Topic: Ken Burns

'Masterpiece' for the masses

Under Rebecca Eaton, dramas like 'Downton Abbey' attract more, and younger, viewers.

Obama campaign video: what it may say about his reelection strategy

The Tom Hanks-narrated video, as judged from the just-released trailer, sheds light on the Obama campaign's likely themes. Among them, that voters should take the long view.

Eisenhower in War and Peace

Jean Edward's Smith's new biography obliterates earlier arguments that Eisenhower’s was a dull, torpid presidency.

Gift ideas: 'Harry Potter,' Adele, 'Law & Order,' and 'Super Mario 3D'

Your gift list can get long with nieces and nephews, grandparents and friends all needing a present this holiday season. Try a few of these items that are sure to please like 'Winnie the Pooh,' 'Ken Burns: Prohibition,' and the video game 'Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception.'

Fed crackdown on California medical marijuana: Does Obama mean it?

The Obama Justice Department last week began to rein in California's out-of-control medical marijuana industry. How sustainable is this new federal enforcement of the state's pot shops?

Vinegar of politics needs honey of civility

Personal attacks in politics are a mirror of a society's slide toward social incivility. How can civility be restored? The topic is attracting interest.

'Prohibition' – so much more than gangsters and flappers

This Sunday (8 to 10 p.m. EDT) Ken Burns turns his prodigious research efforts and illuminating camerawork loose on America's failed attempt to sober up.

Letters to the Editor – Weekly Issue of April 25, 2011

Readers write in about defense spending and the cost of undeclared wars as well as the US Civil War legacy.

10 best novels about the US Civil War

It was 150 years ago this week that Confederate troops fired on a federal fort in Charleston harbor and began the violent four-year struggle in which Americans raised arms against Americans. The history books can tell us much about the trauma of war, but for those who prefer the emotional truths that can be conveyed by a good novel, here are 10 classic stories of the US Civil War.

From 'Glory' to 'Gone With the Wind,' fascination with Civil War endures

The Civil War, which began 150 years ago Tuesday, has long been a potent theme in film – highlighted by the release of a new Civil War film by Robert Redford Friday.

The war that made us 'we'

150 years later, the Civil War's nature and impact may finally be seen with clear eyes.

Top Picks: Ken Burns's 'The Civil War,' a Horton Foote festival, a tax tracker, and more

Ken Burns's miniseries documentary 'The Civil War,' a Dallas festival dedicated to famed playwright and screenwriter Horton Foote, a mobile phone application to track your tax return, and more recommendations.

NPR woes escalate as House votes to strip its federal funding

The GOP-led House, determined to trim spending and emboldened by NPR's recent black eyes, voted Thursday to end NPR's federal funding. Under the bill, no public radio stations could use taxpayer dollars to buy NPR programs.

KKK leader on specialty license plates? Plan in Mississippi raises hackles.

The Sons of Confederate Veterans want to honor Nathan Bedford Forrest, a Confederate general who subsequently joined the Ku Klux Klan, on some Mississippi license plates in 2014.

Pre-existing conditions at forefront of White House's response to health care repeal

Pre-existing conditions and small business owners feature the White House's weapon of choice in the fight against health care reform repeal efforts: webcasts.

Gift guides for the holidays include classic TV shows

Gift guides are popular this time of year, especially for the procrastinating shopper. Check out the Monitor holiday gift guides, which include classic and foreign TV programs in DVD sets.

Holiday gift guide 2010: Top 5 music picks

Music is appreciated throughout the year and makes a great holiday gift for family and friends. Here are some suggestions – ranging from Ken Burns' 'Baseball' soundtrack to Dave Brubeck – recommended by the Monitor staff. Click on the link at the end of each item to purchase on amazon.com, and a small percentage will go to support the Monitor.

Will the Civil War speak to America again?

The 150th anniversary of the Civil War kicks off Nov. 6. Dramatic events from Fort Sumter to Lincoln's assassination once again will enthrall Americans. But does 'the second American revolution' also have other things to say in 2010 about the rise of new political forces and race relations today?

Bloody Crimes

Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis: Two journeys, two martyrs in the aftermath of the Civil War.

Top Picks: Esperanza Spalding's newest CD, Ken Burns's unseen films, 'City Island' out on DVD, and more recommendations

Esperanza Spalding's new album, 'Chamber Music Society,' three unseen Ken Burns documentaries on pbs.org, adult drama 'City Island' on DVD, and more.

For some veterans, wars never end

Troops now coming home from Iraq -- and those scheduled to return from Afghanistan next year -- often carry the war with them.

'America: The Story of Us' gives a vivid docudrama sheen to US history

The History channel’s 'America: The Story of Us' premiers its six-part series this Sunday.

2009 Gift Guide

Monitor picks for TV, movies, music, and games.

The economics of ecosystems

Should ecosystems and environmental issues be determined by a traditional economic cost-benefit analysis?

Bestselling hardcover books, according to IndieBound*