Lincoln: Divided We Stand

I was drawn in from the beginning and enjoyed the entire 6 episode series. There were lots of facts and details I didn't know or had forgotten about Lincoln's life, both personal and political, before his Presidency. They also provided significant insight into his wife, Mary that many will appreciate.

Although, I didn't necessarily agree with the various historians and commentators, they provided different perspectives and food for thought. The documentary does a good job of humanizing Lincoln and showing the man. My main criticism would be about the last episode, which glossed over some of the details around his assassination, presumably because viewers have at least heard that before.

Definitely educational, entertaining and worth a watch.

Saw episode one and was very impressed. There was a lot I learned which was never taught in school. I can't even imagine the early life they had. Just awful. And yes pay no attention to the CNN haters.

Good Series Worth Watching, Concur with Others About Overbearing Music

There are lots of technical problems with this documentary that make it annoying to watch. Other reviewers have mentioned the overbearing music that drowns out the narration. They will post someone's name and qualifications as they are speaking, but only for a split-second so that you aren't able to actually read it without pausing. It's like a bad joke. Didn't an editor notice this? Is it a Lincoln biography or a speed-reading class?

The editing also seems to have been done by a kid with attention deficit disorder as many times they can't even allow one person to finish a thought and will have yet another person finish it. It makes the narrative feel uneasy and hurried, like you are in the backseat of a getaway car.

The main emphasis in this series is to show that Lincoln was far from perfect, but he evolved into a better leader, into a better man.

Why did they allow the music to drown out the narrative? I had to use closed captioning the whole time. I would have given this a 9 or 10 rating except for this major production blunder.

Lincoln was not perfect, not a saint, but he evolved. A human who grew: what a concept. Had he lived, would he have succumbed to the pressures all around him after the war? Could he have continued to evolve, and would we be a better country today? Fantasies. But that's the point: poor Mary wasn't the only one cheated by the murderer of this beloved American.