An entertaining tactical military history of the main battles of the war between the states, with decent commentary and good battlefield maps.
At school, one is taught the names and dates of principal battles, kings, & generals up to the age of 12. Thereafter, history is treated in greater depth: social hierarchies, religions, resources, agrarian or industrial wealth, lifestyles, motivations for coups, wars, & movements of population, and broad strategies adopted by leaders.
This particular history of the American civil war lies squarely in the former category: a lesson in the tactics and outcomes of the main 20, or so, battles of the war. Presented by Dale Reed, we are shown good maps of each battleground and the opposing forces. With Reed's voiceover, we watch large-scale reenactments involving infantry with Springield rifles, field artillary, and sometimes cavalry actions. Subsequently, academic military historians discuss the factors which led to victory, the opportunities missed, the sometimes flawed verdicts of popular history, and the consequences of the action for the campaign as a whole, for the (Southern) economy, and for the politicians in Washington & Richmond.
Within its rather narrow scope, this is a very good factual documentary for younger people, though they may not be very tolerant of the poor picture quality of the reenactment footage. Nonetheless, it's extremely watchable, and I had no trouble completing the 3 DVDs inside a week.
Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned