Generals of the Army of the Potomac (Library of Congress Photo)
A video masterpiece detailing one of this country’s most troubling periods celebrates its 25th anniversary with an updating and rerelease. “Ken Burns: The Civil War 25th Anniversary Edition” arrived last week on six DVDs with all of the many period photos enhanced with today’s improved digital editing. The new release includes two hours of additional material beyond the original Emmy Award-winning program, which aired on PBS Sept. 23-27 in 1990. Some 40 million viewers tuned in. Over the years, Burns has tackled many sweeping topics (baseball, jazz, Prohibition, cancer), but this documentary about the Civil War and the people who fought it remains among his best. Rated G. $59.19 on DVD or $86.62 on Blu-ray.
