American Legends: Harry S. Truman; Dwight D. Eisenhower Library; Harry S. Truman Library; Portraits Of The American Presidents

With a new face in the Oval Office, interest in the Presidency is once again on the rise, and the best one of these new programs capitalizes on that interest splendidly: Questar Video's Portraits of the American Presidents. This handsomely boxed 3-tape set divides the history of the Presidency into three major periods: The Presidents of a New Nation 1789-1829 (which covers the first six Presidents, from Washington to John Quincy Adams), The Presidents of a National Struggle 1829-1901 (which covers 18 Presidents, from Jackson to McKinley), and The Presidents of a World Power 1901-1992 (which covers 16 Presidents, from Theodore Roosevelt to Bush). Each volume begins with an overview of the period and outlines the major conflict that the Presidents of the time had to deal with (the struggle for independence, the institution of slavery, worldwide human rights), followed by thumbnail sketches of each of the Presidents. Produced by NBC News, the sketches are very professionally done, and incorporate paintings, stills, and/or historical footage from each President's tenure, while covering his life and main accomplishments. In addition, contemporary historians offer insightful commentary on either the times or the men themselves. The only feature this excellent omnibus lacks is an index counter so that viewers might be able to quickly fast forward to a particular section. Other than this the Portraits of the American Presidents is a very good overview of the occupants of the Oval Office. By contrast, the Dwight D. Eisenhower Library and Harry S. Truman Library videos are somewhat dry and occasionally confusing programs. Set to wallpaper background music, these programs offer narration-overlaid tours of the respective Presidential libraries and museums. The plus is that viewers do learn the basic outline of each of the President's lives as well as a handful of personal anecdotes. On the other hand, each of the items in the museum seems to be given equal weight in the narration whether it's Ike's chair from history class or a British WWI uniform (which has nothing to do with Eisenhower personally, only with the times he lived in.) In the Truman tape this jumbled approach is even worse: at the opening of the program the shots cut-with no bridging explanation-between the White House china, the Presidential plane, an evening dress of Bess Truman's, an exhibit commemorating the commissioning of the U.S. S. Missouri, and an endless series of gifts to the U.S. from other countries during Truman's stay in office. Die-hard aficionados of either Eisenhower or Truman might be interested in these programs, but general audiences would find them boring. With the renewed interest in Truman generated by David McCullough's best-selling biography, a good video biography of Truman would be popular. Unfortunately, Bennu Production's American Legends: Harry S. Truman falls short of the mark. Truman's early life is handled quickly, before moving on to the high-profile items: the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the famous victory over Dewey in the 1948 campaign, and the flap between MacArthur and Truman during the Korean War. While the essentials of the Truman story are included here, the telling is perfunctory: we learn of the events and their dates, but there is little insight into the man himself. American Legends: Harry S. Truman, Harry S. Truman Library, and Dwight D. Eisenhower Library are not necessary purchases. Portraits of the American Presidents is highly recommended. (Portraits of the American Presidents is available from most distributors.) (Harry S. Truman Library and Dwight D. Eisenhower Library are available from: Instructional Video Inc., 727 "O" St., Lincoln, NE 68508; (800) 228-0164.) (American Legends: Harry S. Truman is available from: Bennu Productions, 626 McLean Ave., Yonkers, NY 10705; (914) 964-1828.)