Product Description

EXPLORING THE LIFE OF THE UNION SOLDIER Personal belongings open a window into the lives of those who battle in America's Civil War. The stories behind never-before-seen photographs, letters, artifacts and hundreds of rare paintings and engravings complete the picture of the Civil War in "CIVIL WAR MINUTES® - Union" 2 DVD Box Set. Small and unique objects, such as a drum from the Battle of Gettysburg with a hidden note inside, are pieced together to reveal the human element of war. This film also discloses the perspective of the average foot soldier through handwritten letters to family members. The real lives of ordinary people who leave their homes and families behind to answer duty's call for this new and inexperienced nation are featured. This documentary explores soldiers' everyday lives through the personal effects they carry into war.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #59235 in DVD
• Brand: INECOM ENTERTAINMENT CO
• Released on: 2001-09-06
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Color, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 2
• Dimensions: .50 pounds
• Running time: 180 minutes

Features

• Personal belongings open a window into the lives of those who battle in America's Civil War. The stories behind never-before-seen photographs, letters, artifacts and hundreds of rare paintings and engravings complete the picture of the Civil War in CIVIL WAR MINUTES - Union. Small and unique objects, such as a drum from the Battle of Gettysburg with a hidden note inside, are pieced together to

Review
"'CIVIL WAR MINUTES® - Union' is a treasure trove of interesting information not to be found elsewhere on video. --Don Troiani, Civil War Historian and Artist, "America's Civil War Magazine"

Review
"The compilation of firsthand sources is sure to intrigue Civil War buffs, history enthusiasts, and students." --Candace Smith, "Booklist-American Library Association"

Review
"CIVIL WAR MINUTES® goes beyond the epic battles and gets into the heads of the soldiers who lived them." --Maureen Bavdek, "Reuters International News Service"

Customer Reviews

Civil War Minutes
This DVD is a perfect addition for anyone that is learning about the Civil War in general. Michael Kraus is very informative and his forward approach to presenting the details of soldier life, personal letters and lifestyle is a welcomed sight. His concise details are backed by many true stories. Important items to the everyday soldier such as a canteens, muskets and clothing are presented with historical facts and are often linked to an individual that actually used them.

This DVD set is perfect for those new at learning or trying to get a rounded view of soldier life and general information regarding the war. For the experienced reenactor or historian it may be too general. Though I would have to admit that even a historian can learn about a particular soldier from a letter or get new insight from the material.

The presentation or filming is sometimes lacking in quality as lighting and sound quality isn't the best at times. The sounds effects are interesting though sometimes overdone. Sometimes the effects overshadow the narration and make it harder to hear. I do have to give credit to the music used as it captured the era and was presented well.

Different than all the rest.
If you are looking for a new and unique view of the Civil War, this is it. The way Civil War Minutes focuses on many different soldier accounts and artifacts is as educational as it is entertaining. What appealed to me most were the soldier's letters. They gave views of the war that I have never seen or heard before.

Michael Kraus, who stars in the series, really knows his stuff. From the way he spoke of the Civil War artifacts in the series, you know he is more than an actor hired to narrate a documentary.

If you want a Civil War box set that is more than just battles, give this DVD series a try. You won't be disappointed.

Next level of presenting the Civil War details
Ken Burns gave us the "Civil War" series. Though some photo sequences did not accurately represent the story properly, it did provided us with a good overview of the events that transpired between the years 1859 through 1865. Ted Turner gave the movie "Gettysburg", which brought the large scale battle arena to the big screen. The History Channel gave us "Civil War Journal", giving good detail to individuals, regiments, and the battles fought.

Now Inecom Entertainment has produced the next level of presenting the historical fine details of the Civil War. The accoutrements of the individual foot soldier, the letters they wrote home about the hardships they endured during the war, many interesting artifacts of Civil War period, and a host of other details that are never included in the big productions. This four volume video series does more to fill in the gaps than anything else I know of.

As a reenactor with the 123rd NYV, I have a special appreciation for this, the down and dirty as I like to call it. Michael Kraus, also a living historian and reenactor, presents this material in a way that gives life to what is normally just museum artifacts. I would recommend to everyone who wants that next level of understanding of that great conflict that shaped our nation to view this series.