Product Details

• Format: Black & White, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo)
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Shanachie
• DVD Release Date: November 16, 1999
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• ASIN: B0000214GJ
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #300,492 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The Kennedy family, the great American political dynasty, is examined in considerable detail in this PBS documentary. Hosted by historian David McCullough, the production features a host of experts on the Kennedy clan, including author Doris Kearns Goodwin, the late Speaker of the House Thomas P. "Tip" O'Neill, and historian Theodore Sorenson, as well as a number of family friends and colleagues who served in political campaigns. The story begins with patriarch Joseph P. Kennedy, who suffered discrimination at Harvard and spent the rest of his life getting even with those who had slighted him. After making a fortune on Wall Street and in Hollywood in the boom of the 1920s, Kennedy became active in Roosevelt's New Deal, eventually becoming the U.S. ambassador to Britain. The father's political miscalculations ended his public role, but the seeds were sown for the political careers of his sons. This documentary beautifully tells the story of the rise of the Kennedy family, and the intelligent and balanced interviews and the use of rare film ensure an especially informative and entertaining presentation. This video, first of a two-tape set, progresses to the middle of John F. Kennedy's term as president, an office he attained with the considerable help of his father and other family members. --Robert J. McNamara

Product Description

The Kennedy family, the great American political dynasty, is examined in considerable detail in this PBS documentary. Hosted by historian David McCullough, the production features a host of experts on the Kennedy clan, including author Doris Kearns Goodwin, the late Speaker of the House Thomas P. "Tip" O'Neill, and historian Theodore Sorenson, as well as a number of family friends and colleagues who served in political campaigns. The story begins with patriarch Joseph P. Kennedy, who suffered discrimination at Harvard and spent the rest of his life getting even with those who had slighted him. After making a fortune on Wall Street and in Hollywood in the boom of the 1920s, Kennedy became active in Roosevelt's New Deal, eventually becoming the U.S. ambassador to Britain. The father's political miscalculations ended his public role, but the seeds were sown for the political careers of his sons. This documentary beautifully tells the story of the rise of the Kennedy family, and the intelligent and balanced interviews and the use of rare film ensure an especially informative and entertaining presentation. This video, first of a two-tape set, progresses to the middle of John F. Kennedy's term as president, an office he attained with the considerable help of his father and other family members. "--Robert¬?J. McNamara"

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining and informative, a must see for Kennedy fans., October 7, 1999

By 

kathy Parker ([e-mail]) (Austin, Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The American Experience - The Kennedys, The Early Years 1900-1961 [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I'm not quite sure what I expected, but I was pleasantly surprised to see an honest, direct( without the Jerry Springer drama) documentary on the Kennedy family. It was a well rounded account of family history from Joseph Kennedy's reign to the present day trauma and triumphs.