[.ca] Civil War Combat Set (ISBN 0767026179)

From Amazon.com:
With beautifully shot footage of reenactors, Civil War Combat illustrates aspects of four particular Civil War battles that are rightfully considered legendary. Filmed on location, the reenactors depict the violent mayhem of the hornet's nest at Shiloh, the valiant charge on the sunken road at Antietam, the carnage in the wheat field at Gettysburg, and the brutal fighting at Cold Harbor. Produced by the History Channel, the episodes all benefit from insightful appearances by historians as well as rangers from the National Park Service. The format of putting the focus on specific points of action in larger battles allows for narratives about specific soldiers and commanders, in both the Union and Confederate ranks, to develop. For instance, the segment on Antietam profiles commanders and individual soldiers from the Union's Irish Brigade and the Alabama regiment they charged during some of the most violent action of the entire war. The Civil War reenactors provide a credible look at how the war must have appeared to participants (though purists will note that some of the reenactors appear too clean and too well fed to have been marching behind Robert E. Lee). The discussions of strategy and the importance of the events depicted, combined with the uniformly excellent cinematography, make this an entertaining and enlightening look at critical events of the Civil War. -- Robert J. McNamara

so so:
Not a particualarly interesting or information packed video set. If you are a die hard historian of that era or particularly the civil war, then not much will dissuade you from getting it and you may learn something you didn't know. If you want to learn about the civil war in general and you aren't a scholar, stick to Ken Burns The Civil War.

THE BEST CIVIL WAR DOCUMENTRY:
Look this is a dvd that not only is boring and tells you words but it gives you the front seat in the battle scene the reanactment is very realistic with blood moans gunshots are acurate. It's the best buy if u don't want to fall and sleep and watch something good buy this and I am a Civil War historian who has studied the war for 10 years so I know what is accurate and what is not.

Realistic Content.:
The blood is a little fake and the actors are certainly not professional, but their portrayal of these great battles is still a gripping tale with plenty of action. They bring to life many of officers and men who fought in the campaigns and you will find yourself getting wrapped up in their suffering and dying. Although they focus mainly on certain aspects of each battle and not the full scope of the conflict, the stories are good and well worth watching. I highly recommend the set to anyone interested in the history of our Civil War.

Civil War battle history comes to life...:
The premise with this History Channel series is to tell specific battle history while showing (through re-enactment) what the engagements really looked like...and this DVD set hits the ball right out of the park! Watching the battles at Antietam, Gettysburg, Shiloh and (my favorite) Cold Harbor on the actual battlefield is phenominal...it really adds so much to the narration that you actually get the "feel" of being right in the middle of the conflict. Each battle covers sufficient detail that the story of the "everyday" soldier gets told along with much "new" information that makes this DVD unique (for example...on the Fredricksburg episode, the little known story of the Confederate private who risks life and limb by going onto the battlefield to help the injured is a featured part of the story but these are details that I couldn't find in books from Foote, Catton or the excellent volume on Fredricksburg by George Rable). The narration also includes "expert" analysis from noted historians and authors (Gordon Rhea in the trenches at Cold Harbor...) that add additional perspective to the storyline. The battle stories are about 1 hour long and each stands on it's own so that you can stop at reasonable intervals without missing anything. Overall this is essential Civil War viewing for the historian but still presents itself well enough for the general viewer so that all viewers should get great enjoyment from watching...highest recommendation!

A unique approach to Civil War documentary:
This series of four documentaries are different from most Civil War films in that they highlight specific points of four battles, whereas most documentaries are content simply to provide an overview of the battle itself. Because of this, each episode contains many little-known facts about the battles of Antietam, Cold Harbor, Shiloh, and Gettysburg. And, at an hour long (more or less), they are not excessively long. The highlights from each of the battles are interesting, but probably only so for someone interested in the war. Watching an hour-long reenactment of the wheat field at Gettysburg is probably meaningless without at least some appreciation of what was happening at the other parts of the battle. Anyone who studies the Civil War closely will appreciate these little-known facts, but casual viewers may find it a bit much. In addition to its narrow scope, these four documentaries are riddled with errors that should have been obvious to the folks at the History Channel. For example, saying General Grant was in charge of the Union Army at Gettysburg is just plain false, as any amateur historian should know. These erroes detract much from the reliability of the accounts. Despite these two setbacks, this is a noteworthy documentary, worth your time at least to check it out.