The Presidents Collection is made up of a series of documentaries focusing on ten presidents. The cool thing about the collection is that it focuses more on "modern" presidents, saving you from having to watch yet another documentary on the life of Lincoln or George Washington. The presidents covered in the series include Woodrow Wilson, Theodore Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush. The one oddball in the series is the Kennedys, which focuses on John and Bobby, as well as other parts of the family.
Details differ between the ten features, though all follow the same general cadence and setup. Each begins with their early lives, eventually leading up to their elections and everything that happened while they were in the White House. By now I probably shouldn't be, but I was surprised with how much information was squeezed into each documentary. The information about each president's life is supplemented by background on the major events going on at the same time, which offers a nice footing and keeps things balanced.
There are a few extras, though not every disc gets added material. The absolute best is the George H. W. Bush one, only because you get footage of Big Bush jumping out of a plane. There's also a featurette on the 1988 election and Bush's desire to not mudsling. On the Kennedys' disc is a short called "JFK's Hidden Life", which details JFK's health problems. WWI poster art is included with the Wilson disc. The entire series also comes with a teacher's guide.
All I can say is that PBS has done it again. The Presidents Collection is a great collection that is both educational and enjoyable. Though political junkies will probably like to add this to their collection, it is a rather pricey investment, so it might find better use as a teaching aid. Compared to some of the other stuff stocked in school libraries, The Presidents Collection would quickly become a star and is highly recommended.
