "Ike," "Nixon" and "Reagan." "Ike"
presents a fresh look at Dwight D. Eisenhower, a
top military commander who evolved from World War
II hero into a skilled politician, tough Cold
Warrior and one of our least understood Presidents.
"Nixon" revisits the life and legacy of Richard M.
Nixon, a man of contradictions, grand visions and
petty grievances who used the power of the office
to reach for a bold vision of world peace. One of
the most popular Presidents ever, the double-disc
"Ronald Reagan" traces the
actor-turned-politician's colorful life from
boyhood through his leadership in negotiating arms
reduction via military might and overseeing the end
to the Cold War.
