Watching ‘The War’ (Ken Burns)

For the first time, I am watching an American program which demonstrates a degree of reflective awareness about the Second World War. The fact that is is by Ken Burns is hardly surprising: since The Civil War he has demonstrated an ability to create a sense of nostalgia without sentimentality (if that’s possible). It’s an awareness of a time that is past or passing, that needs celebrating and understanding. While his methodology has been much imitated, he still is the master of the historical documentary.