It divided a country. It created a nation.

Starring: (the voice talents of) David McCullough, Sam Waterson, Julie Harris, Jason Robards, Morgan Freeman, Paul Roebling, Garrison Keillor, George Black, Arthur Miller, Christopher Murney, Horton Foote

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"As a nation, we began by declaring that "All men are created equal." We now practically read it, "All men are created equal, except Negroes." Soon, it will read "All men are created equal, except Negroes, and Foreigners and Catholics." When it comes to this, I should prefer emigrating to some country where they make no pretense of loving liberty. To Russia, for instance, where despotism can be taken pure and without the base alloy of hypocrisy." - Abraham Lincoln

Why watch this? This visual history lesson on our Nation's great civil war is an education on who we still are.

Plot Summary: This comprehensive nine-part documentary series covers the entire American Civil War from its origins to conclusion. It explores the causes and consequences of the war, the battles, life on the homefront, and the experiences of soldiers and civilians through historical images, letters, diaries, and expert commentary.

Dad's Preview: Experiencing the U. S. Civil War through text books and other written mediums can be exhausting, especially for a guy like me. That said, I love history, particularly our history, and this 10-hour, highly-acclaimed mini-series. Ken Burns and his team of filmmakers/historians masterfully intertwined over 16,000 photographs/paintings, excerpts from letters and journals of the time, period music/sound effects, and some of the best voices in American film. All this culminates in a detailed retelling of the most important four years in America. Listen, if we don't study our history, we (mankind) are doomed to repeat it. Repeating this, would be devastating. In many ways, Americans are still fighting the Civil War. This documentary may help folk understand our painful country's past, and hopefully, enable some of us to release our historical indoctrination regarding the hidden tenant that all men are not created equal.

Kenneth Lauren Burns Productions; WETA-TV; PBS