America: The Story of the US (2010) User Reviews (35)

Visually stunning, entertaining

[randomStuff101 · 8/10 · 14 July 2018]

I've noticed a few negative reviews criticising the historical aspects, the omission of this or that history, the use of actors and so on. Even if some of those criticisms are valid, this series does what no other historical presentation has ever done.... and that is combine action packed theatrics with a glossy historical journey.

I'm from Australia, so am not as well versed in American history as Americans would be. I found this series fascinating, and richly detailed. The pace it moves is quite funny for a documentary. It is always on the go, music, drama, effects, re-enactments, factoids, scenic landscapes, and more.

I completely understand that this series doesn't cover all the history some people wanted it to. I know that American history runs deep, and this presentation is more of a surface rendering. I completely forgive it for this, because the result is still fascinating and there's much to discover.

Cliff notes version of American history with too much re-enactment repetition

[Techmama68 · 7/10 · 10 September 2019]

This is a Cliff notes version of American history. Initially visually engaging, as it moves into the second disc, they keep reusing their favorite re-enactments of Civil and Revolutionary war and many other CGI effects that they were obviously very proud of. The repetition started to really drive me nuts. I did enjoy seeing actual footage of things when they got into the 1930s, but then they kept inserting the reenactment footage, and it was maddening.

Great Details, Lacking in Some

[bhart22 · 8/10 · 18 July 2010]

My 14-year-old son, wife, and I watched the entire series. My son, after a less-than-interesting year of American history in school, was not only interested, but excited about watching every new episode. There were a great many details about American history which are often glazed over in textbooks. I would not call this series an overview of American history, nor do I think it really attempts to become that...rather, it does a fine job of pinpointing some rather important, lesser-known events that greatly affected the direction of our country.

The computer animations, at times, were poor...though I've seen blockbuster movies pushing the limits and doing little better. The side conversations and interviews with modern celebrities were interesting...at times very relevant...they were always brief, however, so even when some seemed a bit pointless, they were not really all that intrusive.

If you have the chance to view this series in its entirety, and you are not an American history expert, I am certain you will learn a great deal in every episode. This series cannot be expected to be a standalone summary of American history, but it really is a great supplement to what you might already know and does a good job of actually avoiding hitting those topics which are usually taught in excruciation detail in a class setting (eg. Civil War battles).

Update 1 year later: My son is completely interested in history class, and the topic of history, in general. He is not considering any career in the field, but thoroughly enjoys discussing detailed points of the topic with peers and adults. I fully attribute the spark of his interest in this topic to this mini-series.

Excellent

[aristim-393-835282 · 9/10 · 9 June 2012]

I can't believe all the bad reviews. I think they were all written by history professors or buffs, which are most definitely not the target audience.

Someone said this was "for the sesame street generation". Well count me in! I enjoyed the CGI, the appearances by singers and other figures, the fast pace. I'm not going to split hairs because they mispronounced an Indian name.

This is a great history lesson for the 90% of us who would never watch a history lesson. It was a great, light, fun to watch story that reminded me of all the things I had forgotten in the decades since I took history in school.

If you don't like documentaries, but want to feel good about America, to be reminded how far we've come, how we struggled and how we still made it, what is in our blood that makes us unique, watch this show.

Good Preview to the American Revolution

[yoanag · 7/10 · 29 December 2013]

As a teacher, I am using the first two episodes to help fifth grade students understand and appreciate the challenges of the American Revolution. I will admit I have not watched beyond these episodes, but feel that at least the first two give an abbreviated but accurate window about the challenges of the American Revolution. I would have liked to see more about the French and Indian Wars, as well as the Stamp Act and Intolerable Acts, but there are few videos available that open the many topics of interest about the American Revolution without being COMPLETELY boring. This video, in my opinion, will interest students to research beyond what they have seen on screen. Sadly, the youth of today need a video to motivate them to learn more, so I feel this video series does a nice job of making the American Revolution interesting and accessible to young people.

OK, at first.

[midnightangel0921 · 10/10 · 25 July 2010]

I admit they skipped a lot of the main events in American History, like the Lincoln Assassination and the Kennedy Assassination. Although one thing that this show did have, was they mentioned some stuff that really isn't in the history books, and stuff that some people don't know about, like skyscraper construction, the Hoover Dam, the Statue of Liberty construction, and Mount Rushmore, so in a way it was good, because it had important parts of American History that aren't really mentioned as much. I liked some of the commentators because you actually know who they are, although I think some of them are just there for publicity, like Meryl Streep, Rick Harrison, and Michael Douglas, because they're either popular actors or on popular shows. But some made sense like Donald Trump talking about tobacco farms in the 1600s in Virginia, and Rudolph Giuliani and Michael Bloomberg talking about New York history. Although my favorite commentators were Tom Brokaw and Brian Williams. The ending felt rushed though, like they just wanted to get it done and over with.

Great series

[borck_m · 6/10 · 29 May 2018]

I've watched this series once and currently watching it again, but just curious why some wars and some things were left out that were part of our history.

America: The Story of Us

[robfollower · 8/10 · 3 November 2019]

If you happened to fall asleep during any of your grade school history classes, then you might actually learn something from watching The History Channel's America: The Story of US. Otherwise, there's not much new to be gleaned from this series, which plays it pretty close to the script. It's a "pop history" of the United States, from the Jamestown colony all the way through to the new millennium, bolstered by CGI effects that allow viewers to stare straight down the barrel of a revolutionary war musket, witness firsthand the building of the Hoover Dam, or glimpse a time when thirty-million bison roamed the great plains. Through twelve episodes across three discs, most of the familiar areas, objects and people of US history are touched upon: The Revolutionary War, The Civil War, slavery, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Carnegie, Henry Ford, Pearl Harbor, Native Americans, pilgrims - it's all here; well, almost. Somehow the series manages to skip over US involvement in an entire war, World War I. It's a glaring oversight in an otherwise thorough if typical series.

Familiar pundits and celebrities are called upon throughout the series to offer their knowledge and opinions on the various subjects pertaining to US history, including Tom Brokaw, Michael Douglas, Colin Powell, Bill Maher, Sheryl Crow, Newt Gingrich and the Reverend Al Sharpton, among others. Actor Liev Schreiber handles the narration duties well, with an engaging and steady voice that draws the viewer into even the most familiar of subjects.

Good Introduction to American History & Superb Production Values

[lavatch · 7/10 · 26 July 2018]

The shortcomings of this well-produced, twelve-part series lie primarily in the selection of commentators. It was not clear why celebrities were selected over scholars, but the choice came back to bite the filmmakers. Martha Stewart, Brian Williams, Tom Brokaw, and David Petraeus have all had their careers besmirched since the series was released. The main point is that they did not provide stellar insights into U.S. history. And neither did Michael Douglas or Meryl Streep!

The major strength of the episodes were the dynamic use of computer graphic images. Such technological achievements as the building of the Erie Canal, skyscrapers like New York's Flatiron Building, and the construction of Hoover Dam were brilliantly recreated.

The best programs were those of the early history of the nation, leading up to the Civil War. But after 1860s, the events were telescoped into superficial capsules. A glaring omission was the progressive movement in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The closing segments focused far too much on scientific and cultural history (suburbia, computer revolution, NASA) at the expense of social and political events.

For viewers who enjoyed these programs, there is a beautifully written book by Kevin Brown that is a companion to the series. The twelve-chapter book dovetails closely with the episodes and offers more detailed coverage of the topics.

This series is briskly paced and dynamically narrated by Liev Schreiber. While it may be slanted in the area of "feel good" propaganda, it nonetheless covers the basics of American history. One of the most interesting touches was the occasional commentary from Donald J. Trump, which was delivered at a time when he did not have presidential aspirations. One of his most interesting points was that to succeed in America takes not merely perseverance, but also brains-an assertion that is borne out in the coverage of the great entrepreneurs covered in the series.

Wow... simply terrible

[hanjinax · 2/10 · 17 May 2010]

I teach history for a living, so I wanted to watch America: The story of us to see if it would be a classroom resource worth buying. I watched 5 hours in and I simply couldn't take it anymore. The people they signed up to comment on history are simply bizarre... Sheryl Crow? P Diddy? Michael Douglas? Just because you played the President in a movie doesn't mean you're qualified to tell us about history. It looks like they spent a lot of money on CGI but chose the strangest things to produce graphics of. If you like to see graphics of hulls cutting through water, this is your show. I realize they have limited time and it's hard to get everything in there but they spent 50 minutes on the seminal moment in United States history (the Civil War) and 20 of those minutes were on embalming, photography and battlefield medicine. Ulysses S. Grant was mentioned 1 time in an advertisement, zero times during the show. Poor segues, little cohesion and little real history here.

You Guys Don't Know How to Review !!!!

[SantaClause · 8/10 · 3 February 2012]

One person here doesn't like the show because he/she disagrees with the politics of some of the people narrating.

A few others don't like it because things are left out.

Some don't like the way things were interpreted.

The goal of the show is to keep it exciting and give a brief overview of what what happened. Of course there's going to be a lot left out. Of course there's a lot to be left to interpretation.

It's not a perfect show, but it does give a glimpse of events by adding dramatization. Lots of things have to be left out for a show like this.

Overall, 8/10.

I heard once that the most successful people in the US got C average grades, so a 7 here might be fitting!

[scarletminded · 7/10 · 3 June 2010]

I can agree with other reviews that the narrator not pronouncing Antietam right is annoying. And the narrator is listed as Liev Schreiber, but it doesn't sound like Liev Schreiber to me, since I've since a lot of his films, but I guess it is. It's odd his voice doesn't sound like I am used to hearing it. Was it altered in some way?

But other things people don't like, like comparing textile machine technology to computers was actually shown to me at our local (not defunct) computer museum. I saw a large chip that was actually handwoven. So that I don't mind, because it does come from a factual source.

The graphics can get too CSI or Sci-Fi Channel at times, but are OK. They can be a bit violent, as to make people with children a bit uneasy in viewing them, since they are intense. One of my other complains was that the interview parts seemed to only copy VH1 style shows, where people comment without it meaning anything deep. Like you could take Brian Williams' comments about America being full of integrity and hard work and apply it to any of the stories here. I mean, fine, have college professors and history authors talk about this, why why Sheryl Crow and Donald Trump? Their comments seem out of place a lot of the time, like they were recorded for another show and lopped into this one.

But besides all that, I think it is an OK show. OK, being C average. I heard that in America, the most successful people got Cs in school...so it's probably fitting. Not horrible, but not outstanding. Just Joe Average. 70%.

If one person gets at least a vague US history time line from this show, someone who normally doesn't watch the History Channel...I feel then the show has done its job. If the CSI graphics draw a younger crowd, like people who liked the movie 300, then good. They probably learned something. And yes, maybe it does make some historical items seem more important than they should or jumps to an assumption here and there, but it's decent to watch and entertaining as a whole. I know so many people who know nothing about American History. Nothing. So if they leave at least knowing when the Civil War occurred, it's a great boon.

One part of the show that I did enjoy was that it isn't all "We're #1!!!" like other American history shows are. The show points out how women, blacks and Native Americans were all treated like they had no rights or less than human. It shows how we basically got here and took over, fighting nature...which we probably should have done with such zest. It isn't sugarcoating anything. The stories presented in little vignettes containing a character or two, is a refreshing change from history shows that bombard the viewer with tons of information. I tend to retain more information from the vignette style, because it is more personal. It is more like hearing stories around the campfire. I am not a fact checker by any means either, but if something doesn't sound right to me, I would be compelled to look it up, which I haven't yet. I did like learning about people like Baron von Steuben, which though accused of being a homosexual, was still adopted into George Washington's army. I wonder if George Washington had a "don't ask, don't tell" policy. :) But to me, that proves the greatness of America, that the Revolutionary Army accepted all types of people, that in time, we can rise past the sexist, racist and homophobic parts of our society and make this country a true melting pot, where people can live freely and have true liberty in their life's decisions.

Some of the graphics were OK too, I liked when the buildings built themselves. And some of the war graphics. I mean, they have to fill the video with something!

Supeficially attractive, but the many flaws greatly outweigh the merits.

[andrew-lyall · 3/10 · 20 November 2010]

I declare an interest. I am British, so take what I say with a pinch of salt, or tea, if you like. The history is more like propaganda for an idea of American history than an assessment of it. For example, General Colin Powell makes the pint that African-Americans fought in the Revolution, on the side of the colonists. True. But it is also true that more of them fought on the British side and for a very good reason. It was clear that the British were moving towards abolishing the slave trade and slavery itself, after the Sommersett case, whereas the colonists were clearly going to keep slavery. In fact the theme of the series is the "story of freedom", or rather the American project to achieve freedom for all, based on individual character, hard work etc. But why did it remain a "project" for so long, rather than the reality? The slaves worked hard, but they didn't get the reward. And the US was the last country but one in the West to abolish slavery, the last being Brazil. The film is no doubt well-intentioned and believes in its own theme. But history is always more complicated than simple narratives can convey. The truth is that the colonists were more concerned with breaking out of the 13 colonies to move West, taking the Indians land in the process. The colonists had been confined to the 13 colonies by the royal decree of George III which declared all other land to be native title. And the southern states fought to preserve slavery. And why contributions from actors such as Michael Douglas? because he played the president in a film? Why not have professional historians, even disagreeing with each other? And it curious that more he positive points are not made: that in the nineteenth century the US was the most democratic country in the world?

Show is not that bad!

[nzapoli · 9/10 · 27 April 2012]

I've only watched the first three episodes of this series, and I'm having trouble understanding all the negative reviews. I'm not a history major, but did take several history courses in college, and am an avid fan of American history. I must say, that most of what I've seen accompanies what I've learned - and then some. Even my husband, who admittedly finds history rather boring, thought the series was done well. I do agree that the celebrities where a bit out of place, but that probably made it more appealing to younger viewers.

One reviewer claimed the series was for the "Sesame Street generation", well that might make sense, being that my husband and I both loved Sesame Street growing up. Not to mention the educational show has won 118 Emmy's in its 43 years being on air, so I don't consider that to be an insult, but rather a compliment to the series and its fans!

Any American, or persons coming to America, could benefit from watching this series. The struggles the first English settlers went through makes me much more appreciative of the freedoms we have today.

Gaps in the most interesting history of the arrival of the 1st Europeans

[sabin-15218 · 6/10 · 6 July 2023]

1st episode: covers Jamestown and Plymouth.

Very interesting and many facts I had never heard before.

2nd episode: covers events leading up to revolutionary war.

Also interesting; however, much fascinating history between the first episode and this, the 2nd, is omitted.

Much crucial documentation, between the 1600's and 1770's is not mentioned at all.

For example, a glaring omission: New Amsterdam under Dutch control, and how it became New York under British control.

Another: The mystery of the lost colony of Roanoke.

These omissions are a great disappointment for me.

I wish the very early history was covered in much greater detail.

No factual errors, provocative interpretation!

[edh-thwacker · 9/10 · 22 July 2014]

First, there are no factual errors. You can check this stuff in a text book. But the 1849 gold is in the provocative interpretation and connections this series makes! History is two things: facts (black and white, easy to check), and then on top of this, the story and interpretation of a national experience. That's awesome and wholly subjective! (Has the question of what caused the Civil War ever been resolved? I think not! Never will be!!! :-) ). And why not hear from the chords of Sheryl Crow and Michael Douglas? Would Professor Such-and-such from Unknown University be any better? (Although there is plenty of input from the likes of David Baldacci, Henry Louis Gates/Harvard Emeritus, and Colin Powell). My family, we know the facts. This series took us to the next level of discussion and lively debate.

well made visually, a few misses historically

[backnblack-06123 · 6/10 · 7 December 2021]

This is fun to watch as you see the USA from birth and its mostly accurate but its not void of liberal lies and omissions, the civil was all about state rights not slavery but try to tell a lib this, i didn't hear one statement about states rights. No mention of the U. S constitution which is considered the most sacred item in the country, took a tour of it and this what they said and its still a commissioned ship Basically the same lies we were taught as kids.

Should be required viewing

[rooster_davis · 9/10 · 13 November 2010]

This is an excellent series. From it I learned so much about 'where we came from' that I never learned in school in the 60's - and you can bet a lot less than that is being taught in schools today. First let me say that while at least one reviewer frantically objected to some of the modern-day figures who commented on the historical events, and I am not totally crazy about some of their comments, they are but a very small part of this miniseries.

From it I actually learned how this country came from a handful of Pilgrims and what their lives were like, to becoming the United States. I learned about people who have long been forgotten and should not be, who endured hardships and gave up their lives that we might live in freedom.

Typically we hear in school or historical references just a sentence or two about this or that battle, this or that person. This miniseries brings them to life, tells the how and the when and the where and the why. I doubt that 1/10 of 1% of Americans know even a tiny fraction of where this country came from. "America: The Story of Us" should be required viewing. While one viewer was very upset by comments made by some of the modern-day people which are interspersed here and there, those can all be taken with a grain of salt. The story itself and the historical accounts are superb and gave me an entirely new appreciation for how and why this country came to be, and it is excellent viewing. Watch it with your kids - believe me, they can use this education.

Too many errors to be credible

[maricam · 4/10 · 29 May 2010]

From the narrator mispronouncing names like Powhatan and Antietam to repeating well-refuted legends such as buckets of blood and human flesh at the Donner Party campsite, I spotted one factual error after another in this series. The show even goes so far as to speculate that modern day computers are based on 19th century textile machine "technology" but states it as if it's fact. Add to that the annoying "shaky cam" effects during action scenes and flashing camera cuts and it all adds up to colossal disappointment which outweighs anything good the series might have to offer.

I was pleased to see some attention given to the presence and contributions of free blacks early in our nation's history. Native Americans were also presented in a more even-handed manner than I've seen in other historic shows. Some of the special effects, such as the computer simulations of the growth of cities, were well done. Other special effects done in the manner of "CSI" were unnecessary and seemed out of place.

The commentators were a mish-mash of celebrities and "experts" with only a handful of them adding any kind of useful or factual insights. Again, so much of the information was incorrect or slanted to support certain modern day perspectives that it was difficult to know what was credible and what wasn't which, in my humble opinion, makes this a pretty useless history show.

Very Interesting Documentary.

[mr_midnight_show · 10/10 · 16 November 2012]

If the History Channel can produce a 1000 hour program about United States history, that still would not be enough. We would have to start from Columbus for great detail but the show isn't about the discovery of land, it is about the concept of a free nation and the choices people made to survive. This documentary was made to show how the American people kept moving on from the turning points that shaped the "concept" which was built on blood and struggle.

Sure they missed some key historical turning points but the show kept me interested enough that I found myself researching them online after watching an episode.

Liev Schreibers narration is great as well.

Good Premise, Lacking on Delivery

[daisyfaye724-176-816326 · 1/10 · 2 October 2011]

When I first saw the ads for this program, I was highly interested in it and made plans to watch. After viewing the first few episodes, I couldn't stand to see any more. It would have been a really great series if they had taken it seriously and done a much better job on incorporating as much important US history as possible, even if it meant making the series longer. What they ended up doing is focusing and repeating a few events and completely leaving out others. They spent a lot of time on the Civil War and entrepeneurs such as Carnegie. It's not that those weren't important events,indeed they were, but by being so repetitive in their coverage they left out other events that deserved screen time. I never saw much mention of the War of 1812, good coverage of our forefathers and I could be wrong, but I don't think they even covered women's suffrage! If they were going to set out to create a program that truly encompassed the United States' history and its people then they should have understood what all in entailed and planned accordingly. What truly disappointed me was the face that they felt the need to use celebrity testimony instead of credible historical experts, educated people that are the backbone of this country. What do P Diddy or Sheryl Crow have to do with the study of history (other than their part in the *entertainment* aspect)? This is being shown in classrooms, I understand: is that what we should teach our children? If you want to learn history, look to our celebrities and movie stars? Completely ridiculous. I was wanting this to be an awesome series, which it could have been. Instead I ended up having my intelligence insulted and my time wasted.

Well Done Series!

[yuengling215 · 8/10 · 24 May 2018]

ThisIs a well-done series! I enjoyed it when it was on TV before and still enjoy today actually re-watched the entire series... Pay no mind to the negative reviewers who are never happy about any thing. The series is well thought out from the beginning of America until now. Definitely worth the watch.

Worth a watch but ...

[hyacintoblack · 8/10 · 15 January 2021]

Well made and worth a watch but my only issue with this series is the commentators peppered throughout giving their opinions. Has Michael Douglas got a degree in history? No? So why would I be interested to hear his comments about the origins of the US! There were a couple of others too of whom I thought - what qualifies you to comment in a history documentary?! Just because you're an actor or a government official does not qualify you to make a comment on the origins and growth of the US.

Lol

[eppy-41917 · 10/10 · 7 May 2021]

I watch this with mr sab. Iffoforofkfjfkfkffkfjfjfkfjfkfkfjfjfnfnfjfjfjfj.

Watered down history for the Sesame Street Generation

[RFM-2 · 5/10 · 16 May 2010]

I was sorely disappointed with this highly touted History Channel offering. At first, I was disturbed mainly by reenactments which were too often grossly inaccurate, but as the series began to cover eras and events that I was more familiar with, it became apparent that the narrative was also misleading. (There are too many incidents to relate, but was Lincoln REALLY "best known," prior to his presidential election, for loosing two bids for the Senate? What a misrepresentation of his political life--including two years in Congress--let alone his reputation as a public speaker.) Some "talking heads" had an aura of authority to speak on the events being covered, but too many were simply "celebrities" with apparently no expertise, and sometimes, little relevance to the current topic. One has to wonder why certain events were chosen to depict an era or turning point in the Nation's history for any reason other than their sensationalist value.

This is History for those who can only tolerate short snippets and catchy graphics. Worse than being over simplified, too much is simply misleading in the way it is presented. Alas, this is pretty much what the "New" History Channel produces now. It is sensationalism over substance; entertainment over education. Such a shame...