I’m a big fan of Ken Burns so I’m looking forward to this documentary about the Dust Bowl. Here is another man-made disaster that brought thousands of farmers to their knees. Diane and I really liked Ken Burns’ Prohibition series last year. Watching Ken Burns’ work is a painless way to learn history. Check for the local times in your area. And check out the trailer below.
JAZZ was a weak series, particularly as it moved past swing and into the 1940s and later, so the quality of his productions is contingent on his partners…so…a painless way to take a first or refresher look at the subject in question, anyway…
I agree with you, Todd. JAZZ was the weakest series. But PROHIBITION was top-notch.
I’m so looking forward to this. My husband was born in Oklahoma and both sets of his grandparents lived through the Dust Bowl and his parents were born at the tail end of it, so there are plenty of “Dust Bowl memories” in the family.
Todd–Burns has been a bit hit-or-miss for me. Although I love baseball, his baseball documentary bored me. But I really enjoyed his documentary about Prohibition. It probably helped that I’d just read Daniel Okrent’s Last Call, a history of prohibition, and he was one of Burns’s talking heads and contributors.
Like you, Deb, I’m not a baseball fan so I skipped Burns’ baseball documentary. When Burns is on, he turns out terrific programs.
Good book on the Dustbowl is THE WORST HARD TIME by Timothy Egan. Fiction, Phil liked THE TIME IT NEVER RAINED by Elmer Kelton.
Tell Phil I really enjoyed reading THE TIME IT NEVER RAINED, too, Patti. Kelton is an underrated writer. I’ll look for THE WORST HARD TIME.
Yes, Prohibition was good but nothing tops The Civil War for me.
Ken Burns will be remembered for his civil war series, Jeff. Hard to top that.
Patti, I’ve read a few mysteries set in the Dust Bowl and if I can remember the titles and authors I’ll list them.
OK, remembered one: COYOTE REVENGE by former Oklahoma Senator Fred Harris, set in 1937 Oklahoma.
We’ll be watching too. I liked Civil War and the one on Lewis and Clark, Baseball and Jazz were weak. I’m also not convinced on his next one, du out sometime next year.
Here are Ken Burns’ future projects, Rick:
The Central Park Five (2013)
The Roosevelts (2014)
Jackie Robinson (2015)
Vietnam (2016)
Country Music (2018)
Ernest Hemingway (2019)
I liked Burns until I saw him on a show that was discussingthe idea of Confederate flags on state capitols or as part of state flags. He didn’t know what he was talking about.
We just watched it and enjoyed it. Part II tomorrow!
The deaths of the children from the dust saddened me, Rick. I had no idea it was that bad.
I DVR’d it.
Part One of THE DUST BOWL was heart-breaking, Jeff. I just hope things improve for those poor farmers in tonight’s Part Two.