April 12 . . .
The bloodiest war in our history (so far), the American Civil War was triggered by an event that happened this day in 1861. Fort Sumter, a government stronghold in South Carolina’s Charleston Bay, was attacked by Confederate forces under the command of General Pierre G. T. Beauregard. Three days later, President Lincoln issued a proclamation for 75,000 volunteer soldiers to help quell the Southern “insurrection.” By the time the war ended four years later, over 620,000 Union and Southern soldiers had given their lives.
Observe the occasion by watching one of the most monumental and compelling documentaries ever made: Ken Burns’ epic, “The Civil War”. Originally broadcast on PBS in 1990, ‘The Civil War’ is an exhaustive, meticulously detailed insight into the conflict. Thousands of rare photographs provide indelible images, and the voice-over narratives of various participants of the events – reading excerpts from letters, documents or journals – are profoundly affecting. A stunning achievement, and – at over 11 hours in 9 separate episodes - well worth spreading out over two evenings.
1 comment:
I certainly agree that Ken Burns' "The Civil War" is the best documentary of its tragic subject. Probably nearly every one of us can learn things from the details that are so well presented; I certainly did. The letter reading is very moving, and the musical score alone makes it worth the watching/listening. I continue to enjoy listening to the cd of the score.
Post a Comment