17 years after his award-winning documentary epic on the American Civil War, Burns took on “the good war” with his trademark approach: history from the perspective of the everyday humans who fought, died, and endured.
Tag: Ken Burns
‘The Civil War’ – Ken Burns’s nonfiction epic on Netflix
The Civil War (1990) – Ken Burns’s epic documentary miniseries is arguably the most influential piece of historical non-fiction ever produced for television. For one week in 1990 it had the rapt attention of the nation and the nation’s political leaders (there was a run on videotape in Washington D.C. the week it premiered) and […]
Ken Burns’s ‘Prohibition’ on Netflix
Prohibition (2011), Ken Burns’ portrait of “the Noble Experiment” turned American disaster, follows Burns’s trademark approach to American history by putting big events into perspective through the personal stories of both significant historical figures and the everyday citizens. That’s particularly effective in the story of prohibition, which traditionally is presented in terms of the activism […]
Happy Anniversary: ‘The National Parks: America’s Best Idea’ on Amazon Prime
On August 25, 2016, the National Parks Service turns 100. To celebrate the centenary of this great and necessary institution, I suggest checking out The National Parks: America’s Best Idea (2009) from America’s chronicler Ken Burns. This six-part, twelve-hour plus series explores not just the beauty and legacy of America’s National Parks, but the history […]