Product Details

• Actors: Charles Kuralt, Robert E. Burke, Stephen Christian, John Clyde, Richard Cansino
• Directors: Carol L. Fleisher
• Writers: Carol L. Fleisher, Paula Deats
• Producers: Carol L. Fleisher, Alan Bardsley, Frank Kosa, John B. Ford, Mary Ellen Iwata
• Format: Box set, Color, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 3
• Studio: Discovery Channel
• VHS Release Date: March 17, 1998
• Run Time: 180 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6304882009
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #202,021 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Relive the birth of a nation... It was the world's first revolution--and right 'til the end, the outcome lay in doubt. Now, the birth of America unfolds in this epic narrated by Charles Kuralt. Beautifully filmed and grippingly told, The Revolutionary War recaptures the spirit of '76 through battle reenactments, and the words of the participants. In this stunning production from The Learning Channel, history becomes a rousing drama--and it all begins on an April morning in New England, with a shot heard round the world.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A must purchase for any student of the American Revolution, December 12, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Revolutionary War - The Complete Set [VHS] (VHS Tape)

An excellant effort to portay the events and circumstances surrounding this period of American History. This 3 volume set is on par and I believe equivalent to the PBS Series titled Liberty, which I also own. However, this production appears more focused on the military strategies and ensuing battles. Indeed, most of the historians interviewed for the series contain a sound military knowledge. If you want to study the political environment surrounding the American Revolution, purchase Liberty, if your interest is on the major battles of the war, then purchase The Revolutionary War.

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not the Kuralt version, July 2, 2006

By 

Eric V. - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Revolutionary War 2 Volume Set [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Be warned: This two-hour documentary IS NOT the excellent 6-hour series with the same title that was produced by Carol Fleisher, narrated by Charles Kuralt, and televised by The Learning Channel (TLC). This is a greatly inferior version which is being misidentified as the Kuralt program; I know because I bought it and am now returning it to the seller. It is laughably bad. The TLC Kuralt series is currently unavailable in VHS as of 8/06. As another reviewer here corrected advised, SAVE YOUR MONEY, not to mention your time and trouble, and do not buy this one.

11 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Save your money, September 8, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Revolutionary War 2 Volume Set [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This is just plain bad. Frederick Douglass wasn't born until around 1817, but the camera pans in on his portrait as the narrator talks about African American involvement in the war. We see old Hollywood footage of wild Indians hooting and hollering when the narrator discusses Native American contributions. If that isn't bad enough, the footage keeps rolling when the discussion switches to Jewish Americans in the Revolution. This video - extended play by the way - was conceived in an unfortunately slipshod manner. The grandfatherly sounding narrator's effort may be earnest, but he is obviously an amateur (or at least the awful editing makes him come off as an amateur). All in all, this is just a long encyclopedia article read aloud with lots of stills. If you are looking for a video series on the American Revolution, you should get "Liberty!" It is a far better attempt at rendering a compelling and dynamic description of America's War for Independence.

In response to the criticism above, the narrator is not THE Charles Kurault, but THE Jack Hanrahan (who does sound a lot like Kurault).