Browse Educational. Social Studies

List Price: $24.95
Price: $14.99
You Save: $9.96 (40%)

30 Years of National Geographic Specials

Actors: Jacques-Yves Cousteau, Dian Fossey, Birute Galdikas, Jane Goodall, Richard Kiley
ASIN : 0792299949
Sales Rank : 36968
Brand : Warner Brothers
Studio : National Geographic Society
Region Code : 1
Format : Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 9780792299943
ISBN : 0792299949
UPC : 727994750031
Release Date : December 14, 1999
Publisher : National Geographic Society
Manufacturer : National Geographic Society
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : National Geographic Society
Running Time : 95

Description

Relive the most spellbinding scenes from our television documentaries of exploration and delivery. Year: 1994

Amazon.com

Mystery, danger, splendor, adventure. Since 1964, National Geographic has been broadcasting television specials that created and, many would argue, still maintain the standard for all nature programming since. Vigilantly focusing on what came before human beings, this special is a grand slam of 30 years (1964-1994) of painstaking exploration and documentation. Its narrative sounds almost biblical: "In the beginning..." there was molten lava. The footage is, as you would expect, dazzling but it is the agile editing and well-crafted storytelling here that makes this video into a poignant success.

Moving from the creation of earth to its inhabitants, the narrative segues to the single law of survival. In the Living Sands of Namib (1978), a spider escapes a predator by cartwheeling down a dune. There are clips of Costa Rican lizards sprinting on water, a woodpecker outsmarting a corn snake, and an Indian tiger begrudgingly retrieving his deer-carcass supper from a thieving crocodile. Procreation is, undoubtedly, the more lighthearted side of survival. Three black beetles are in pursuit of a female running in the sand with a musical score so perfectly selected, it is as if the they are engaged in a well-choreographed dance. The synchronized swimming of mating squids in Jewels of the Caribbean (1994) is more graceful than Twyla Thwarp.

After an introduction to the habitat and behavior of so many creatures, the video turns the spotlight on the tool user, fire tamer, language maker: humankind. Americans on Everest (1964), Dr. Leakey and the Dawn of Man (1966), The World of Jacques Yves Cousteau (1966), In the Shadow of Vesuvius (1987), Australia's Twilight of the Dreamtime (1988), and Jane Goodall: My Life with the Chimpanzees (1990) are classic examples of National Geographic at its best. There are also fascinating clips from early Geographic projects, including the 1917 Katmai expedition.

Well beyond serving as a self-congratulatory slap on the back for work well done, this special has an important message: the animals and natural phenoms we fear the most are those we know the least about. Contrary to popular belief, humans are the largest single threat to all life on earth. By bringing fragile ecosystems into our living rooms, National Geographic hopes to instill conservation ethics in each viewer. --Cristina Del Sesto

Price: $29.99

Riddles in Stone - Secret Mysteries of America's Beginnings Volume II: Secret Architecture of Washington, D.C.

Actor: Dr. Stan Monteith; Joe Schimmell - occult expert / prophecy teacher; Robert Hieronimus Ph.D; Bill Schnoebelen; William Still; Dr Brent Morris 33rd degree Mason and Historian; Trevor McKuen Master Mason; Jim Allison
ASIN : B000P2XNBG
Sales Rank : 13300
Director : Christian J Pinto
Studio : Antiquities Research Films
Region Code : 0
Format : NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 0859215001025
UPC : 859215001025
Release Date : December 28, 2007
Publisher : Antiquities Research Films
Manufacturer : Antiquities Research Films
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : Antiquities Research Films
Running Time : 170

Product Description

"Riddles In Stone: Secret Architecture of Washington, D.C.", will continue to explore the fascinating history behind the origins and focus of the world's most powerful nation: America. Why was this nation founded? How was the precise location of Washington, D.C., determined? What is the meaning of the seemingly countless occult images in our nation's capitol? Volume II zeroes in on the Masonic & Rosicrucian influence so prevalent amongst our Founding Fathers as they planned, and began to implement, the layout of America's Capitol. For years, extreme controversy has abounded as to the exact meaning of the occult symbols found within the street layout, the buildings, and the monuments of Washington, D.C. Is there really an inverted Pentagram formed by the street layout just north of the White House? We have discovered the esoteric reason why this Pentagram is missing one segment. Was this city laid out to reflect the vision of a Masonic Christ foreseen by Sir Francis Bacon? Is it true that America's capitol was laid out "according to the stars", i.e., in the astrological shapes of certain planets and stars so revered by occultists? Why did our Masonic Founding Fathers perform "Corn, Wine, and Oil" ceremonies at cornerstone layings and at the dedication of the finished structure? Does this occult "wisdom" represent the interests of America, or a hidden agenda? As with Volume I, this "Secret Mysteries" series will continue to explore current -- and possibly future -- events by examining America's past. What can these realities mean for the unfolding destiny of America and the world? Now you will know that, when President Bush said he was fulfilling the "Ancient Hope" of the "New Order of the Ages" (as we show in Volume I), he was merely acting out the plan reflected in the street layout and in the architecture of Washington, D.C. 3 hour video

List Price: $34.95
Price: $31.49
You Save: $3.46 (10%)

China: A Century of Revolution (Three Disc Set)

Actor: Will Lyman
ASIN : B000Q7ZOLC
Sales Rank : 11569
Director : Sue Williams
Studio : Zeitgeist Films
Region Code : 1
Format : Box set, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC, Subtitled
Binding : DVD
EAN : 0795975109130
UPC : 795975109130
Release Date : December 10, 2007
Publisher : Zeitgeist Films
Manufacturer : Zeitgeist Films
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : Zeitgeist Films
Running Time : 360

Product Description

China: A Century of Revolution is a six-hour tour de force journey through the country's most tumultuous period. First televised on PBS, this award-winning documentary series presents an astonishingly candid view of a once-secret nation with rare archival footage, insightful historical commentary and stunning eyewitness accounts from citizens who struggled through China's most decisive century. China in Revolution charts the pivotal years from the birth of the new republic to the establishment of the PRC, through foreign invasions, civil war and a bloody battle for power between Mao Zedong and Chiang Kai-shek. The Mao Years examines the turbulent era of Mao's attempts to forge a "new China" from the war-ravaged and exhausted nation. Born Under the Red Flag showcases China's unlikely transformation into an extraordinary hybrid of communist-centralized politics with an ever-expanding free market economy. Monumental in scope, China: A Century of Revolution is critical viewing for anyone interested in this increasingly powerful and globally influential country.

DISC ONE Part One: China in Revolution 1911-1949 (1989)

DISC TWO Part Two: The Mao Years 1949-1976 (1994)

DISC THREE Part Three: Born Under the Red Flag 1976-1997 (1997)

List Price: $24.95
Price: $22.49
You Save: $2.46 (10%)

Storm Over Everest

Actor: Nova
ASIN : B0019KBIRE
Sales Rank : 12566
Director : Nova
Studio : WGBH Boston
Region Code : 1
Format : Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 0783421428096
UPC : 783421428096
Release Date : December 02, 2008
Publisher : WGBH Boston
Manufacturer : WGBH Boston
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : WGBH Boston
Running Time : 90

Product Description

As darkness fell on May 10, 1996, a fast moving storm of unimaginable ferocity trapped three climbing teams high on the slopes of Mount Everest. The climbers, exhausted from their summit climb, were soon lost in darkness, in a fierce blizzard, far from the safety of High Camp at 26,000 feet. World-renowned climber and filmmaker David Breashears, who aided the rescue efforts back in 1996, now returns to Everest to tell the fuller story of what really happened on that legendary climb. Through remarkably intimate interviews with the climbers and Sherpas many who have never spoken before on American television Breashears sheds new light on the worst climbing tragedy in Mount Everest s history.

List Price: $19.95
Price: $14.99
You Save: $4.96 (25%)

NOVA: Newton's Dark Secrets (2005)

Actors: Scott Handy, Chris Oxley
ASIN : B000BKDNY4
Sales Rank : 34716
Studio : WGBH Boston
Region Code : 1
Format : Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Letterboxed, NTSC, Widescreen
Binding : DVD
EAN : 9781593753238
ISBN : 1593753233
UPC : 783421389199
Release Date : December 28, 2006
Publisher : WGBH Boston
Manufacturer : WGBH Boston
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : WGBH Boston
Running Time : 56

Description

He was a 17th century Einstein, who reduced nature’s chaos to a single set of laws and revolutionized the thinking and outlook of his age. But in the midst of his astonishing breakthroughs in physics, optics, and calculus, Isaac Newton was also searching out hidden meanings in the Bible and pursuing the covert art of alchemy, or the changing of base metals into gold.

With vivid docudrama scenes starring Scott Handy (Henry VIII) as Newton, NOVA recreates the unique climate of late 17th-century England, where a newfound fascination with science and mathematics coexisted with extreme views on religious doctrine. Unknown to most, Newton shared both obsessions.

Besides revealing his secretive and vindictive personality, this NOVA special shows how he made the bold intellectual leaps that transformed science, such as the universal law of gravitation. Newton’s Dark Secrets also recreates one of Newton’s little-known alchemical experiments using his secret recipes, which have only recently been deciphered. With these lively glimpses of a brilliant and obsessive mind, NOVA explores how Newton became the giant on whose shoulders all later scientists would find a place to stand.

Special DVD features include: materials and activities for educators; a link to the NOVA Web site; scene selections; closed captions; and described video for the visually impaired.

On one DVD5 disc. Region coding: All regions. Audio: Dolby stereo. Screen format: Letterboxed.

List Price: $19.98
Price: $17.99
You Save: $1.99 (10%)

RFK Must Die: The Assassination of Bobby Kennedy

Actors: Sirhan Sirhan, Robert Kennedy, Munir Sirhan, Sandra Serrano, Vincent Di Pierro
ASIN : B000UX6TH0
Sales Rank : 19742
Director : Shane O'Sullivan
Brand : MPI
Studio : Dokument Films
Region Code : 1
Format : Subtitled, Color, Full Screen
Binding : DVD
EAN : 0030306900094
UPC : 030306900094
Release Date : December 20, 2007
Publisher : Dokument Films
Manufacturer : Dokument Films
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : Dokument Films
Running Time : 139

Product Description

On June 5, 1968, shortly after winning the hotly-contested California primary, Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy was slain in the pantry of the Los Angeles Ambassador hotel. Charged with the assassination is Sirhan Sirhan, a 24 year-old Palestinian whose notebooks repeatedly declare RFK MUST DIE! While Sirhan Sirhan recants his confession, investigatory oversights leave many questions unanswered:

Why was RFK rerouted from his original destination in the hotel straight into the path of an assassin s bullet?
Who was the girl in the polka dot dress seen fleeing the hotel screaming We shot him, we shot him ?
Why was there a CIA presence at the hotel that night?
Why were additional bullets recovered but never entered into evidence?

Writer-director Shane O Sullivan, highly skeptical of the official report, conducted his own exhaustive investigation. Through exclusive interviews with eyewitnesses and invesitgators, as well as rare archival footage and a wealth of expert testimony, this disturning documentary sheds new light on the murder of one of America's most beloved politicians.

Bonus Features Include:
Sirhan Sirhan Audio Interviews
Kennedy Campaign spots

List Price: $19.95
Price: $17.99
You Save: $1.96 (10%)

Civil War Combat: America's Bloodiest Battles

Actors: Sirhan Sirhan, Robert Kennedy, Munir Sirhan, Sandra Serrano, Vincent Di Pierro
ASIN : 0767026225
Sales Rank : 32877
Studio : A&E Home Video
Region Code : 1
Format : Black & White, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 9780767026222
ISBN : 0767026225
UPC : 733961701142
Release Date : December 15, 2000
Publisher : A&E Home Video
Manufacturer : A&E Home Video
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : A&E Home Video
Running Time : 200

Amazon.com

With beautifully shot footage of reenactors, Civil War Combat illustrates aspects of four particular Civil War battles that are rightfully considered legendary. Filmed on location, the reenactors depict the violent mayhem of the hornet's nest at Shiloh, the valiant charge on the sunken road at Antietam, the carnage in the wheat field at Gettysburg, and the brutal fighting at Cold Harbor. Produced by the History Channel, the episodes all benefit from insightful appearances by historians as well as rangers from the National Park Service. The format of putting the focus on specific points of action in larger battles allows for narratives about specific soldiers and commanders, in both the Union and Confederate ranks, to develop. For instance, the segment on Antietam profiles commanders and individual soldiers from the Union's Irish Brigade and the Alabama regiment they charged during some of the most violent action of the entire war. The Civil War reenactors provide a credible look at how the war must have appeared to participants (though purists will note that some of the reenactors appear too clean and too well fed to have been marching behind Robert E. Lee). The discussions of strategy and the importance of the events depicted, combined with the uniformly excellent cinematography, make this an entertaining and enlightening look at critical events of the Civil War. --Robert J. McNamara

List Price: $69.95
Price: $62.99
You Save: $6.96 (10%)

John Adams Collection

Actor: John Adams
ASIN : B001884P5Y
Sales Rank : 51095
Director : History Channel
Studio : A&E Home Video (New REleaset)
Region Code : 1
Format : Color, DVD-Video, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 0733961117028
UPC : 733961117028
Release Date : December 27, 2008
Publisher : A&E Home Video (New REleaset)
Manufacturer : A&E Home Video (New REleaset)
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : A&E Home Video (New REleaset)
Running Time : 450

Product Description

JOHN ADAMS COLLECTION
Known as the Colossus of Independence, John Adams is the founder of an important family of politicians, diplomats and historians.

In this comprehensive collection, HISTORY® presents 3 DVD releases that paint an elegant portrait of John Adams role in establishing America s independence as well as an engagingly intimate glimpse behind our second president. FOUNDING FATHERS offers a fascinating look at the heroes who created our country, and highlights Adams s debate on the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. FOUNDING BROTHERS examines the struggle of Adams, Washington, Franklin, Hamilton, Jefferson, Madison, and Burr to transform disparate visions into an enduring government. BIOGRAPHY: JOHN AND ABIGAIL ADAMS takes an intimate look at how this powerful couple kept a newly independent nation together while sharing a unique bond in tumultuous times.

Drawing on incisive commentary from leading scholars, the JOHN ADAMS COLLECTION takes an in-depth look at the tremendous influence a man had in the shaping of America s identity from helping pen the Constitution to his ascension to presidency.

List Price: $24.95
Price: $14.99
You Save: $9.96 (40%)

Lincoln and Lee at Antietam: The Cost of Freedom

Actors: Ronald F. Maxwell, Dennis E. Frye, Mike Brown (XVIII), Ed Mantell, Cindy Brinkerhof
ASIN : B000CA6D9K
Sales Rank : 10510
Director : Robert Child
Brand : INECOM ENTERTAINMENT CO
Studio : Inecom Entertainment Company
Region Code : 0
Format : Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, NTSC, Widescreen
Binding : DVD
EAN : 0806213157520
UPC : 806213157520
Release Date : December 31, 2006
Publisher : Inecom Entertainment Company
Manufacturer : Inecom Entertainment Company
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : Inecom Entertainment Company
Running Time : 90

Product Description

It's September 17, 1862 and President Abraham Lincoln needs a victory in order to issue the Emancipation Proclamation and end slavery in the South. But Robert E. Lee has other plans - invade the North. When Lee's strategy falls into the hands of the Union Army, the result is the single bloodiest day in American history at the Battle of Antietam in Sharpsburg, Maryland. The Battle of Antietam results in more casualties than the American Revolution, the War of 1812, the Mexican War and the Spanish American War combined. In fact, the bloodiest day of World War II, D-Day, amounts to only one quarter of the casualties suffered at Antietam. Narrated by Ronald F. Maxwell, director of the epic Civil War films "Gettysburg" and "Gods & Generals," and written, produced and directed by Robert Child, "Lincoln and Lee at Antietam - The Cost of Freedom" vividly brings to life the story of America's fight for freedom in a battle that changed the course of the Civil War. Through first person accounts, an original music score from Composers Steve Heitzeg and Nicholas Palmer and scarce Antietam commemorative battle footage from the 125th, 135th and 140th Antietam Reenactments, this film tells the tale of the 14-hour epic Battle of Antietam. Historical insight provided by: - James M. McPherson, Princeton University, Pulitzer Prize winning author of Battle Cry of Freedom" and "Crossroads of Freedom: Antietam" - Allen C. Guelzo, Gettysburg College, America's only repeat winner of the Lincoln Prize; Nominated by President George W. Bush to the National Council of the Humanities - Dennis E. Frye, National Park Service (NPS) Historian at Harpers Ferry, author of "Antietam Revealed" and the Associate Producer of "Gods and Generals" - Patrick Falci, actor/performing historian portrays General Ambrose Hill at Antietam - Paul V. Chiles, National Parks Service (NPS) Historian at Antietam National Battlefield Park - Features Stanley Wernz, President of the Association of Lincoln Presenters, as Abraham Lincoln and Benjamin Black as General Robert E. Lee Special Features: - 25-minute On-Screen Interview with Ronald F. Maxwell - Feature-Length Commentary Track with Writer/Director Robert Child and Narrator Ronald F. Maxwell - Original Music Score from Composers Steve Heitzeg and Nicholas Palmer - Trailers for: "EXPO-Magic of the White City," "Gettysburg and Stories of Valor - CIVIL WAR MINUTES® III," "Johnstown Flood," "Horses of Gettysburg - CIVIL WAR MINUTES® IV," "Winters of War," "Civil War Life - Shot to Pieces," "CIVIL WAR MINUTES® - Confederate"

Amazon.com

The bloodiest battle ever fought on American soil is thoroughly examined in Lincoln & Lee at Antietam: The Cost of Freedom, a worthy addition to anyone's Civil War video collection. Directed and written by Robert Child and narrated by Ronald F. Maxwell (the director of the definitive Civil War epics Gettysburg and Gods and Generals), this straightforward, no-nonsense documentary emphasizes the tactics, strategies, and historical context of the battle at Antietam, in Sharpsburg, Maryland, on September 17, 1862. Further emphasis is placed on the wartime conditions (political agendas, ready status of armies, etc.) that led to President Abraham Lincoln's orders to defeat Gen. Robert E. Lee's exhausted army at Antietam. Lee and other Confederate strategists had hoped to stage a surprise invasion, but Lee's battle plans fell into the hands of the Union army, and Lincoln's victory--which was essential to his issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation to end slavery--turned Antietam into the pivotal battle of the war. Although Child (who also directed Gettysburg: Three Days of Destiny) uses dramatic readings, maps, and photographs (especially the legendary battleground photos of Matthew Brady) in a manner similar to Ken Burns' epic-length documentary The Civil War, the look and presentation of Lincoln & Lee at Antietam is entirely different, with many sequences involving contemporary Antietam reenactments. Many of the Civil War's most colorful and important figures factor into this detailed 90-minute account, which clearly benefits from impeccable in-depth research. A 25-minute interview with Maxwell reveals the filmmaker's massive 15-year commitment to bringing his epics to the screen, and his feature-length commentary with Child lends another layer of detailed information to this authoritative DVD. --Jeff Shannon

Browse Social Studies Online

30 Years of National Geographic Specials

Description

Amazon.com

Riddles in Stone - Secret Mysteries of America's Beginnings Volume II: Secret Architecture of Washington, D.C.

Product Description

China: A Century of Revolution (Three Disc Set)

Product Description

SS United States: Lady in Waiting

Storm Over Everest

Product Description

NOVA: Newton's Dark Secrets (2005)

Description

RFK Must Die: The Assassination of Bobby Kennedy

Product Description

Civil War Combat: America's Bloodiest Battles

Amazon.com

John Adams Collection

Product Description

Lincoln and Lee at Antietam: The Cost of Freedom

Product Description

Amazon.com