The companion volume to the magnificent seven-part PBS series The individuals featured in this audiobook are not those of historians or scholars. They are ordinary men and women who experienced–and helped to win–the most devastating war in history, in which between 50 and 60 million lives were lost. Focusing on the citizens of four towns–Luverne, Minnesota; Sacramento, California; Waterbury, Connecticut; Mobile, Alabama–The War follows more than forty people from 1941 to 1945. Woven largely from their memories, the compelling, unflinching narrative unfolds month by bloody month, with the outcome always in doubt. The iconic events are here, but we also move among prisoners of war, defense workers and schoolchildren, and families who struggled simply to stay together. An intimate, profoundly affecting chronicle of the war that shaped our world, The War captures the American experience of World War II through the words and deeds, thoughts and feelings of those who made history on the battlefields and on the home front.
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"Motivated by the passing of WWII vets, the author captures some great detail on historic events. the decisions and choices, good and bad, of the commanders is fascinating. Men doing their best. I would love to read a comparable work on the eastern front where most of those 60 million deaths occurred." — Dave (4 out of 5 stars)
"Motivated by the passing of WWII vets, the author captures some great detail on historic events. the decisions and choices, good and bad, of the commanders is fascinating. Men doing their best. I would love to read a comparable work on the eastern front where most of those 60 million deaths occurred."
" What a letdown this audio book was from the PBS documentary. Ken Burns, while the greatest american documentary maker, is most definitely not a quality narrator, having an inflection-less voice. "
" This book is a great recreation of actual events from primary sources in WWII "
" Excellent, personal accounts of what happened to Americans in WWII. Should be mandatory for history class. "
" Great introduction to the war itself - so much of what we learn in school is the why and the ideas. These were very personal accounts. "
" I guess I'm lazy, but the mini-series was much more enjoyable. Great photos in this book, but the level of detail was sometimes hard to ingest and retain. "
" Graphic and disturbing-as war truly is. Great history. "
" Useless, 10-word review: Audiobook version. Disjointed narrative. Annoying narrator spoke. In. Odd manner. "
" Matched up with the Burns PBS Series on WWII "
" An excellent picture book, but you would be better to invest in the more expensive DVD set which contains extended interviews with the series participants. "
" sort of gory. and it is way big. but very griping. "
" I still can't comprehend why we put people through war. Is anything really worth this? "
" Riveting personal accounts of WWII experiences. Vivid, engaging, and heartfelt. Some parts were extemely graphic, but equally extremely necessary to read. Personal stories were well-interwoven with historical accounts. "
" Not the most detailed, but people need to remember it is a "companion" to the Burns' documentary. "
" Parter to the PBS series, narrated by Ken Burns. From a different angle than the series with other fascinating information. Really liked it. "
" Another amazing book from Ken Burns "
" Excellent overview of both Pacific and European Fronts, including personal experiences of soldiers. "
" I loved all the individual stories that were included. There is so much to learn about this fascinating era, so much deeper than all the Hollywood-type hype that we usually see. "
" I thoroughly enjoyed this in all of the many forms i experienced it in (text, audio and video) "
" The Civil War was brought to life for me through this book. I was completely absorbed with the writing, artifacts and photographs. It was powerful, moving, fascinating and educational. Greatly enhanced the PBS documentary to which this is a companion book. "
" Companion to the famous documentary series. Good read and amazing photographs! "
" A superb companion to the Ken Burns documentary. The text consists of a greatly expanded version of the film's script, adding fine detail to every aspect of the war. "
" Good overview and summary of the civil war. Good quotes. "
" A superb companion piece to Ken Burns' "Civil War" television series on PBS. "
" A very well detailed read and tv documentary. I was fortunate enough to have my copy of this book autographed by Ken Burns. "
" I probably need to add that I just looked at the pictures- which were really cool! And read the captions. Well, it is the illustrated history... "
" Excellent history book with lots of good photos. "
" If you are a history buff this is a great read. It is not as overwhelming as Battle Cry of Freedom but still does a good job of hitting the highlights of the Civil War from both sides. "
" The weight of that war fell on me as I read this book. When I started reading, I was a Civil War buff. I ended feeling like I was a survivor. It was terrible. "
" If you liked the PBS series you'll like this. "
" if you like history . . . more than just battlefield stuff, a big picture look with lots of personality. "
" Lurvis may not care about the Civil War but I loved the PBS series and I loved this book based on it. "
" Well, Ken Burns is one of my heroes. He is amazing. I love this book, and haven't finished it yet, but of course I fully intend to. The losses sustained in these battles were immense. I mean, some towns lost all of their men! "
Geoffrey C. Ward, historian and screenwriter, is the author of nineteen books, including A First-Class Temperament: The Emergence of Franklin Roosevelt, which won the National Book Critics Circle Award, the Francis Parkman Prize, and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. He has written or cowritten many documentary films, including The War, The Civil War, Baseball, The West, Mark Twain, Not for Ourselves Alone, and Jazz.
Ken Burns is an American director and producer of documentary films, known for his style of using archival footage and photographs. His documentaries have been nominated for two Academy Awards, and have won Emmy Awards, among other honors.
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