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The American Experience - John Brown's Holy War
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List Price: $19.98
Our Price: $9.99
You Save: $9.99 (50%)
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Product Details
- Starring: Marion Ross
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- Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
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- Binding: VHS Tape
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- Director: Matthew Collins (III), Rocky Collins
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- EAN: 0794054819236
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- Format: NTSC
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- Label: Pbs (Direct)
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- Manufacturer: Pbs (Direct)
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- Number of Items: 1
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- Product Group: Video
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- Publisher: Pbs (Direct)
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- Release Date: 2000-04-11
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- Studio: Pbs (Direct)
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- Theatrical Release Date: 2005-04-18
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- Title: The American Experience - John Brown's Holy War
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- UPC: 794054819236
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Avg Customer Rating: 
Product Description: Staring out from those ancient tintypes, John Brown's eyes still show a steely determination and strength of will (and, many say, a hint of madness). Brown's massacre at Pottawattomie, Kansas, and his abortive raid at Harper's Ferry were seminal events that touched off the Civil War. Lost to the mists of history, though, are details of Brown's life before he committed himself to abolition. In typically detailed PBS fashion, John Brown's Holy War discusses Brown's entire life, one marked at every turn by failure and misery. Brown found no success at farming, his business ventures went completely bust, and eventually his family was decimated by illness. It wasn't until Brown had lost nearly everything that he solemnly turned his energies over to the destruction of slavery. In time Brown became a well-known public figure with the financial backing of many wealthy Eastern abolitionists and the support of such figures as Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson. The outspoken opponent of slavery saw it as his fate and God's will that he should devote his life to the cause. The Harper's Ferry raid was in all certainty a suicide mission, which Brown knew from the outset; undoubtedly he saw that the cause needed a martyr to rally around. Through letters, interviews with historians and gripping dramatic re-enactments, this installment in The American Experience series takes a new, in-depth look at a controversial historical figure; heroic to some, a crazed terrorist to others. --Jerry Renshaw
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Customer Reviews
A John Brown Biographer and Scholar
Despite its fine cinematic qualities, this is more an adventure in imagination and interpretation than it is a responsible historical documentary. For all of its efforts, it does not convey a sense of the man who lived, but rather the man who haunts the imaginations of those who understand him the least.
Unfortunately this documentary--so lauded as an excellent portrayal of Brown in biographical terms--is weighted down too heavily by the opinions of novelists and lacks a respect and balance in portraying Brown's religious orientation. The film omits key themes with respect to his working with blacks, and overall conveys the ivory tower biases that are so hard to challenge due to the politics of media and academia, despite the facts of history. Of course, the producer is a filmmaker, not a biographer, but certainly if people want to learn about John Brown of history, this is not the place to start.
Louis A. DeCaro Jr.
John Brown biographer and researcher
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JOHN BROWN'S HOLY WAR
Have been wanting to own this excellent video since I saw it on PBS several years ago. I was really shocked when I saw the price at this site as $75.00. One of your reviewers mentioned that I could go to PBS and get the video for $25.00. I went to PBS.org and found the video for only $19.95. S&H added another $4.95. Why is the price listed at AMAZON.COM $50 higher than on PBS? Please tell me this was a mistake! There are probably a lot of other customers who would like to purchase this video, but at $75.00, it's more than most are willing to pay.
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BUY IT AT PBS.ORG FOR $25 NEW!!! $84 is CRIMINAL!
PBS.org has an online store where you can buy this same video for $19 new ($24 with shipping)! This $84 for a used copy is absolutely criminal and this seller should bury his/her greedy head in shame. Don't buy a used copy of something you can get new for sixty dollars cheaper from the place that created this documentary. By the way it's a great documentary and well worth seeing and owing (I do.) I love Amazon and they always have the BEST deals around on videos, DVDs and books, but this seller is taking everyone for a ride.
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