This show should actually be called The Story of All of US because it only includes world history that, in some way, has affected the USA.
I wrote that previous sentence before I learned that there already was a previous series titled America: The Story of the US. I haven't seen that series, but I honestly have no idea what the difference is between these two shows. The most absurd example I can remember is that, while discussing the first time mass production was ever used, it is interrupted by a lengthy American Civil War segment talking about how America perfected mass production centuries later and how the original version was far inferior. It was completely uncalled for and seemed very out of place.
Speaking of absurdity, the segment discussing the Chinese invention and militarization of GUNPOWDER ends with a stereotyped Kung Fu fist fight. Why?
Another poor point is that the "experts" they bring in for discussion are typically not experts. There are a couple of ex-soldiers and Dr. Oz. No respectable doctors or historians. No high ranking military officers. Everything they said sounded just as generic and common knowledge as Brolin's narration.
Despite all of that, it's hard to blame them for directing the narrative when you're only given 9 hours to tell the entirety of human history. The show does still give a good, brief summary of an American world history course. People who would like a refresher on that information will probably enjoy this show, but don't watch it expecting it to teach you anything you haven't heard before.
I wrote that previous sentence before I learned that there already was a previous series titled America: The Story of the US. I haven't seen that series, but I honestly have no idea what the difference is between these two shows. The most absurd example I can remember is that, while discussing the first time mass production was ever used, it is interrupted by a lengthy American Civil War segment talking about how America perfected mass production centuries later and how the original version was far inferior. It was completely uncalled for and seemed very out of place.
Speaking of absurdity, the segment discussing the Chinese invention and militarization of GUNPOWDER ends with a stereotyped Kung Fu fist fight. Why?
Another poor point is that the "experts" they bring in for discussion are typically not experts. There are a couple of ex-soldiers and Dr. Oz. No respectable doctors or historians. No high ranking military officers. Everything they said sounded just as generic and common knowledge as Brolin's narration.
Despite all of that, it's hard to blame them for directing the narrative when you're only given 9 hours to tell the entirety of human history. The show does still give a good, brief summary of an American world history course. People who would like a refresher on that information will probably enjoy this show, but don't watch it expecting it to teach you anything you haven't heard before.