An ambitious, hard-working engineer turns a ragtag army of unemployed into a celebrated work force to create one of the world’s greatest engineering projects. Here lies the dramatic story. A colossus rising more than 700 feet above the Colorado River, the dam was constructed in the face of oppressive heat, choking dust and perilous heights.
Subjects: History
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Riding the Rails
Don’t miss this ride! Riding the Rails tells the unforgettable story of the 250,000 teenagers who left their homes and hopped freight trains during the Great Depression.
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Spy in the Sky
In 1955, President Dwight Eisenhower launched an espionage mission like no other — requiring a spy plane that could fly without detection. Here is the true story of the U-2 and how a determined team turned his vision into reality. Led by brilliant master designer Kelly Johnson, the top-secret project began at the Lockheed Skunk Works. In their own words, crew members describe building and testing the ”dirty bird,” a spy plane that could soar to the edge of earth’s atmosphere. From the Cold War to the Gulf War, the U-2 saga is one of the greatest spy stories of all time.
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Wright Stuff
Garrison Keillor narrates the all-American story of two Midwestern boys who truly believed they could fly–Orville and Wilbur Wright. While they had produced a working plane by 1903, they didn’t publicly reveal their invention until five years later when Wilbur executed a perfect take-off and landing on a racetrack outside Paris. Discover little-known facts about these visionary brothers and their flying machines that changed the world.
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Vietnam : A Television History – DVD
A six-year project from conception to completion, this eleven-hour VHS collection carefully analyzes the costs and consequences of this controversial but intriguing war. From the first episode to the last, it provides a detailed visual and oral account of the war that changed a generation and continues to color American thinking on many military and foreign policy issues. (660 min on 4 DVDS)
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The Great San Francisco Earthquake
A look at the destruction and rebirth of San Francisco as a result of the famous 1906 earthquake. Captured in rare, newly restored movie footage from the period and the personal accounts of eyewitnesses, The Great San Francisco Earthquake is a breathtaking record of nature’s unimaginable might-and of the survivors’ equally impressive determination to rebuild their city and their lives.
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The Massachusetts 54th Colored Infantry
Two years into the Civil War, free men of color were still denied the right to fight for the end of slavery. Weeks after Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, the governor of Massachusetts was authorized to raise the first northern black regiment, referred to at the time as “the Massachusetts 54th colored infantry.” American Experience follows the adventures of the 54th as well as those of individual members, including Lewis and Charles Douglass, sons of abolitionist Frederick Douglass; Luis Emilio, who chronicled the regiment’s movements; and James Gooding, whose letters were published as a column in his hometown newspaper.
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The Fall of Saigon
The End of the Tunnel (1973-1975) chronicles the final two years of US involvement in Vietnam, it shows the desperation of the final days before Saigon fell and details the evacuation led by the US military. Peace Is at Hand (1968-1973) While American and Vietnamese soldiers continued to clash in battle, diplomats in Paris argued about making peace. After more than four years, they reached an accord that proved to be a preface to further bloodshed. Homefront USA – Through troubled years of controversy and violence, U.S. casualties mounted, victory remained elusive, and American opinion moved from general approval to general dissatisfaction with the Vietnam War.
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Hawaii’s Last Queen
Liliu’okalani, who ruled Hawaii in the late 1800s, had traveled throughout Europe and moved easily between the worlds of Hawaiian tradition and state dinners at the White House. But as the powerful American business community in Hawaii moved to gain control of the island nation, Liliu’okalani was caught in the middle. Anna Deveare Smith narrates.
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Around the World in 72 Days
When intrepid journalist Nelly Bly traveled around the world in just 72 days, beating Jules Verne’s fictional escapade, she turned herself into an international celebrity.