America at War Megaset: DVD Review (2008)

From A&E and the History Channel, a well done, 14-disc collection that explores our nation's war efforts, beginning with the American Revolution and the Alamo and following straight through to our conflicts in the Persian Gulf and our current war in Iraq.

Newsreel and archival footage add weight and interest to the already substantial commentary provided by experts in the field, and especially by those who lived through some of the more current events themselves.

As with any undertaking this massive, there are sticking points.

While the Vietnam, Korean and WWI coverage seem unusually truncated by being limited to only one disc each, the American Revolution warrants three discs, while the World War II is explored on only two discs.

Finally, while the quality of the set doesn't rise to the level of a documentary by, say, Ken Burns, it does an admirable job offering enough insightful angles to allow for one solid, engrossing overview.

Grade: B+