I felt that this documentary series shown on the History Channel was delightfully enlightening. The documentaries were based off of the James Mcpherson book To the Best of My Abiltiy. James Mcpherson is one of the most well respected American Civil War historians and authors. I was surprised to learn that he had made a book that encompassed every Presidential Administration in the history of the United States. The documentaries follow the book in the normal History Channel style, a narrator guides the viewer through a series of historical images interspersed with interviews from historians and other experts. Every President is highlighted and the documentary does a good job at giving a fair, yet friendly perspective on most of the Presdiential legacies. The few exceptions are for the most infamous and famous of presidents. This was the case for Andrew Johnson, Lincoln's racist and brutal successor, and FDR, whose lesser known faults were brought to attention. I would have preferred the series to simply skip over the Administrations which the average History Channel viewer is already very familiar with and go more in depth into the Administrations of our forgotten "care taker" Presidents. What i enjoyed most about the series was its all around pleasantness. The soft color schemes and the soothing voice of the narrator, Edward Hermann I believe, worked together to create a highly enjoyable documentary. I think I am the only one who watched this though. The page is completely empty, I hope there are others who saw this series and enjoyed it as I did.
6 Reviews
A fascinating piece of Americana.
tomstanley124 April 2005
I watched this 7-hour presentation last weekend on the History Channel and enjoyed it very much. I was always interested in history when I was in high school several years ago but this documentary (shown in seven 1-hour segments) was so much more interesting than trying to read it in text books.
Every President from George Washington to George W. Bush is profiled along with their wives (James Buchanan was the only bachelor). It talks about the political climate when each was elected along with the various wars from the revolutionary war to the gulf wars.
There is also a fascinating history of the White House included within the documentary. Since George Washington never lived in the White House it begins with John and Abigail Adams as the first residents. James and Dolly Madison were living there when the British set fire to it during the War of 1812. When electricity was installed years later in the late 1800s people were afraid to turn on the lights for fear of being shocked.
Highly recommended to anyone interested in American history.
Every President from George Washington to George W. Bush is profiled along with their wives (James Buchanan was the only bachelor). It talks about the political climate when each was elected along with the various wars from the revolutionary war to the gulf wars.
There is also a fascinating history of the White House included within the documentary. Since George Washington never lived in the White House it begins with John and Abigail Adams as the first residents. James and Dolly Madison were living there when the British set fire to it during the War of 1812. When electricity was installed years later in the late 1800s people were afraid to turn on the lights for fear of being shocked.
Highly recommended to anyone interested in American history.
Very Educational - But Could Have Been Better
jcurbaniak-215 July 2006
This series from the History Channel covers all 43 presidents from Washington to Bush and it runs about 6 hours in length.
Each president is covered in some detail with descriptions not only of the key historical events of their presidency but more importantly what each was like as a person.
Both their strengths and weaknesses are discussed and the coverage seemed fair.
There is a little baseball-like "trading card" that pops up for each president that summarizes what they were like that grew on me as the series unfolded and marked a clear start of the next president.
There are some decent extras as well to round this offering out.
I was disappointed that only interview actually conducted with a still living president was with Jimmy Carter and I would really would have liked to hear a few words from the others.
The coverage of the early presidents actually seemed better than those of more recent vintage.
Trying to stayed focused and involved as much as possible, I found the pace slow at times but clearly some presidents were more interesting than others so perhaps that is understandable. How much gripping information can be provided about someone like Millard Fillmore?
I also would have liked a little more discussion on the election campaigns. Who was the opponent and what were the issues? Why did this man win over the other? This aspect is covered pretty extensively for some presidents but is often non-existent for others.
Recommended for those interested in politics and/or American history, but perhaps a little dry for others. Still I learned a lot of new things that surprised and sometimes amused me about American presidents.
Each president is covered in some detail with descriptions not only of the key historical events of their presidency but more importantly what each was like as a person.
Both their strengths and weaknesses are discussed and the coverage seemed fair.
There is a little baseball-like "trading card" that pops up for each president that summarizes what they were like that grew on me as the series unfolded and marked a clear start of the next president.
There are some decent extras as well to round this offering out.
I was disappointed that only interview actually conducted with a still living president was with Jimmy Carter and I would really would have liked to hear a few words from the others.
The coverage of the early presidents actually seemed better than those of more recent vintage.
Trying to stayed focused and involved as much as possible, I found the pace slow at times but clearly some presidents were more interesting than others so perhaps that is understandable. How much gripping information can be provided about someone like Millard Fillmore?
I also would have liked a little more discussion on the election campaigns. Who was the opponent and what were the issues? Why did this man win over the other? This aspect is covered pretty extensively for some presidents but is often non-existent for others.
Recommended for those interested in politics and/or American history, but perhaps a little dry for others. Still I learned a lot of new things that surprised and sometimes amused me about American presidents.
Great place to start
pericles205 February 2007
As a teacher, I have to say that this series is the perfect set-up for introducing a president to the class. The focused narrative, pictures, and antedotes keep the attention of most students. Of course, they remember that Taft got stuck in the bathtub, and comment that FDR's wife was less than beautiful, but hey, they're high school juniors.
Of course they remember more than the silly stuff. While reading a chapter or an essay about a president, it is remarkable to find out how much they remember from the videos. Wilson the moralistic president, TR the man who built the canal while Congress debated, "Silent Cal," Hoover the engineer, Washington, the man of "firsts," G.W. our beloved cowboy, Reagan the Great Communicator, Naxon and Watergate...the list goes on. A great way to break up a class for 5-10 minutes and give the students a chance to see instead of read.
Of course they remember more than the silly stuff. While reading a chapter or an essay about a president, it is remarkable to find out how much they remember from the videos. Wilson the moralistic president, TR the man who built the canal while Congress debated, "Silent Cal," Hoover the engineer, Washington, the man of "firsts," G.W. our beloved cowboy, Reagan the Great Communicator, Naxon and Watergate...the list goes on. A great way to break up a class for 5-10 minutes and give the students a chance to see instead of read.
Thanks To Shows Like This, History Is Finally Becoming Interesting & Fun!
ccthemovieman-15 November 2008
If only history was this interesting 50 years ago, I might have learned a few more things as a kid. Well, better late than never because TV shows like this will teach you more about history than you learned in years of being half-asleep in school. The subject with this TV "special" was a brief look at all the United States Presidents.
It was broken up into four or five one-hour segments and I found the earlier ones to be the most interesting, probably because I knew a lot more about 20th century Presidents.
For a few examples: The first U.S. President, George Washington, was perhaps the most amazing man who has ever stepped in office and the only one elected unanimously (twice). He was a tough act to follow, especially for a weak leader like John Adams, who was then followed by a stronger man in Thomas Jefferson. Too bad Jefferson hated the job so much he refused to note that he was a President on his gravestone.
The fourth President, James Madison, was the first to actually face enemy fire at the White House and his successor, James Monore was the last of the "Revolutionary generation." His legacy was the "Monroe Doctrine," which he didn't even write. That was written by the next President, John Quincy Adams, who did little except be miserable most of the time. He and the next President, Andrew Jackson, fought the dirtiest Presidential campaign in history, it was said on this TV program.
The program continues on with a lot about the complicated nature of Jackson, and goes on with the rest of the Preisents all the way to George W. Bush. Most of the leaders get 5-10 minutes of air time. I noticed Abraham Lincoln's segment lasted almost a half hour, so not everyone is treated equally. But since it's Abe and my favorite President of them all, I wasn't complaining.
Generally speaking, though, we hear many of the good and bad points of most of the Presidents and much of the stuff, I presume, are facts we didn't know. It's all extremely interesting material and this program is highly recommended. One thing you can't help noticing: many of the negative aspects of politics that are around today have always been there. In that regard, nothing has changed: just the names, faces and scandals.
It was broken up into four or five one-hour segments and I found the earlier ones to be the most interesting, probably because I knew a lot more about 20th century Presidents.
For a few examples: The first U.S. President, George Washington, was perhaps the most amazing man who has ever stepped in office and the only one elected unanimously (twice). He was a tough act to follow, especially for a weak leader like John Adams, who was then followed by a stronger man in Thomas Jefferson. Too bad Jefferson hated the job so much he refused to note that he was a President on his gravestone.
The fourth President, James Madison, was the first to actually face enemy fire at the White House and his successor, James Monore was the last of the "Revolutionary generation." His legacy was the "Monroe Doctrine," which he didn't even write. That was written by the next President, John Quincy Adams, who did little except be miserable most of the time. He and the next President, Andrew Jackson, fought the dirtiest Presidential campaign in history, it was said on this TV program.
The program continues on with a lot about the complicated nature of Jackson, and goes on with the rest of the Preisents all the way to George W. Bush. Most of the leaders get 5-10 minutes of air time. I noticed Abraham Lincoln's segment lasted almost a half hour, so not everyone is treated equally. But since it's Abe and my favorite President of them all, I wasn't complaining.
Generally speaking, though, we hear many of the good and bad points of most of the Presidents and much of the stuff, I presume, are facts we didn't know. It's all extremely interesting material and this program is highly recommended. One thing you can't help noticing: many of the negative aspects of politics that are around today have always been there. In that regard, nothing has changed: just the names, faces and scandals.
Delightful Refresher Course.
rmax30482328 August 2010
This is a kind of "American History For Dummies," now needed more than ever, and supplied in a boxed set by A&E and the History Channel. The pace is fast, the presentation fascinating (even of the duller Chief Executives), and there is a neat addendum on the roles and characters of our First Ladies.
What, I think, will make it more accessible to people who need it most is that it feeds us the history of the United States through the experiences of individuals. I mean, it's not so much about ill-understood social movements like temperance or abolition or tariffs or the gold standard. Understanding such abstract and actually invisible cultural forces takes mental work. But it takes much less effort for us to get inside the head of a single individual and imagine how and why he faced individual challenges. This documentary sets psychology in the context of social history, a thing that's easy to understand but tough to do.
It's likely to perk up even the most jaded consumer of vampire movies. It poses questions, and suggests answers to them, like, "How does a president manage a wife who goes a little mad at times?" Lincoln had that little problem and so did Tyler and some others. (PS: Kids, John Tyler was a president.)
Oh, you can also acquire all kinds of what B. F. Skinner called incidental learning. As I write this, there is a great decrying of certain actual or proposed social programs because the Constitution doesn't mention them. "Take back our Constitution!" Did you know that there is nothing in the Constitution or the Bill of Rights that authorizes the Vice President to succeed to the presidency if the president himself dies? No? How about the fact that the president's Cabinet is nowhere mentioned either? And did you realize that President James Buchanan kept a closet full of ladies' petticoats in the White House and that he knelt down and worshiped them every night? Well, okay, I just made that last part up but Buchanan's gender orientation was questioned and the time and is still being debated.
There are all sorts of nuggets of information that are oddly relevant to today's issues. Many of us want a smaller government. Well, no one wanted smaller government than Thomas Jefferson who might secretly have held a yearning for a confederation of city states like the Greek polis. Once in office, however, like so many other minimalists, he found it wasn't such a workable idea after all and used the federal funding system of his opponent, Hamilton, to make the Louisiana purchase and establish a series of military governorships.
I had to chuckle out loud when the mellifluous voice of the narrator, beginning his descripton of Grover Cleveland, announces that, "It was an era of extremes, when one eigth of the population owned seven eighths of the wealth." I found the "era of extremes" ironic because in 2007, the top tenth of the population owned three quarters of the nation's wealth and it's grown since then, according to Wikipedia. Who could have guessed that we were now living in a new Gilded Age?
It all comes across pretty colorfully, using a handful of bullet points to give the viewer a quick grasp of each man's personality, and at rare moments lapses into a kind of MTV style of editing in which images flash before your eyes at such a tempo that you wonder if you're having a mystic experience. But, mostly, you get brief but cogent histories of the presidents' backgrounds, families, the issues they faced, the way they faced those issues, and the legacies they left behind.
The narrative of the presidents is structured chronologically, beginning with Washington and ending with G. W. Bush, but the lengthy bonus feature on wives is built around themes -- their influence on policy, the renovation and decor of the Executive Mansion, their joy or despair at being the center of attention, the manner in which they handled crises such as assassinations, and the little quirks they exhibited, like dependence on spiritualism or astrology.
Most of us would probably benefit from a review like this. It's suitable for showing in any high school class in American History or, the heck with it, in college classes too.
What, I think, will make it more accessible to people who need it most is that it feeds us the history of the United States through the experiences of individuals. I mean, it's not so much about ill-understood social movements like temperance or abolition or tariffs or the gold standard. Understanding such abstract and actually invisible cultural forces takes mental work. But it takes much less effort for us to get inside the head of a single individual and imagine how and why he faced individual challenges. This documentary sets psychology in the context of social history, a thing that's easy to understand but tough to do.
It's likely to perk up even the most jaded consumer of vampire movies. It poses questions, and suggests answers to them, like, "How does a president manage a wife who goes a little mad at times?" Lincoln had that little problem and so did Tyler and some others. (PS: Kids, John Tyler was a president.)
Oh, you can also acquire all kinds of what B. F. Skinner called incidental learning. As I write this, there is a great decrying of certain actual or proposed social programs because the Constitution doesn't mention them. "Take back our Constitution!" Did you know that there is nothing in the Constitution or the Bill of Rights that authorizes the Vice President to succeed to the presidency if the president himself dies? No? How about the fact that the president's Cabinet is nowhere mentioned either? And did you realize that President James Buchanan kept a closet full of ladies' petticoats in the White House and that he knelt down and worshiped them every night? Well, okay, I just made that last part up but Buchanan's gender orientation was questioned and the time and is still being debated.
There are all sorts of nuggets of information that are oddly relevant to today's issues. Many of us want a smaller government. Well, no one wanted smaller government than Thomas Jefferson who might secretly have held a yearning for a confederation of city states like the Greek polis. Once in office, however, like so many other minimalists, he found it wasn't such a workable idea after all and used the federal funding system of his opponent, Hamilton, to make the Louisiana purchase and establish a series of military governorships.
I had to chuckle out loud when the mellifluous voice of the narrator, beginning his descripton of Grover Cleveland, announces that, "It was an era of extremes, when one eigth of the population owned seven eighths of the wealth." I found the "era of extremes" ironic because in 2007, the top tenth of the population owned three quarters of the nation's wealth and it's grown since then, according to Wikipedia. Who could have guessed that we were now living in a new Gilded Age?
It all comes across pretty colorfully, using a handful of bullet points to give the viewer a quick grasp of each man's personality, and at rare moments lapses into a kind of MTV style of editing in which images flash before your eyes at such a tempo that you wonder if you're having a mystic experience. But, mostly, you get brief but cogent histories of the presidents' backgrounds, families, the issues they faced, the way they faced those issues, and the legacies they left behind.
The narrative of the presidents is structured chronologically, beginning with Washington and ending with G. W. Bush, but the lengthy bonus feature on wives is built around themes -- their influence on policy, the renovation and decor of the Executive Mansion, their joy or despair at being the center of attention, the manner in which they handled crises such as assassinations, and the little quirks they exhibited, like dependence on spiritualism or astrology.
Most of us would probably benefit from a review like this. It's suitable for showing in any high school class in American History or, the heck with it, in college classes too.
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