Customer Reviews

Civil War Minutes - Union DVD Box Set

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Continuing his great series of bringing the Civil War closer to home, Michael Kraus is back with this very informative 2-disc set featuring three hours of material. This set doesn't waste time with boring introduction or biographies on key leaders such as Lee or Jackson which I found very refreshing. Instead, Kraus gets straight to the point on featuring interesting everyday subjects such as fighting knives, musket tools, letters and ammunition. Though these subjects common to the everyday soldier are just a piece of this fine production. Kraus digs deep with rare and often overlooked subject matter such as clothing details, grave markers, Morgan's Raiders, French Leave, housewifes and warhorses. In appreciation and awe, Kraus is always careful in not having his actors in his production wearing 'farb' clothing which definately adds a true flavor to this segment.

I enjoyed viewing the fine close-up views on a track featuring information regarding a Confederate General's coat. Kraus features an actual coat worn by an officer and allows the camera to zoom in on the coat itself to see the fine stitching and elaborate details which could be very helpful for reenactors looking for detail often not seen in books. Kraus brings actual period items to life in this production and the camera views are very crisp which helps define the character of the item and also the individual that may have used them during the war.

I have all of Michael Kraus' material on DVD and was not disappointed in this Confederate based presentation. For those looking for information regarding a battle or popular figures this DVD set is not for you. I found this production completely informative and probably wouldn't recommend it for someone who doesn't have a general knowledge of the war or it's concepts. It may not have the quality of production that would be seen on a history channel but far exceeds anything done on television as it's not vague or bland. I can't wait for the next Kraus production and highly recommend this set! 5 STARS!!!!!

I bought this version as I am a part time lover of Confederate history. I thought that this set being supposedly focused on the Confederate side would be nice since usually the Confederate side gets slighted.

I was annoyed that the commentator for the Confederate DVD set chose a union uniform to wear while presenting this. Ok not that big a deal but unexpected. While this dvd does cover alot of non-mainstream items it always seemed to keep bringing up the union side. Examples... A great deal of time was spent on union soldiers experiences and letters, the "drums of war" centered almost exclusively on union drummers, almost always the Confederate discussion was countered with union betterment. (One exception that comes to mind was the knife discussio)etc .etc..

It also seemed that most Confederate viewpoints and discussions were centered on the low points or lost battles.

So.. I will leave it at that and move on. Lets simply say it was not what I expected (whether that was my fault for expecting to much or not). There are good

This DVD is a perfect addition for anyone that is learning about the Civil War in general. Michael Kraus is very informative and his forward approach to presenting the details of soldier life, personal letters and lifestyle is a welcomed sight. His concise details are backed by many true stories. Important items to the everyday soldier such as a canteens, muskets and clothing are presented with historical facts and are often linked to an individual that actually used them.

This DVD set is perfect for those new at learning or trying to get a rounded view of soldier life and general information regarding the war. For the experienced reenactor or historian it may be too general. Though I would have to admit that even a historian can learn about a particular soldier from a letter or get new insight from the material.

The presentation or filming is sometimes lacking in quality as lighting and sound quality isn't the best at times. The sounds effects are interesting though sometimes overdone. Sometimes the effects overshadow the narration and make it harder to hear. I do have to give credit to the music used as it captured the era and was presented well.

If you are looking for a new and unique view of the Civil War, this is it. The way Civil War Minutes focuses on many different soldier accounts and artifacts is as educational as it is entertaining. What appealed to me most were the soldier's letters. They gave views of the war that I have never seen or heard before.

Michael Kraus, who stars in the series, really knows his stuff. From the way he spoke of the Civil War artifacts in the series, you know he is more than an actor hired to narrate a documentary.

If you want a Civil War box set that is more than just battles, give this DVD series a try. You won't be disappointed.

Finally, in this day of PC pablum, someone tells the REAL history of the Confederate soldier! You'll learn little-known facts about the major players, including General Lee of course, but more importantly, this set focuses heavily on the average man in the ranks and why he chose to fight. Daily camp life gets attention as well as what the soldier wore and what equipment he used. The real reasons and motivations for fighting are explored and what life was like after the war when men had to go home in defeat to often-devastated homes. Highly recommend! It's a must for serious students of the war and anyone who wants an authentic look at the period.

Ken Burns gave us the "Civil War" series. Though some photo sequences did not accurately represent the story properly, it did provided us with a good overview of the events that transpired between the years 1859 through 1865. Ted Turner gave the movie "Gettysburg", which brought the large scale battle arena to the big screen. The History Channel gave us "Civil War Journal", giving good detail to individuals, regiments, and the battles fought.

Now Inecom Entertainment has produced the next level of presenting the historical fine details of the Civil War. The accoutrements of the individual foot soldier, the letters they wrote home about the hardships they endured during the war, many interesting artifacts of Civil War period, and a host of other details that are never included in the big productions. This four volume video series does more to fill in the gaps than anything else I know of.

As a reenactor with the 123rd NYV, I have a special appreciation for this, the down and dirty as I like to call it. Michael Kraus, also a living historian and reenactor, presents this material in a way that gives life to what is normally just museum artifacts. I would recommend to everyone who wants that next level of understanding of that great conflict that shaped our nation to view this series.

Based on the title and editorial provided, I thought this compilation was about the Southern Confederacy, it was not what I expected. Ripper is exactly correct, the oration is conducted by a man wearing a Union uniform. He does not speak as a Southerner would. The main topics are for the most part about Union stories told from a Union perspective, and they contain much more detailed Union factual accounts. Southern factual accounts are side-notes in this compilation. For example, General Lee's and General Jackson's horses are mentioned in one Section titled "War Horses", while many Union officers and their horses are depicted gallantly and in revere.

I would hope this was not intentional patronization to aid the sale of a good general civil war history 'Album' titled "...Confederate Minutes." As Southerners, we are interested in our specific history, marketers know this and it is good marketing, however marketing is not always sincere and genuine. The Battle Flag depicted in glory should have been a clue, I don't see the Flag of the Confederacy. This piece would be more aptly titled "Civil War Minutes" or even "Union Minutes." The title is true in the literal sense that this compilation really does have only "Minutes" about the Southern Confederacy, this is not a compilation of Confederate minutes.

Watching this DVD series was a huge disappointment. I walked into it expecting everything the packaging had promised, and left with a bitter feeling like I [wasted my money.] There are some good aspects of this series, but unfortunately, it's buried under hours of amateur quality video, and cheesy sound effects.

The host seems to be extremely knowledgeable, and some of the things he brings up are very interesting, but little of it is worth the price you must pay to view it.

The biggest disappointment wasn't the host, but instead, the production value of the video. I can't comprehend anyone actually releasing, and selling video of this quality. The sound was equally as disappointing. It seemed to be hours of splats, screams, and other "B" movie effects. Sometimes the amateurish sound effects actually obscure what the host is saying.

There were some good points in this series and it wasn't a total waste, but overall, it could be much, much better. The first time I watched it, I couldn't get through the first 15 minutes. For me, there was just too much garbage to wade through in order to get to the good stuff.

Next time i will read the product discription carefully this is not what i expected.I'm really not worried about what kind of material the flags were made out of or what the canteens were made of.I thought this would be about the battles they fought what they did right or wrong or what they could have changed during the battle, not about how many chickens were stolen.I would have been very upset if i paied [.35.99..] for this but at 4.99 plus shipping well i did learn a few things.Make sure you get the lowest price before buying.

The concept behind the Civil War Minutes video series is a great one; take little known facts about the Civil War and have an expert explain them in short segments. Each segment would be able to stand alone, but the DVD could be watched in a single sitting if the viewer wanted to. With a noted historian like Michael Kraus providing the stories and acting as the face of the series it should be a no-brianer.

It's safe to say that the best laid plans of mice, men and documentary producers often go awry. These two discs, one about the Union and one about the Confederacy, reminded me of the educational films that we used to get in junior high school when the teacher wasn't prepared for class. The production values on the DVDs is not much better than you could do at home with a high end digital recorder. There are many times when Michael Kraus nearly washes out of the video and the picture he's superimposed over dominates the scene. Plus, the producers thought that putting Kraus in military uniform would somehow make him look more like an authority. Instead it made him look uncomfortable.

The highlight of this set is Michael Kraus. He clearly is an expert on the Civil War and has a deep passion about that time in history. I found almost every segment to be informative and interesting to listen to. Kraus must have know how bad this series was destined to be because he worked hard to make what he was doing stand out.

I have to recommend that you take a pass on the Civil War Minutes. The information is good, but the production values make it difficult to watch.