The History Channel: Revolution
I'm watching the History Channel's wonderful documentary series from 2006 called The Revolution, which was recently released on DVD. I'm enjoying it very much, and although I haven't finished it yet, from what I have seen so far I would recommend it to everyone. Edward Hermann (the actor known for such roles as Richard Gilmore in "The Gilmore Girls") has a beautiful voice for a narrator, and the History Channel has selected a terrific group of historians to offer commentary. My personal favourites are Major John Hall, a staff historian from West Point, and Stacy Schiff, author of the recent best-seller "Cleopatra".
This series begins with a very good examination and explanation of the causes of the revolution, including colonial resentment of taxes levied after the Seven Years' War without any representation. It follows with the story of how the Declaration of Independence and the battles of the Revolutionary War. It finishes up with the problems facing the nation after the war. The series goes into detail with the troubled supply lines that plagued Washington's army, the heavy desertion and mutiny (which Washington clamped down on with some extraordinary tactics), and the many failed battles that occurred in the first few years of the War. It covers internal conflicts between such characters as Horatio Gates and George Washington.
Also discussed are Benjamin Franklin's efforts in France to recruit the French navy and John Paul Jone's foray into Britain and Ireland, as well as the story of Benedict Arnold. The first half of the series covers the battles in the north and the remaining episodes discuss how the battles move south into Savannah, the back woods of the Carolinas, and finally Yorktown.
Some critics of the series feel that it doesn't give Washington the respect he deserves. At first I thought it might have been more deferential to Washington, but considering the quality of historians who contributed to the project, I think they are just trying to bring home the point that Washington was human, that he faced some pretty epic challenges, and considering the outcome, he was quite amazing after all.
I'd be curious to read what any of you who have seen this series thought of it and if you would recommend it as highly as I do.
This series begins with a very good examination and explanation of the causes of the revolution, including colonial resentment of taxes levied after the Seven Years' War without any representation. It follows with the story of how the Declaration of Independence and the battles of the Revolutionary War. It finishes up with the problems facing the nation after the war. The series goes into detail with the troubled supply lines that plagued Washington's army, the heavy desertion and mutiny (which Washington clamped down on with some extraordinary tactics), and the many failed battles that occurred in the first few years of the War. It covers internal conflicts between such characters as Horatio Gates and George Washington.
Also discussed are Benjamin Franklin's efforts in France to recruit the French navy and John Paul Jone's foray into Britain and Ireland, as well as the story of Benedict Arnold. The first half of the series covers the battles in the north and the remaining episodes discuss how the battles move south into Savannah, the back woods of the Carolinas, and finally Yorktown.
Some critics of the series feel that it doesn't give Washington the respect he deserves. At first I thought it might have been more deferential to Washington, but considering the quality of historians who contributed to the project, I think they are just trying to bring home the point that Washington was human, that he faced some pretty epic challenges, and considering the outcome, he was quite amazing after all.
I'd be curious to read what any of you who have seen this series thought of it and if you would recommend it as highly as I do.