Customer Reviews

Civil War Combat: America's Bloodiest Battles

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The premise with this History Channel series is to tell specific battle history while showing (through re-enactment) what the engagements really looked like...and this DVD set hits the ball right out of the park! Watching the battles at Antietam, Gettysburg, Shiloh and (my favorite) Cold Harbor on the actual battlefield is phenominal...it really adds so much to the narration that you actually get the "feel" of being right in the middle of the conflict. Each battle covers sufficient detail that the story of the "everyday" soldier gets told along with much "new" information that makes this DVD unique (for example...on the Fredricksburg episode, the little known story of the Confederate private who risks life and limb by going onto the battlefield to help the injured is a featured part of the story but these are details that I couldn't find in books from Foote, Catton or the excellent volume on Fredricksburg by George Rable). The narration also includes "expert" analysis from noted historians and authors (Gordon Rhea in the trenches at Cold Harbor...) that add additional perspective to the storyline. The battle stories are about 1 hour long and each stands on it's own so that you can stop at reasonable intervals without missing anything. Overall this is essential Civil War viewing for the historian but still presents itself well enough for the general viewer so that all viewers should get great enjoyment from watching...highest recommendation!

This series of four documentaries are different from most Civil War films in that they highlight specific points of four battles, whereas most documentaries are content simply to provide an overview of the battle itself. Because of this, each episode contains many little-known facts about the battles of Antietam, Cold Harbor, Shiloh, and Gettysburg. And, at an hour long (more or less), they are not excessively long.

The highlights from each of the battles are interesting, but probably only so for someone interested in the war. Watching an hour-long reenactment of the wheat field at Gettysburg is probably meaningless without at least some appreciation of what was happening at the other parts of the battle. Anyone who studies the Civil War closely will appreciate these little-known facts, but casual viewers may find it a bit much.

In addition to its narrow scope, these four documentaries are riddled with errors that should have been obvious to the folks at the History Channel. For example, saying General Grant was in charge of the Union Army at Gettysburg is just plain false, as any amateur historian should know. These erroes detract much from the reliability of the accounts.

Despite these two setbacks, this is a noteworthy documentary, worth your time at least to check it out.

The Civil War Combat DVD set is probably by far the best reeanactment/documentary on four different battles that raged throughout 1861 to 1864. The historical accuracy and care to details given captures the importance of such warfare that took place at Shiloh, Antietam, Gettysburg (Wheatfield) and Cold Harbor. There isn't anything closer to the real action as reeanactors are used for the production and isn't shy on showing blood. This 2-DVD production isn't a Gettysburg that shows clean fighting or lacks the details commonly found in movie productions. Crank up the surround sound while viewing these great reeactments as bullets whiz by often and place the viewer right on the field. Soldier accounts of the action is backed by narratives which enhance this great production. The History Channel that has put this set together has definately contributed to telling the tales of four battles which had strong impacts on the war. It can't be told any better! This 2-DVD set is a must have for anyone interested in the Civil War. Nothing like this has ever been done to accurately portray such actions before. It's certainly worth every penny!

The blood is a little fake and the actors are certainly not professional, but their portrayal of these great battles is still a gripping tale with plenty of action. They bring to life many of officers and men who fought in the campaigns and you will find yourself getting wrapped up in their suffering and dying. Although they focus mainly on certain aspects of each battle and not the full scope of the conflict, the stories are good and well worth watching. I highly recommend the set to anyone interested in the history of our Civil War.

"Civil War Combat" is an excellent and absorbing production from the HISTORY CHANNEL. This DVD focuses on 4 engagements: Shiloh, Antietam, Gettysburg and Cold Harbor. Reenactors provide the images while historians and rangers from the National Park Service describe the men and the events from the overall strategies down to personal accounts of the average soldier. I believe that all the photography is actually shot at the National Military Park locations. The photography is really beautiful. This is no cheap production. If you like the way the HISTORY CHANNEL produces their shows you should really like this set. I enjoyed the Cold Harbor segment the best. It was really interesting and informative.

For me, reading the cold history has never been enough. I've always wanted to "feel" what it must have been like to take part in these tragic and defining moments in American history. CIVIL WAR COMBAT does that with brutal realism and dramatic characters. These aren't just documentaries, they're glimpses into the very heart of the men who fought these bloody battles. Great entertainment! A must-see! Grade: A+

I have not actually purchased this DVD, but I watched every episode of "Civil War Combat" when The History Channel was airing them for the first time several years back.

Each episode of "Civil War Combat" focuses on a particular story within the larger framework of some of the war's major battles. For example, there are episodes centering on The Wheat Field (Gettysburg), The Sunken Road (Antietam), The Hornet's Nest (Shiloh), and the futile Union charges at Cold Harbor. Going even deeper, each scenario centers on a particular unit or brigade (both Union and Confederate) - with particular attention to a key colonel, or Brigade commander, or a Private soldier - that fought in these particular areas of the battlefields. By doing this, the viewer is placed in the shoes of the rank and file and is given a pretty good sense of the desperate figting that ocurred and what these men were experiencing.

The one "negative" I have to mention regarding these presentations is that the producers clearly could not amass the necessary body count of reenactors to accurately portray the numbers of troops involved. For example, in The Gettyburg "Wheat Field" episode, you see a small platoon of Union troops advancing across the field, where they were depicting an entire regiment or brigade. Fighting would be over in a few seconds with such a paltry command taking part in such an attack. So, even though these productions are excellent, the number of troops represented is far from accurate... almost ludicrous.

I have not heard of or seen any new episodes of Civil War Combat in a long while. I'd like to see more episodes in the future. Some scenarios I can think of that I wish were covered originally in the series would be "Gettysburg - McPherson's Ridge" focusing on the Union 1st Corps' (with particular focus on The Iron Brigade) defense of the ridge on July 1st. Also, "Antietam - The Cornfield" focusing on - again - either the Iron Brigade's clash with the 1st Texas, or one of the other many regiments that took control and/or lost control of that sector of the battlefield.

Definitely worth adding to your Civil War DVD collection - whether you're an old Civil War "buff", or a fledgling "buff". I may have to buy these myself real soon.

Was surprised by the realistic violence of this series. That really make them stand out from other documentaries that use re-enactors.

Cold Harbor and the Wheatfield are the best segments. The maps were very good in helping you keep track of the battle action. Also, these two segments had the best human interest stories.

The Antietam segment was ok; looked like it was 20 men fighting in a city park. The fighting just did not have the impact of the Cold Harbor or Wheatfield segments.

Shiloh segment was really lacking in maps. I have toured the battlefield, and still had trouble following what was going on. For someone with no knowledge of the battle, this segment will be confusing. Also, the main human interest story kind of overpowers the battle story.

Good addition to your Civil War media library.

Having had a chance to visit several Civil War battlefields on a trip east (Gettysburg, Antietam, and Manassas) and take the tours, that sparked an interest in learning more about the history, and I started watching this series and bought a couple of standard books on the subject. As a newcomer to detailed Civil War history, the series was fine as an introduction. More informed reviewers would probably find it too basic, but then I'm a beginner. The re-enactments are dramatic and very realistic in recreating the most important events of these battles, sometimes using what appears to be thousands of participants, dozens of canons, and in some cases men are thrown into the air from explosions nearby, doing somersaults and what not, making me wonder if some of the re-enactors had stunt man abilities. I found these recreations of several of the most important battles very informative and enjoyable to watch, I just wish there was a set where you could get all of the battles. I've seen at least 14 battles on the History Channel, but for some reason only a few of these are included in these sets. That's the reason for the four instead of five stars. Overall a fine series, especially for the neophyte who wants to get his feet wet.

Four of the most costly battles of the Civil War are analyzed by historians and recreated by Civil War reenactors. Because I don't have a particular interest in this period of our history, I really didn't expect much from this series; I thought it would be little more than a dry, bare bones production for basic cable. While it certainly can't match Ken Burns's classic documentary, it did hold my interest. This is a thoughtful effort that spends as much time on personal narratives that show what the battle must have been like from the perspective of the foot soldier as it does on more abstract points of tactics and strategy. The reenactors do a fine job, as does the production crew, resulting in a thoroughly engrossing program.