The Civil War

Although the title of this set might suggest a straightforward narrative on the War Between the States—something akin to the History Channel's recent The American Revolution—this is a collection of 12 disparate 50-minute episodes from two different series: eight from Civil War Journal (1993-94), and four from Civil War Combat (1999-2000). Most of the programs deal with specific battles and/or military operations—Fort Sumter, Bull Run, Shiloh, Antietam, Gettysburg, Cold Harbor, and Sherman's march to the sea. A few are biographical—on John Brown, Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson—or multiple biographies (such as a program on West Point graduates who fought on opposing sides), and one is on the 54th Massachusetts, a regiment composed of escaped slaves (subject of the 1989 film Glory). The Civil War Journal entries, narrated by Danny Glover, rely more on stills, artwork, and a parade of scholarly talking heads, while the four Civil War Combat episodes, introduced by newsman Roger Mudd (whose ancestor was the doctor who tended to John Wilkes Booth and was accused of conspiracy), depend more on period recreations. But all offer solid coverage of their subjects, though there's inevitably a good deal of repetition over the set, which includes a 24-page companion booklet featuring period photos. Recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (F. Swietek)