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The story of the Second World War, told via personal accounts from four American towns. Now streaming.
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The War Logo
Discover what life was like for the 16 million American men and women who served during the war.

Watch 'The War' | Full Documentary Now Streaming

A Necessary War
The tranquil lives of the citizens of Mobile, AL; Sacramento, CA; Waterbury,CT; and Luverne,MN are shattered on December 7, 1941, as they, along with the rest of America are thrust into the greatest cataclysm in history.
Full Length 144m 51s
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A Necessary War
Full Length
A Necessary War
144m 51s
The tranquil lives of the citizens of Mobile, AL; Sacramento, CA; Waterbury,CT; and Luverne,MN are shattered on December 7, 1941, as they, along with the rest of America are thrust into the greatest cataclysm in history.
When Things Get Tough
Full Length
When Things Get Tough
117m 13s
Americans mobilize for total war at home and overseas. Factories hum around the clock, while North Africa and then Italy, inexperienced GIs learn how to fight. Meanwhile, in the skies over Europe, thousands of American airmen gamble their lives against preposterous odds on daylight bombing missions.
A Deadly Calling
Full Length
A Deadly Calling
112m 42s
Americans are shocked by terrible losses on the Pacific atoll of Tarawa, while in Italy Allied forces are stalled for months at Monte Cassino, and a risky landing at Anzio fails utterly. At home, as overcrowded "war towns" boom, economic transformation leads to confrontation and ugly racial violence.
Pride of our Nation
Full Length
Pride of our Nation
139m 15s
On June 6, 1944, D-Day, 1.5 million Allied troops take part in the greatest invasion in history, but then bog down in Norman hedgerows for weeks. Saipan proves the costliest Pacific battle to date, while back home dreaded telegrams for the War Department begin arriving at an inconceivable rate.
FUBAR
Full Length
FUBAR
126m 58s
Victory in Europe seems imminent, but Holland, the Vosges Mountains, and the Hurtgen Forest, GIs learn painful lessons as old as war itself - that generals make plans, plans go wrong and soldiers die. Meanwhile, on the island of Peleliu, the Marines fight one of the most brutal and unnecessary battles of the Pacific.
The Ghost Front
Full Length
The Ghost Front
119m 26s
Americans are shocked by Hitler's massive counterattack in the Ardennes Forest - but by mid March, 1945, they are across the Rhine, while Russians are 50 miles from Berlin. In the Pacific, after weeks of desperate fighting, Iwo Jima is secured, and American bombers begin a full-fledged air assault of Japan.
A World Without War
Full Length
A World Without War
127m 27s
A few weeks after the death of President Roosevelt shocks the country, Germany surrenders. Meanwhile, American sailors, soldiers and Marines endure the worst battle of the Pacific - Okinawa. In August, American planes drop atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the Japanese, too, surrender. Millions return home - to try to learn how to live in a world without war.
Intro
Clip
Intro
5m 35s
Watch the first few minutes of The War.
Making Of | Wynton Marsalis On Music
Preview
Making Of | Wynton Marsalis On Music
1m 22s
Wynton Marsalis talks about composing original music for “The War.”
Joseph Medicine Crow
Clip
Joseph Medicine Crow
8m 41s
Joe Medicine Crow, the last war chief of the Crow Tribe of Montana is profiled in The War, a film by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick.
Making Of | An Intimidating Project
Preview
Making Of | An Intimidating Project
2m 21s
Filmmakers Ken Burns and Lynn Novick talk about why “The War” was such an intimidating project and how they made the film.
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About the Film

The War is the story of the Second World War through the personal accounts of a handful of men and women from four American towns. The war touched the lives of every family on every street in every town in America and demonstrated that in extraordinary times, there are no ordinary lives.

Premiered on PBS: September 23, 2007

Read a Letter from the Filmmakers

Explore More

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The War Front

Read first-hand accounts of soldiers who experienced the battles fought in foreign countries and on the open seas during WWII.
Timelinepromo 1944 Normandylst Publicdomain Wikimediacommons | Timeline
Timeline

The war touched the lives of every family on every street in every town in America and demonstrated that in extraordinary times, there are no ordinary lives. Follow this timeline to chart the key events and figures.

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