View single post by pamc153PA
 Posted: Fri Jan 16th, 2009 11:36 pm
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pamc153PA
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Joined: Sat Jun 14th, 2008
Location: Boyertown, Pennsylvania USA
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Mana: 
 It's funny, Duke, that you say you put the DVDs on as background noise--I do the same thing! I saw the series on PBS when it first aired, and bits and pieces of it when it was aired afterwards, and eventually I got the DVDs as a Christmas present. I have used the series in my classroom for different reasons: for my Civil War club, as a good background (tho not the entire series!) and as a take-off for study of specific battles, and in my regular classes as great short examples of biography--the Grant and Lee snippets are great for how to use both quotes, and how to use unique aspects of the person's life to create interesting biography.

There are many little inaccuracies in it, but it's enough for me to know the real facts and still enjoy it. There are worse mistakes in other documentaries and movies (Gettysburg, anyone?). The sound of Shelby Foote's voice is so smooth and cool, and he spins a tale so well. And of course, there's Ed Bearrs--my kids get such a kick out of him, his voice and his mannerisms--but I'd give my right arm to be able to tour a battlefield with him just once! (I sort of did, at Gettysburg a couple years ago. My husband and son and I were hiking around the Rose Woods in July, and from across the Wheatfield came a group in the direction of the woods. However, I could hear Ed way before that, and I kept following the group around discreetly as long as I could, just to listen to him.)

Pam