Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)The Burns family has come up with some fine work, from Baseball, to the Civil War; and now the latest, New York. A fine successor.
Ric Burns explores the early history of New York, starting with the God-created attributes of the region and one of the world's finest natural seaports. But the treasure is found in what man has added to the Apple, starting with the Erie Canal, Central Park, the Brooklyn Bridge and the Subway system. The Bridge's history has itself been the subject of much scholarship, and Burns does it well also. The creation of the skyline, including the Chrysler Building and the Empire State Building are some of the series best moments, filled with some of the fascinating type of information that fans of Burns' documentaries have come to expect and enjoy.
The history of New York is the history of immigrants, and the interaction of Irish, Italians, Africans and other groups is splendidly examined. The politics of the City, such as the rise and demise of Al Smith and Jimmy Walker are well explored also.
My few complaints are minor, and don't detract from the work. F. Scott Fitzgerald seems to have become a demi-god to Burns, and after awhile, I found the continued references to him and his
work tiring. More than a few minutes on the early history of Harlem would have been a welcome replacement.
I purchased the DVD version, although I had the videocassettes. Am I glad I did! It has two additional discs, which try to bring the series up to date. Fiorello LaGuardia and Robert Moses, the two most pivotal figures in the history of the City, are splendidly explored. More examination of the development and contribution of Harlem (which I lamented in the review of the VHS version) is also welcomed. New York's post W.W. II predominance as the true center of the Earth is made plain. As the series progresses, we see the value of the City (any city), the destruction of the great and old in the name of urban renewal, and the slow cancer of suburban sprawl.
Even those not from New York will find it to be a rich, interesting history, worth of the length of time one must devote to its viewing. The rest of the world will understand some of why New Yorkers love their home as they do. Those expatriate New Yorkers will be tugged to head back home. All in all, brilliant, brilliant work.
Click Here to see more reviews about:
New York (5 Episode PBS Boxed Set) (1999)Known round the world as "The Big Apple," the thriving metropolis ofNew York offers everything one could want in a big city - action, arts, nightlife, cultureand so much more. So how did this city turn from a Dutch trading post in 1624 into the thriving global and cultural center? Find out in this unprecedented six-part series! Begin your exploration in the early 1600s when the Dutch arrived to the great state's role in the American Revolution. See how a massive wave of immigrants began the metropolitan melting pot and created new social problems, culminating in Civil War riots. As the city grows, it experiences a new political corruption and a new found wealth with robber barons. As the late 1800s and early 1900s approach, more immigrants arrive, skyscrapers rise from the ground and the subway roars into action. New York becomes a nucleus of cultural activity blazing with glamour and excitement. Get an extraordinary view of the last 70 years from the Depression to the New Deal, economic and population booms to social revolution, rebuilding and resurgence. Through unparalleled archival paintings, portraits, photographs and newsreels and through interviews with celebrated and ordinary citizens, New York paints a brilliant picture of a city's birth. A Ric Burns production.
Get 78% OFF
Click here for more information about New York (5 Episode PBS Boxed Set) (1999)
