Product Description

This epic production tells the stories of the men and events that shaped the birth of our nation. From the masterful diplomacy of Ben Franklin to the inglorious fate of Benedict Arnold, THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION is the definitive look at the struggle to create a new form of government for a New World. Examine the great changes and subtle forces that gave rise to the first democratic nation in the modern world. Revisit the twenty-year struggle for American independence through dramatic re- enactments of great battles, period art and artifacts, rare archival material, and contemporary commentary by leading historians. And hear the words of the founding fathers and the men who fought for freedom read by leading actors such as Kelsey Grammer and Michael Learned.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #25069 in VHS
• Released on: 1997-04-24
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Formats: Box set, Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of tapes: 6
• Running time: 100 minutes

Amazon.com
This six-tape set provides a clear and complete narrative of the events surrounding the birth of America. Unfortunately, it is a bit dry, as the repetitive music is distracting and certain images are shown far too frequently. However, the varied materials used to tell this tale will please history buffs. The producers employed a blend of battle reenactments, location filming, paintings, engravings, and the narratives of actual letters and documents from the 1770s. Events are covered in detail--these are not just the highlights remembered from school. However, due to the density of the material, you have to be a fan of the genre. The narrators include such well-polished actors as Charles Durning, Michael Learned, Rick Schroder, and Cliff Robertson. --Rochelle O'Gorman

Customer Reviews

A&E at it's finest
This DVD, while marketed as a History Channel production, actually dates back to the A&E days, before History Channel went on the air. It reminds me greatly of another A&E documentary I own, the four-tape set on the Titanic Disaster. I was very impressed by the Titanic Disaster special, and even more so by the American Revolution. As a History Major, I was able to watch this with an air of understanding, having already known quite a bit about the revolution, and still went away surprised. The documentary does a good job of showing the preserved battlefields of the Revolution (far less in numbers than those preserved from the Civil War) and does an excellent job of depicting the exciting times, the political struggles, and the men involved in what was the American Revolution. It even had William Daniels portraying the voice of John Adams (Daniels played Adams in the stage and screen adaptations of 1776: the Musical)! If you have even a vague interest in the American Revolution, or just feel patriotic, this is the documentary for you!

AAA
This set get a triple A for Accuracy, Authenticity, and Action.
Many reviewers (including Amazon's) state that this is dry or boring. I disagree - in fact, I found it engulfing in the least, as did my 15 year old son, for whom I bought it.
Setting the stage for the reasons behind the Rev War and carrying on through all the major battles, using old paintings, drawings, as well as re-enactors to carry us through, this set pretty much covers the beginnings of our great nation. I don't know what else could have been done, aside from making an actual movie, to have this documentary be more exciting.
This box set of five DVD's also includes separate biographies of three of our Founding Fathers and the most famous traitor in our history.
Although a bit pricey, it is a very well-done high quality narration of the Revolutionary War, bringing my history book to life.

Attempt is decent, but falls short of expectations.
Being a bit of a history buff (disclaimer--I'm not a historian), I've looked for a long time to find good, authoritative information on the Revolutionary period--particularly information in video form. While I enjoy this set, it falls short of what I had expected. While in essence factual (sometimes even obscure facts are presented which keep it interesting), at other times, they miss the point and it is often explained from a purely British perspective. Oftentimes the underlying causes of the Revolution (or specific actions) are not thoroughly explained. It is worth owning, but if you have to pick one set on the subject, I would recommend "Liberty! - The American Revolution (1998)". In my opinion, that series shows the attitude of the combatants in a more comprehensive manner (including the noble and the base qualities of both sides), and is frankly more entertaining. Of course, I'm an American and quite patriotic, so I may be just a tad biased.