Prices subject to change.
Full photographic coverage of the only tests ever conducted of the effects of a nuclear bomb on a typical American community. The nuclear bomb was brought to 'America's doorstep' during an unusual series of nuclear tests conducted in the Nevada desert in the 1950s. "At Ground Zero" contains the first ever compilation of the full length official documentaries that chronicle the effects of these tests as the full fury of a nuclear bomb is demonstrated on the typical American home.
August 08, 1999
Prices subject to change.
Despite its effectiveness in the war, little was actually known about an A-bomb's power. What ships could survive a blast and what ships couldn't? Just how powerful was the shock wave? These are the tests that provided the answers that today are the core of America's nuclear weapon's knowledge. Formerly classified material documents Operation Tumbler Snapper, which detonated small yield atomic weapons to determine their effectiveness on troops, animals and buildings.
April 04, 1998
Prices subject to change.
Operation Tumbler Snapper (47 min) - Despite its effectiveness in World War II, little was actually known about an A-bomb's power. What ships could survive a blast and what ships couldn't? Just how powerful was the shock wave? These are the tests that provided the answers that today are the core of America's nuclear weapons knowledge. Formerly classified material documents Operation Tumbler Snapper, which detonated small yield atomic weapons to determine their effectiveness on troops, animals and buildings. At Ground Zero (74 Min) - Full photographic coverage of the only tests ever conducted of the effects of a nuclear bomb on a typical American community. The nuclear bomb was brought to "America's doorstep" during an unusual series of nuclear tests conducted in the Nevada desert in the 1950s. At Ground Zero contains the first-ever compilation of the full-length official documentaries that chronicle the effects of these tests as the full fury of a nuclear bomb is demonstrated on the typical American home. Operation Hardtack (90 min) - A priceless history of some of the most unusual nuclear weapons tests ever. Sixty two nuclear bombs were detonated as part of the Operation Hardtack series of nuclear tests. One of the few operations ever to be conducted at both the Pacific Proving Grounds and the Nevada Test Site, Hardtack combined balloon, surface, barge, underwater, underground, tower and missile shots.
July 07, 2005
Prices subject to change.
starring: David Morse, Holly Hunter, David McCullough, Jean Harvey Baker, David Herbert Donald
directed by: David Grubin
From award-winning film-maker David Grubin, this miniseries weaves together the troubled lives of a dirt-farmer's son and a wealthy Southern slave-owner's daughter. Together, Abraham and Mary Lincoln ascended to the pinnacle of power at the most difficult time in the nation's history, the Civil War. Abraham Lincoln's legacy as the Great Emancipator reshaped the nation while his tragic death left Mary reclusive and forgotten.
February 02, 2005
Prices subject to change.
starring: F. Murray Abraham, Stephen Ambrose, Russell Baker, Charlotte Black Elk, Philip Bosco
directed by: Ric Burns
Between 1845 and 1893, the American West was lost and won – wound with ribbons of iron and wire and brought within the dominion of the United States – while, along the way, the lives of hundreds of thousands of Native Americans were violently disrupted and all but destroyed. This mesmerizing six-hour documentary series from acclaimed filmmaker Ric Burns (The Civil War, Coney Island, New York), chronicles the final astonishing decades of the American frontier from the time of the Gold Rush until after the last gasp of the Indian wars at Wounded Knee.
March 03, 2006
Prices subject to change.
starring: David McCullough (II); Anna Deavere Smith
directed by: -
Studio: Wgbh Wholesale Release Date: 04/04/2006 Run time: 60 minutes
April 04, 2006
Prices subject to change.
Revisit the birth of a nation in this truly definitive look at America's fight for independence and its world-changing rise to glory. The American Revolution features ten powerful documentaries--more than eight hours of essential programming by THE HISTORY CHANNEL® and A&E on DVD for the first time. From the Declaration of Independence to the Treaty of Paris, these are the stories and events surrounding the remarkable achievements of heroic individuals seized by the epic forces of history. Hear the words of the founding fathers and other key figures, as read by leading actors such as Kelsey Grammar (TV’s Frasier) and Michael Learned (TV’s The Waltons). Thrilling re-enactments of great battles, compelling period images, rare archival material, and commentary by leading historians bring the past vividly alive. Between Bunker Hill and Yorktown, from Ben Franklin's masterful diplomacy to Benedict Arnold's deceit and tragedy, The American Revolution presents a sweeping canvas of historical programming at its comprehensive best.
April 04, 2005
Prices subject to change.
starring: Keith Arbour, Carol Berkin, Beau Bridges, Richard Brookhiser, Peter Coyote
directed by: Mark Hufnail, Melissa Jo Peltier
FOUNDING FATHERS - DVD 2 PACK
January 01, 2001
Prices subject to change.
starring: John Shattuck, Timothy Carney, Roger Noriega, Noam Chomsky, George W. Bush
directed by: Nicolas Rossier (II)
An hour south of Miami is the Western Hemisphere's poorest nation. In 2004, the democratically elected president Jean-Bertrand Aristide was taken against his will from Haiti in an American helicopter. Having been deposed once with CIA backing in 1991, the 2004 coup d'etat was not the first American intervention into Haitian politics, nor will it likely be the last.
Featuring exclusive interviews with Aristide, commentary from a wide range of supporters and critics, and searing glimpses inside strife-torn Haiti, this award-winning documentary exposes the tangled web of hope, deceit, and political violence that has brought the world's first black republic to its knees.
July 07, 2006
Prices subject to change.
starring: William Shatner, Edward Teller, Frank H. Shelton, Randall William Cook, W.H.P. Blandy
directed by: Peter Kuran
Trinity and Beyond
In the salad days of nuclear-weapons testing, the United States detonated 331 atomic, hydrogen, and thermonuclear bombs. Many of those explosions appear in Trinity and Beyond, which utilizes a lot of declassified footage, most of it in color. Standouts include the United States' South Pacific detonation of an atom bomb 90 feet below the water to study the effects on a fleet of ships. Surprise, surprise, they sink! If that wasn't enough, the navy also loaded the decks with sheep to study the effects of the blast on life forms. Surprise, surprise, they die! Glowing leg of lamb anyone? This film will alternately amuse and horrify you at the rampant irresponsibility of the Soviets and Americans in their quest for nuclear domination. The Russians have the honor of having detonated the largest nuclear bomb ever at a whopping 58 megatons. The Hiroshima bomb was barely a kiloton. Of course, after the U.S. and Russia ceased their activities, the Chinese decided to get in on the act. But that's a different story for a different documentary. --Kristian St. Clair
Nukes in Space: Rainbow Bombs
Boasting material that was recently declassified, this documentary presents some startling information about how the United States detonated a number of atomic bombs in space during a top-secret cold war weapons program. The history of military rockets is detailed, beginning with the Nazi V2 rockets that attacked England late in World War II. The problems encountered in America's cold war rocketry program are dramatically illustrated with a film montage of U.S. missiles spectacularly blowing up on their launch pads. After the Soviets launched Sputnik, America's resolve to be able to wage war in space stiffened, and test detonations of atomic weapons in space began. The effects of these little-known tests were bizarre and included electromagnetic disturbances that blew fuses in Hawaii while creating beautiful, if dangerous, artificial auroras that gave the tests the nickname of the "Rainbow Bombs." Of particular interest in this documentary are tapes of White House meetings at which President John F. Kennedy and his top science and military advisers discussed the atomic tests in space. The bomb detonations caused radiation problems in space, damaging fledgling communications satellites, and the government eventually called an end to the program. This is an entertaining and very informative look at a piece of cold war history that seems like vintage science fiction, yet it's all real. --Robert J. McNamara
Atomic Journeys: Welcome to Ground Zero
Our atomic heritage resides in sites all over the country--from the Trinity test area to natural-gas wells in Colorado--and many of them are open to the public. Plan your vacation with Atomic Journeys: Welcome to Ground Zero, a blast through memory lane narrated by the perfectly suited William Shatner. Never- before-seen footage of test explosions and top-secret work labs explores the history of America's nuclear programs, and interviews with current and former atomic scientists and engineers give depth to sights such as "the most bombed place on Earth" in Nevada. Learn about nonmilitary uses of nuclear weapons, the rationales behind the different programs, and where you can find these strange places. The musical score is a special bonus, performed by the Moscow Symphony Orchestra in a goodwill gesture of post-cold-war cooperation. --Rob Lightner
September 09, 2000
