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The War: A Film By Ken Burns Plot: This is not your average World War II documentary.   Of the myriad of takes, The War is the one that brings it home for the average American.  Told through the eyes of the residents of four American towns while they lived through World War II, this documentary shows the devastation that was wrought upon the homes of America during this horrific war. It highlights how, in many areas of the country, the majority of young men would sign up for a specific branch of service depending on where they lived. Therefore, when a particular battle happened, such as Iwo Jima, certain towns were hit by far more casualties than another town in a state somewhere else in the country. My Take: In my opinion, the absolute best documentary that's been done on World War II. It's also one of the best, if not THE best, work of Ken Burns. Thankfully this documentary was done at a time where there were still plenty of WWII survivors (both military and civili...

Empire Of The Air is a Ken Burns historical documentary made in 1991. Plot: The history of radio is shown from the discovery of the inventions that made radio so innovative to the development of television.  The major inventions, the men who invented them, and the importance of radio in American culture are profiled in this documentary. My Take: I had never heard of Howard Armstrong, and that's a shame.  There are other men profiled who had roles in the development of radio as an entertainment and communication medium.  However, I had no idea that the the history of radio was such a soap opera.  It's a compelling tale, and it's a part of American history that is highly representative of both the brilliance and greed of those that make history.

Can We Live Forever is a PBS Nova documentary. Plot: This is yet another excellent PBS Science documentary. There are a number of different avenues of research in this documentary that show various ways that humans might be able to further extend their lives, or possibly live forever. My Take: Not as far-fetched as it sounds at first.  The research presented seems extremely plausible, especially the biotechnological advances.  Also, anything that brings in Star Trek as an example always makes me happy.

The Marines is a 2006 PBS Documentary. Plot: This is a thorough look at the United States Marine Corps from its earliest history, evolution through the decades, and its current place in the armed conflicts across the globe.  Boot camp, officer candidate school, women in the Corps, and specialized training prior to deployment are some of the topics covered. My Take: This is the best all-around look at the Marine Corps that I've ever seen (and I've seen quite a few). While there is the expected look back at the battle history of the Marines, the documentary does not shirk from also talking to Marines wounded in battle, or to older Marine veterans who deplore the use of force and war.  While it is at its very least a fantastic recruiting tool, this documentary also shows the average American citizen why they should be proud of the Marine Corps.

I Have Never Forgotten You is a 2006 documentary. Plot:  Simon Wiesenthal was a Jew living in Nazi Germany before the Second World War.  Imprisoned by the Nazis, Wiesenthal lost dozens of family members and friends in the Holocaust.  After being liberated by the Americans, Wiesenthal volunteered to help them track down and charge Nazi leaders/officers with war crimes.  Wiesenthal evntually was able to help in the apprehension of over 1,000 Nazi war criminals. My take:  This is basically a biography of the life and work of controversial Jewish Nazi Hunter, Simon Wiesenthal.  A very powerful, moving documentary highlighting the cruelty of the Nazis and why many Jews fought for years to capture and imprison their former torturers.

400 Years of the Telescope is a 2009 PBS documentary. Plot: Starting with the earliest spyglasses and ending with the future of telescope development, this documentary covers the past 400 years of the telescope and how it impacted the fields of astronomy, physics, and photography.  Interviews with many of the world's top astronomers help to illuminate where we are, and where the telescope will take us in the future. My Take: Another excellent PBS science documentary.  Most of the topics covered revolve around how telescopes have enabled scientific discoveries and advances in what we believe about the universe.  I found the discussion on the future of telescopes to be particularly interesting, with information about the plans for new gigantic telescopes such as the Giant Magellan Telescope yet to be built.

Top Secret Rosies is a 2010 historical documentary. Plot: Before the advent of computers, men were responsible for the tedious and time-consuming calculations that were needed for big mathematical practical problems.  When the United States entered the war, these men left their math jobs and picked up arms to go fight overseas for their country, leaving these incredibly important jobs unfilled.  That is, until the armed forces started recruiting their female mathematical genius counterparts.  Whether it was calculating ballistics information, or programming the first military computers to help efficiency, these women became an essential component of the war effort. My Take:  I knew women played an important role in production assembly in various military factories, as I consider myself a military history buff.  However, I had no idea that there were highly intelligent women in such highly specialized jobs in the military effort.  ...

Fat Head is a 2009 Documentary. Plot: Created as a direct response to the documentary, Super Size Me, the subject in this documentary sets out to show you that you CAN lose weight on a diet of fast food alone.  Interviews with nutritionists and doctors seek to explain the true nature of why Americans are so fat, and the results will probably surprise you. My Take: This documentary was a total revelation to me.  It basically refutes the idea of a low-fat diet as being healthy and instead presents evidence to show how and why low-carb diets work.  The "special effects" are cheesy, and the whole documentary looks like an early 80's educational cartoon, but the message gets through.  Fun and educational for anyone, but if you're looking to get healthier and lose weight, this documentary might give you clues as to how to do it successfully. I have tried to follow the diet principles presented here, and I am happy to say that they have totally worked.

The Wonder Of It All is a 2007 Space Documentary. Plot: This documentary uses interviews with astronauts of the Apollo Space Program to detail the missions to the moon in the late 1960's and early 1970's.  Detailing the challenges and discoveries of each of these missions, using archived NASA footage, a comprehensive view of the moon missions is laid out for the viewer, as well as a case for going back. My Take: I've seen a lot of documentaries about the space program, but there was a lot of new details brought to life in this documentary.  The interviews are well done, and the astronauts interviewed share a sense of joy and wonder at what they were able to see and accomplish.  If you're a space nut, you should watch this.

Robert E. Lee is a 2011 American Experience documentary. Plot: Details the life of Confederate General/Hero, Robert E. Lee.  From his early beginnings in Virginia, West Point (where he graduated 2nd in his class), his exploits in the army as an engineer, his difficult courtship of his wife, and his failures as a young commanding officer, Robert E. Lee endured much hardship in his life.  None more than when he became Commander of the Army of Northern Virginia in the Civil War. My Take: A very thorough account of Lee's life.  Just an overall excellent documentary with some surprises within.  A must-see for any military history buff.  Very well done.

Hubble's Amazing Rescue is a 2009 PBS Nova space documentary. Plot: This documentary details the space mission that repaired the Hubble Telescope in 1993.  Several space walks from the Space Shuttle were needed in order to perform different repair/replace tasks on the telescope to get it operational again so that it could be used for research. My Take: Great documentary for anyone who enjoys the space program.  This particular mission was fraught with so many complications and possible disasters.  The $2 billion dollar Hubble Telescope had been malfunctioning to the point where it could not adequately capture the research needed by the scientists on the ground.  With this documentary, you get to see the training and hear from the astronauts themselves who were on that pressure-filled mission.

What's The Next Big Thing is a 2011 PBS Nova documentary. Plot: Taking the viewer on a tour of technological advances that could change our lives dramatically over the next few decades and beyond, Nova introduces us to scientists working on projects such as social robots, designer microbes, and mini-robot cars. My Take: Another excellent science documentary from Nova.  My favorite part of the episode was the section on the social robots, which would basically live in our homes with us and keep us company.  Capable of being quite life-like, these robots can carry on realistic conversations or even perform basic household chores.  The rest of the documentary is just as mind-boggling.  Any techie or geek would like this show, but I think most folks would also enjoy the social robot section.

Doctor Diaries is a 2009 PBS documentary. Plot:  2009 is the final chapter of this long-running documentary from PBS about the lives and careers of a group of doctors who began their medical education at Harvard Medical School in 1987.  Over the years there were a few more documentaries that chronicled their lives while in medical school, and then their lives once they decided on a specialty and began their careers.  This 2009 documentary ties everything together as one film. My take:  I've been following this project since its beginning in the late 80's, so I'm definitely biased as to its quality. This installment encompasses every prior installment so that a new viewer doesn't feel like they need to see anything else.  The doctors are now all in their 40's and 50's and every single story is drastically different from the rest.  Some doctors are doing well in their chosen fields, some have quit medicine altogether, several have had drastic personal ...

The Pixar Story is a 2007 documentary. Plot:  This documentary is exactly what it sounds like.  Detailing the state of animation that led to the founding of Pixar, we get to see the original founding members in interviews and video of the early days of the animation company working to produce some of the most successful animated movies ever.  Working in the field of 3D animation, Pixar was ground-breaking at a time when many thought good animated films were a thing of the past. My Take: This is a story of good, old-fashioned American entrepreneurial spirit. Rebels in a dying artistic medium, Pixar's owners and illustrators showed that smart, caring geeks can not only produce great animated movies, but they can create great MOVIES.  Getting to see the inside story on how they were able to thrive in an era of down-sizing, you come to really appreciate the genius of the people responsible for Pixar's success. The documentary covers the Pixar movies To...

The Pluto Files is a 2010 documentary produced by PBS as part of their Nova series. Plot: This documentary explores the history of Pluto, both its discovery and the recent scientific turn of events that led to its status of a planet being removed. My take: I love the Nova series.  Presented in a whimsical but informative way, this particular documentary does a good job of presenting the reasons for why Pluto was named a planet in the first place and how modern science has determined it isn't.  Great watch for anyone interested in astronomy.

Civilian Conservation Corps is a 2009 American Experience Documentary. Plot: During the Great Depression, President Roosevelt created the Civilian Conservation Corps as a way of putting to work thousands of young men across the country. This documentary celebrates the 75th anniversary of the creation of the corps and details its efforts in road-building, planting trees, and working across the country in forests and parks. My Take: As a history buff, I'm embarrassed to say that I had never heard of the CCC.  However, you can see the success of their efforts all across the country in the healthy forests and in the state parks.  Virtually every state had a division of the CCC, giving thousands of young men a job to do, a roof over their heads, and three meals a day.  Considering this was during the Depression, this was a lifeline for many men.  They were paid a dollar a day, and required to send the majority of their money back home to their families. ...

Paper Clips is a 2004 documentary. Plot: A small middle school class in rural Tennessee begins a year-long project investigating and detailing the Holocaust during World War II.  However, the project quickly takes root in the school and the community and becomes a life-changing lesson as they begin to interact with holocaust survivors and hear their tales.  Deeply moved, the students decide to create a memorial to represent the 6 million Holocaust survivors.  They do so using paper clips. My Take: In a southern society where these kids are still exposed to racism from their elders on a daily basis, it was incredibly heart-warming to see them (and their teachers) come to grips with what that kind of hatred and fear can do to an entire race of people. The Holocaust project lives today in that same middle school class: each year a new group of students come in and continue the project.  I highly recommend the documentary for educators and, really, everyone.

Horatio's Drive: America's First Road Trip is a 2003 historical documentary by Ken Burns. Plot: A 20th century version of pioneering American spirit, this documentary Chronicles the cross-country automobile trip of Dr. Horatio Nelson Jackson.  It took him 63 days to drive from San Francisco to New York City.  The documentary chronicles the state of America's roads at that time, and how everything changed as a result of this remarkable accomplishment. My Take: I love these kinds of journey stories.  I would recommend watching the Lewis and Clark documentary first, and then compare it to Dr. Jackson's journey.  They are 100 years apart but the change in the country is so dramatic.  It was fascinating how, as Dr. Jackson drove across the western half of the country, so many people came out to see him because they had never seen a car.  Stagecoaches would bring him much needed parts for replacement and repair. Another fantastic Ken Burns docum...

Dear Zachary is a 2008 award-winning documentary. Plot: Written and filmed originally as a tribute to a friend, this documentary is a bit of nostalgic piece and a bit of crime drama.  A man is murdered and the suspected killer is not only that man's ex-girlfriend, but also pregnant with his child.  It sounds like an open and shut case, but what happens when the court system fails and allows the suspected killer to raise the baby? My Take: I can't say much more than this without ruining the documentary for you.  I will warn you: this is extremely difficult to watch.  It is heart-wrenching.  This would have been a very worthy tribute to the slain man, but then it morphs into a chronicle of his family's struggle to take his son away from the woman who may have killed him.  Even despite the difficult subject matter, this is a must see.

The Way We Get By is a 2009 documentary. Plot :  This documentary chronicles the lives and efforts of a group of senior citizens who are part of the volunteer group that greet American soldiers returning from Iraq.  The story follows the heart-breaking tales of not only the volunteers but of the men who return home, sometimes without their friends. My Take: This documentary made me want to retire and move to Bangor, Maine, where these amazing senior citizens live.  Since the first plane of American soldiers starting coming back home, these people have been there to stand in line and shake a hand, give them a free phone to call home, or simply listen to their stories.  3 a.m. or 3 p.m., these people are there.  There are some definite heartbreaking moments as these senior citizens' lives are examined, showing their own current heartbreaks, which makes their sacrifices to these soldiers even more impressive. Simply put, this documentary makes me proud to b...