on my DVR
It is not resonating with me but might if I was American? It does try to show the perspectives of all the parties in the conflict though which is positive.
Burnsā doc on the Vietnam War resonated much more with me but that latter war was part of my daily news feed growing up and I was very opposed to the war.
Been watching as well. Over/Under on when tRump twixes that it is woke and fake news is 11/22/2025 12:05AM.
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Yeah. The documentary is much too balanced for Trumpās tastes.
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āBalancedā? Look at the black people talking! Look at the women talking! Look at the black women talking! Look at the Injuns talking!! That Scottish guy who lives next to tRumpās golf course!! Obviously they are making fake news. If it is not in a 60-year-old history book, itās fake.
I think maybe part of it is due to the fact that there isnāt any video footage of the revolutionary war, Iāve seen the Civil War one and it has a similar feel. The Vietnam War was so, so raw because of all the footage.
Totally agree. And the live interviews with the Vietnam vets were awesome. That was also impossible with the two earlier wars!
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So yeah, I still like the ones for the early wars, and I suspect youāre right - being an American helps make them more interesting. To be honest, as an American, I probably wouldnāt want to watch a ten hour film on the history of Canada with no footage.
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And my motherās ancestors picked the wrong side to support in the American Revolution. They lost their American land holdings and were evicted from America as a result. I have a 250 year old grudge against the US as a result 
although my ancestors did have great lives in Canada afterwards.
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Some interesting similarities between the retreat from Brooklyn Heights and Dunkirk (in World War II). Quite possibly a case that the war might have ended then and there had Howe pushed his advantage.
Wait are you saying The Patriot isnāt a documentary?
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I wouldnāt watch a 10 hour Canadian doc, period.
I had another mild criticism of Burnsā American Revolution documentary that might not annoy Americans but did annoy this foreigner.
In the first episode, the documentary says the American Revolution was the āgreatest revolution in the history of the worldā and the āmost important event in historyā. This is the type of hyperbole I would expect from Trump but not from an historian. I think the AR is just āone ofā the most important events for several reasons.
The revolutions in Russia and China that created totalitarian states have also had huge global impact, not to mention the Industrial Revolution, etc.
Secondly, I think the USA would be the powerful independent nation it is today without the American Revolution. Other British colonies separated from the motherland with less fighting: the American Revolution just hastened the process for the USA. In contrast, bloody revolutions were necessary to create totalitarian states in Russia and China.
I think Burns was saying what he thought his American audience would want to hear in this particular phrasing?
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can we keep the American Revolution series discussion in spoilers? I donāt wanna know how it ends til I see it on my time. thanks!
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Yeah, that rankled me a bit too. The rise of Islam may have been another revolution against the Byzantines and Sassanids (who ruled most parts of the Middle East) and that had a huge impact on a much bigger area. Also, the Ottoman Empire of the 18th century was much more diverse (when the historian was claiming that the 13 colonies were probably the most diverse group of people in the 18th century).
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Yes, you may have learned a different version in schoolā¦.
The TV version is always different from the book.
Biggest reveal for most will be that the American Revolution was fought over slavery (one reason, of several).
the British lose
Oh come on, we all know from School House Rock that it was because they had the nerve to tax our cup of tea.
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I assume so, and I noticed this when I watched it as well. Iām not sure the Americans who tend to watch KB documentaries are the types that want to hear such phrasing, but whatever. I can see why it would be doubly annoying for a foreign viewer.
On the whole, so far it does seem pretty well done and, as expected, is pretty thorough.
This is the type of hyperbole that people in most countries like to hear but Trump takes it to another level. Next year we will hear the word greatest from him hundreds of times. He will use it in respect of himself though as well as of the USA.