In what little I’ve seen so far (my DVR is getting full), one thing that stands out to me is that Burns has dropped one of the elements of his winning formula: there are no on-screen historians to give context to the personal stories. There is no Shelby Foote.

I love the personal stories, but, even with her Democratic bias, I would really love to see more Doris Kearns Goodwin.

Of course, I’ve only seen one episode, so that might have changed.

I posted after the first episode. I find it riveting in its own ways, although different from the Burns documentaries of the past. Although Burn’s method of selecting four towns isn’t carried throughout, the idea seems to add a personal view that couldn’t exist in the Civil War series since all the participants were long gone. However, if the four towns motif were fully carried out, we would have missed some of the stoies that add richness, such as Sen. Inouye. What is remarkable is seeing and getting an understanding of the kinds of things my father-in-law told us he lived through.

I loved it a few months ago on The Daily Show when Jon Stewart had gotten into a debate with some Bush administration official about whether Lincoln had welcomed those with opposing views into his cabinet and whether that was a healthy thing for government. On the next day’s show, Stewart had a Bat-phone type hotline on his desk to contact Doris Kearns Goodwin, which was where he had gotten the information about Lincoln in the first place. I guess it’s better seen than described, but it was funny the way Stewart got her on the phone to comment.

Jim,
I’m just guessing (I haven’t seen the episode with him in it) but was Inouye providing context for an issue raised by the 4-towns format? And what I find interesting is that you are hearing history that is often hard–due to time constraints or mum-ness/modesty, to extract from people who experienced the War.

Slartibartfast,
That’s true, I hadn’t noticed that until you said it, though perhaps Burns is being less direct in making his points–FUBAR, for example, permeated the stories communicated last night but we didn’t have an expert draw the “obvious” conclusions. Maybe it is a function of jim’s observation that Burns has more first-person mat’l to work with. Headin’ over to jim’s site to read his post right now . . .

I loved it a few months ago on The Daily Show when Jon Stewart had gotten into a debate with some Bush administration official about whether Lincoln had welcomed those with opposing views into his cabinet and whether that was a healthy thing for government.

IIRC, it was Wilfo… er, John “I Am The Walrus” Bolton (who, although not currently serving in the administration, still gets a frightening amount of airtime on the liberal media).
.

Which raises an interesting point, John. Shelby Foote isn’t perceived as having a partisan dog in the fight (nor is the Civil War viewed so much as a “fight”). Goodwin and WWII (esp. in light of current debates about legitimacy of war) on the other hand . . .

Jim’s post–War is Hell, is interesting . . . war is indeed hell.

And it is interesting to contemplate how agonizing stories like those relayed in the movies affect a country’s need to steel the resolve of those who will fight when war is indeed necessary.

But the obvious benefit of hearing (unglamorized) war stories is it provides the sober context necessary for choosing to put your country’s soldiers in harm’s way.

Jim,
I’m just guessing (I haven’t seen the episode with him in it) but was Inouye providing context for an issue raised by the 4-towns format? And what I find interesting is that you are hearing history that is often hard–due to time constraints or mum-ness/modesty, to extract from people who experienced the War.

Inouye was a young Red Cross volunteer in Honolulu during Pearl Harbor and later was in the 442nd Infantry. He was talking about his personal memories of the time.

For us, being able to connect the images we see on the South Pacific with what little my father-in-law has been able to tell us about his service there. We have no idea what they went through.

I do have a question, though. We recorded the FUBAR episode, and before I watch it with my kids, I’m wondering how they handled the ‘F’ part of the acronymn.

Well, somehow I lost part of that comment. My father-in-law tells of Japanese forcing civilians (women, children, old men) ahead of them during banzai charges, with the hope that the American soldiers would hold their fire and be overrun.

It was a great show. I actually watched it twice.

How many of you caught the first time through when the censors forgot to bleep the phrase “Fucked Up Beyond Any Recognition” (FUBAR) - I almost dropped my fork when it came over the air in prime time.

Slartibartfast,
They only define the terms FUBAR and SNAFU–and use the terms F***ed, once, at the beginning when they’re framing the episode.

I’m not sure that the censors missed anything, though. Did it get censored out of the program the second time you saw it, William?

As an aside, there is a kind of funny part toward the end where one of the guys (from Mobile, I think) says that it was difficult to change your language when you returned from the war because you use one or two words in place of all adjectives . . . and he said his deceased wife would reach down and knock him in the head if he said them on tv.

I’m with William. I enjoyed it, especially the writing of Eugene Sledge’s diary from the war.
I’ve seen three of the shows, I think it’s interesting concentrating on four communities in the nation.
I’m enjoying it for one reason: It reminds me of my grandfather who never talked much about his time in the Pacific, but when he did, it really gave me a sense of pride because it was part of his life. He was a Marine and he lived, but didn’t always tell the tale.
Makes me miss him a lot, and he’s been gone nearly 25 years.

I enjoyed it, especially the writing of Eugene Sledge’s diary from the war.

Yes, I suspected that his perspective would resonate with a number of folks here at MCB . . . I didn’t agree with some of his conclusions, but he was very expressive. Didn’t they say that his journals were made into a memoir? Would be good to read, I think.

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