The Vietnam War: A Film by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick Ken Burns and Lynn Novick's ten-part, 18-hour documentary series, The Vietnam War, tells the epic story of one of the most consequential, divisive, and controversial events in American history as it has never before been told on film. Visceral and immersive, the series explores the human dimensions of the war through revelatory testimony of nearly 80 witnesses from all sides -- Americans who fought...

Expand on--and even challenge--what you've learned about the Black Death and the medieval period with After the Plague, a 24-lecture course on the impact of the bubonic plague across the continent. With expert Simon Doubleday, professor of history at Hofstra University, explore the trajectory and after-effects of one of the deadliest pandemics in world history.

A TV show about the Middle Ptolemies might be called "Lifestyles of the Rich and Murderous." With few exceptions, the members of this dysfunctional dynasty were violent, debauched, and generally neglectful of the country they ruled. The Egyptians hated them and frequently rebelled, forcing some to flee for their lives. With each Ptolemy, Egypt sank deeper, making a return to greatness impossible.

"America stands at a dramatic crossroads: Massive banks and corporations wield disturbing power. The huge income gap between the 1% and the other 99% grows visibly wider. Astounding new technologies are changing American lives. Conflicts over U.S. military interventionism, the environment, and immigration dominate public debate. Sound familiar? You might be surprised to know that these headlines were ripped, not from today's newspaper, but from...

Up From Slavery is a powerful, compelling and haunting 7-part documentary series that examines the history of slavery in America, from the arrival of the first African slaves through Nat Turner's Rebellion to the Civil War and beyond. In 1860, as the American Experiment threatened to explode into a bloody civil war, there were as many as four hundred thousand slave-owners in the United States, and almost four million slaves. The nation was founded...

"For the past few hundred years, most of what we've been taught about the native cultures of North America came from reports authored by the conquerors and colonizers who destroyed them. Now, with the technological advances of modern archaeology and a new perspective on world history-we are finally able to piece together their compelling true stories. In Ancient Civilizations of North America, Professor Edwin Barnhart, Director of the Maya Exploration...

The Geneva Summit brings Dwight D. Eisenhower together with representatives of Britain, France, and the Soviet Union in an effort to reduce international tensions. Adlai Stevenson makes another presidential bid, covered in this episode of Year by Year.

Panama-Pacific International Exposition: Opening day celebrations / crowds at the entrances / pan of Exposition proper / parades on Market Street and Van Ness Avenue / Tower of Jewels / Fountain of Energy / other buildings / day for night shots / submarines / Fun Zone at night / nighttime illumination of buildings showing use of fog machines and special lights / Uncle Sam's submarines. No audio. (13 minutes)

In this episode—which includes special guest appearances from The League of Gentlemen’s Reece Shearsmith, Mark Gatiss and Steve Pemberton—we meet a surprisingly charming Stuart highwayman, the captain of the Titanic holds the world’s worst safety briefing, famous writer Mary Shelley pitches the movie of her life, and those violent Vikings show their softer side in a song.

In this program the Roman emperor Caesar Augustus reveals the lazy secret of his success; TV’s most excitable reporter, Bob Hale, explains the very, very complex history of World War Two; we meet Georgian England’s most forgetful vicar; and Welsh hero Owain Glyndwr takes on the English in battle.