''The Presidents: The Lives and Legacies of the 43 Leaders of the United States'' is a 3 DVD set documentary released in 2005 by

The History Channel History (formerly The History Channel from January 1, 1995 to February 15, 2008, stylized as HISTORY) is an American pay television network and flagship channel owned by A&E Networks, a joint venture between Hearst Communications and the Disney ...

Description

As the title suggests, the documentary presents a snapshot of life from the White House since independence of the United States. The documentary is based on the 2000 book ''To the Best of My Ability: The American Presidents'', edited by

James M. McPherson James Munro McPherson (born October 11, 1936) is an American Civil War historian, and is the George Henry Davis '86 Professor Emeritus of United States History at Princeton University. He received the 1989 Pulitzer Prize for '' Battle Cry ...

. Each DVD has three episodes. The documentary introduces each president with a bulletin card about his personality, and then proceeds to discuss political situation at the time, the turmoil and changes until the president's departure from office. The documentary details interesting stories like Thomas Jefferson's acquisition of Louisiana, Battle of the Petticoats, machinations of

Rutherford Hayes Rutherford may refer to: Places Australia * Rutherford, New South Wales, a suburb of Maitland * Rutherford (Parish), New South Wales, a civil parish of Yungnulgra County Canada * Mount Rutherford, Jasper National Park * Rutherford, Edmon ...

, Civil War, Reagan's Revolution and many others.

DVD 1

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...

to James Monroe: 1789-1825 *

John Quincy Adams John Quincy Adams (; July 11, 1767 – February 23, 1848) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, and diarist who served as the sixth president of the United States, from 1825 to 1829. He previously served as the eighth United States S ...

to James K. Polk: 1825-1849 * Zachary Taylor to

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation throu ...

: 1849-1865

DVD 2

Andrew Johnson Andrew Johnson (December 29, 1808July 31, 1875) was the 17th president of the United States, serving from 1865 to 1869. He assumed the presidency as he was vice president at the time of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Johnson was a De ...

Chester A. Arthur Chester Alan Arthur (October 5, 1829 – November 18, 1886) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 21st president of the United States from 1881 to 1885. He previously served as the 20th vice president under President James A ...

: 1865-1885 * Grover Cleveland to William Howard Taft: 1885-1913 *

Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was an American politician and academic who served as the 28th president of the United States from 1913 to 1921. A member of the Democratic Party, Wilson served as the president of ...

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As th ...

: 1913-1945

DVD 3

* Harry Truman to Gerald Ford: 1945-1977 * Jimmy Carter to

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...

: 1977–Present (2004 campaign) * Bonus Program: All the Presidents' Wives Re-aired, the final program includes the first term of

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...

, however, Edward Herrmann does not return as the narrator.

Credits

* Executive Producers : Craig Haffner and Donna E. Lusitana * Producer: Susan Werbe * Written and Produced by Rhys Thomas * Narrator: Edward Herrmann

External links

Amazon
Documentary films about American politics Films about presidents of the United States History (American TV channel) original programming {{poli-documentary-film-stub