America has generally dominated the world scene since World War I … for better or worse. As an American, the shame I currently feel over America’s heavy and destructive hand is balanced both by my knowledge of her past triumphs, and my hope in her future wisdom.

This kind of realistic and balanced view of history courses through this magnificent new DVD set entitled THE PRESIDENTS.

The collection gathers together ten massive documentaries broadcast on the Public Broadcasting System’s acclaimed AMERICAN EXPERIENCE series. The collection chronicles the terms of the last ten U.S. Presidents since the 1930’s.

Beginning with the classy and aloof Theodore Roosevelt, the series follows American and world history through a highly-detailed pastiche of news clips, film, video, and letters. Each President is given a thorough and honest treatment, with some (Reagan and JFK) receiving multiple discs to tell their story.

The films themselves are world-class examples of true documentary style; dispassionate, brutally honest, and comprehensive. For a series produced for an American audience, these documentaries are remarkably candid about the many failures of the men chronicled. Especially revealing are the Richard Nixon and Jimmy Carter docs, which speak in revelatory ways about the flaws and foibles of these two misunderstood Presidents.

While some of the documentaries definitely spoke to me personally - I was a Ronald Reagan kid - several documentaries surprised me tremendously. For instance, the George H.W. Bush doc revealed a man of tremendous moral and fiscal principle - too bad it didn’t pass into his dipshit son - who laid the groundwork for the financial prosperity of Bill Clinton’s following Presidency. And there is no doubt that Jimmy Carter received the brunt of the hostility that arose from the decisions and policies of former Presidents Nixon and Gerald Ford.

And that is, ultimately, the lasting gift of this boxed set. The viewer is able to see Presidential history as it actually is: a woven carpet of decisions and actions that echo and ripple far past the last day in the Oval Office. In an America currently being torn apart by (yet another) war of partisanship, it’s easy to forget how much each President affects the next, and how each decision - no matter how small - has consequences that pay off in due time.

This series is essential viewing for lovers of history … but for Americans, viewing this is crucial.

THE AMERICAN PRESIDENTS COLLECTION IS AVAILABLE WORLDWIDE FROM AXEL MUSIC