Product Details

• Actors: Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain
• Format: Closed-captioned, Full length, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Tapeworm
• VHS Release Date: September 1, 1999
• Run Time: 60 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• ASIN: 0966165365
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #189,086 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Chamberlain's 20th Maine defends Little Round Top, July 2nd, April 1, 2003

By 

Lawrance M. Bernabo (The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Chamberlain at Gettsyburg [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I would not say that in the wake of the Ken Burns PBS mini-series on "The Civil War" and the movie "Gettysburg" that Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain remains a part of "The Unknown Civil War." However, this 60-minute documentary of "Chamberlain at Gettysburg" is part of the Heroes of Gettysburg series and details the pivotal role of the 20th Maine Volunteer Infantry on Little Round Top on July 2, 1863. The story of that defense, which earned Chamberlain the Congressional Medal of Honor, is well known to students of the Civil War, but it is still nice to hear the story once again.

This documentary provides the fascinating story of Chamberlains military career both before and after the battle, but the focus is on the circumstances that put the once and future Bowdoin College professor in command of the extreme left flank of the Union defensive position on the second day of the Battle of Gettysburg. Using the traditional combination of historic photographs, contemporary film, battle maps, and talking heads, this documentary walks us through the fateful engagement. The bottom line is that I enjoyed this documentary even though I already knew pretty much the entire story.

Other videos in this six-part sub-series look at the role of Union cavalry commander John Buford and the death of Jenny Wade, the one civilian killed during the battle by a stray bullet. There is also a four-volume series of tapes on the Battle of Gettysburg that is probably the most comprehensive documentary on the pivotal battle produced to date.