Even today, almost 150 years after General Robert E. Lee’s surrender at Appomattox Court House, unexpected secrets and little known stories of the American Civil War continue to emerge from the annals of history. In this outstanding 4-DVD set from HISTORY™, archival letters, original diary entries, sophisticated cinematic re-enactments, and interviews with renowned historians bring these buried events vividly to life. At Mine Creek in Kansas, it took only thirty minutes for 2,800 Union cavalry troops to defeat a Confederate force more than twice its size, yet this battle remains relatively unknown. The same can be said of a Confederate raid on Vermont, and an attempt by Union coal miners to blow up a Southern fort by tunnelling beneath it.

Each of these fascinating programmes explores incidents not covered in textbooks or lecture halls – the events that add excitement, meaning, and nuance to history. Once you’ve watched this captivating set, the Civil War will never look the same.