School of the Soldier - Program II (1996)

Topsy: The Last American Camel

The extraordinary and storied life of Topsy, a bactrian camel, whose career spanned the military, the mines, the movies and more.

How to Build an Igloo

This classic short film shows how to make an igloo using only snow and a knife. Two Inuit men in Canada’s Far North choose the site, cut and place snow blocks and create an entrance--a shelter completed in one-and-a-half hours. The commentary explains that the interior warmth and the wind outside cement the snow blocks firmly together. As the short winter day darkens, the two builders move their caribou sleeping robes and extra skins indoors, confident of spending a snug night in the midst of the Arctic cold!

Losing Our Religion

Brendan is a pastor in a small, evangelical church, and he has a secret. He doesn't believe in God anymore. His wife is still a true believer - and she just told the wrong person. Losing Our Religion is a feature length documentary about preachers who are not believers, and what atheists do when they miss church. Allowed access to the 600 members of The Clergy Project - a safe haven for preachers from all faiths who no longer believe - the documentary follows ex-members and clergy who are still undercover. They are not just losing their religion, for many they are losing their friends, community and even family. As well as their job. As events unfold that change lives forever, their stories also connect with secular communities that are growing in surprising places. New groups are experimenting in ways to have church without god, and asking the same question as unbelieving clergy - "what's next?"

Jessica Drake's Guide to Wicked Sex: The Art of Striptease

Want to become more body confident, learn some sensual dance moves, and spice up your love life? Join me, Wicked Pictures Contract Performer and Sex Educator Jessica Drake, to explore The Art of Striptease. You'll learn everything from getting dressed to taking it off, how to perfect your walk of seduction, how to give him a great lap dance, and even some beginning pole tricks!

Make a Chair From a Tree

Make a Chair From a Tree presents an informative history of chairmaking and joinery. Author J. Alexander brings the old method of using wood shrinkage to join parts back to modern woodworking, from splitting and shaping wood straight from the tree to the chair as well as finishing the chair and even weaving a bark seat. Using simple hand tools, you will see how to split and shape green wood into posts, rungs, and slats.

Beyond Boundaries: The Harvey Weinstein Scandal

Examine the rise and fall of Hollywood media mogul Harvey Weinstein following the scandal in 2017. Learn from exclusive interviews with those who knew him in the industry, and a discussion of the start of the #MeToo movement.

Martha's Guests: Master Chefs

Take a tip or two from the masters of cooking as host Martha Stewart invites a variety of top chefs into her kitchen to whip-up a delectable array of tasty treats in this release that covers the gamut of international cuisine. It's a culinary world tour as Stewart is joined by chef Bobby Flay for such American fare as oven-roasted ribs, Mario Batali for the old-Italian standard spaghetti alla Carbonera, Daniel Boulud for the French favorite Cote de Bouef, Jose Hurtado for some tasty Mexican calamari, and Eileen Yin-Fei Lo for some truly picture-perfect pork buns. With all this and much, much, more, home viewers will finally have a chance to learn from the best as they create masterful meals that the whole family will enjoy.

Death of a Nation

Parallels are drawn between Abraham Lincoln's presidency and the presidency of Donald Trump. Not since 1860 have the Democrats so fanatically refused to accept the result of a free election. That year, their target was Lincoln. They smeared him. They went to war to defeat him. In the end, they assassinated him.

The American Dream: Europeans in the New World

The history of Europeans in North America, from the arrival of Columbus in 1492 to the business success of German immigrants such as Heinz, Strauss or Friedrich Trumpf, Donald Trump's grandfather. During the 19th century, thirty million people — Germans, Irish, Scots, Russians, Hungarians, Italians and many others — left the old continent, fleeing poverty, racism or political repression, hoping to make a fortune and realize the American dream.

The Gettysburg Story

A documentary about the Battle of Gettysburg during the US Civil War.

The True Story of the Mary Celeste

On December 4, 1872, the unmanned Mary Celeste was found adrift in the Atlantic with its cargo fully intact. The mystery of this "ghost ship" remained unanswered for over 135 years. What happened to the Mary Celeste is widely regarded as the most famous mystery of the sea. Watch it unfold to its stunning conclusion, at last.

Lincoln's Last Night

Re-enactments augment this documentary that chronicles Lincoln's journey from his early years as a rising politician through his presidency, the Civil War and to his untimely death.

Winning Lotto Lottery Strategies

As a leading recognized gaming expert for over 15 years, David Wilhite has taught hundreds of thousands of people how to increase their odds against the casino just by playing smart! Now David puts his expertise to work against the Lottery/Lotto. Analyzing all the odds and probabilities. David shows you how to wheel your favorite numbers to your advantage. David also shows you how to find the numbers that are most often drawn in your Lottery/Lotto.

Michel Troisgros: Inventing Cuisine

Well before many chefs of his generation, Michel Troisgros hit on culinary practice and culture which today lie at the heart of world gastronomy. Refusing to bend to fashion, his cuisine is unrestrained and personal, bright and cheerful, making the world-renowned Maison Troisgros resolutely modern even four decades after its inception. This tasty yet minimalist cuisine is echoed in Paul Lacoste's meticulous direction, where the handsome lighting and smart photography make the film a pure delicacy.

Build a Sturdy Workbench in Two Days with Christopher Schwarz

Join Christopher Schwarz for a woodworking tutorial and learn how to build a workbench in two days. With a base built from standard 4×4 lumber, a base with half-lap construction, and a top made from two IKEA countertops, the demonstrated design is a seriously sturdy bench that no one will question for quality. Once the workbench construction is complete, you’ll have no shortage of working surface or dog holes.

School of the Soldier - Program I

The one (actually two) and only program(s) for the Civil War Reenactor, and anyone who wants to know how soldiers were trained for the campaigns and battles in the War Between the States. This program has been purchased for National Park Service staff and volunteers, by museums and historic places for instruction on small arms firing, and by top-quality units who reenact the Civil War. Filmed at Petersburg National Battlefield, and historic Fort Mackinac, in Michigan, this is the only in-depth study of the army’s training manuals, with special attention paid to the variants that each side used for different units.

The Battle of Stones River

The Battle of Stones River comes to life through original photos, maps and the backdrop of one of the largest re-enactments ever held in Tennessee with an impressive cast of over 5,000 "soldiers" in full battle regalia. Learn about the commanders and their soldiers that fought the Battle of Stones River, the bloodiest battle in the state of Tennessee.

A Traditional Tool Chest in Two Days

Woodworkers who use traditional tool chests swear they're the most convenient way to organize tools for work in their shops or offsite. Now, Christopher Schwarz has designed a chest you can make in just two days using modern materials and contemporary joinery techniques. Whether your focus is hand tool or power tool woodworking, you'll find this tool chest indispensable.

Martha's Summer Favorites

Dive into summer and all the wonderful things it has to offer with this collection of recipes and seasonal project ideas, culled from the archives of the Martha Stewart empire. Easy-to-follow segments provide a list of kid-friendly activities to add flair to your next family outing; show you how to prepare delicious meals and cocktails for stress-free outdoor dining; and include a tutorial the best way to fire up the family barbecue.

Michel Bras: Inventing Cuisine

Made in France, English subtitled. In-depth portraits of internationally acclaimed chefs featuring exclusive interviews. Michel Bras is one of France's greatest cooks, obtaining his third star in 2000 and rated #7 on the 2008 World's 50 Best Restaurants chart. We will taste four dishes, cinematographically describe what we feel, then work through each dish's culinary fabrication to the true subject of the series: investigating the ways that one invents cuisine by revisiting their space and time.

The Naked Woodworker

“The Naked Woodworker” video seeks to answer the simple question: How do you get started in woodworking when you have nothing? No tools. No bench. No skills. And no knowledge of where to begin. Veteran woodworker and teacher Mike Siemsen helps you take your first steps into the craft without spending a lot of money or spend years setting up shop. In fact, Mike shows you how to acquire a decent set of tools and build a workbench and sawbench for about $600 or $700 – something you can accomplish during a few weekends of work.

Inside the Anarchist's Tool Chest

After writing “The Anarchist’s Tool Chest” in 2011 people kept asking what specific tools are in Christopher Schwarz's tool chest? What follows is a one-hour tour of the tools in his chest on a summer day in 2011.

Handsaws: Tune-up, Setup & More

To get the best performance from your handsaws they need to fit your body and be properly set up. Host Ron Herman shares with you his years of experience with handsaws to make sure you're getting the most from these essential woodworking tools.

Ride with the Devil

Ride with the Devil follows four people who are fighting for truth and justice amidst the turmoil of the American Civil War. Director Ang Lee takes us to a no man's land on the Missouri/Kansas border where a staunch loyalist, an immigrant's son, a freed slave, and a young widow form an unlikely friendship as they learn how to survive in an uncertain time. In a place without rules and redefine the meaning of bravery and honor.

C.S.A.: The Confederate States of America

Through the eyes of a British "documentary", this film takes a satirically humorous, and sometimes frightening, look at the history of an America where the South won the Civil War.

The Tall Target

A detective tries to prevent the assassination of President-elect Abraham Lincoln during a train ride headed for Washington in 1861.

House of Seven Belles

The seven sisters of the outcast LeFleur family try to survive in a post-Civil War Deep South. The movie was unable to be completed, thus, it may be left to the viewer to imagine the ending to his screeching, sinful epic.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

While the Civil War rages on between the Union and the Confederacy, three men – a quiet loner, a ruthless hitman, and a Mexican bandit – comb the American Southwest in search of a strongbox containing $200,000 in stolen gold.

Gone with the Wind

The spoiled daughter of a Georgia plantation owner conducts a tumultuous romance with a cynical profiteer during the American Civil War and Reconstruction Era.

The Birth of a Nation

Two families, abolitionist Northerners the Stonemans and Southern landowners the Camerons, intertwine. When Confederate colonel Ben Cameron is captured in battle, nurse Elsie Stoneman petitions for his pardon. In Reconstruction-era South Carolina, Cameron founds the Ku Klux Klan, battling Elsie's congressman father and his African-American protégé, Silas Lynch.

Glory

Robert Gould Shaw leads the US Civil War's first all-black volunteer company, fighting prejudices of both his own Union army and the Confederates.

American Confederate

A look at a group of Union and Confederate cavalry from late 1862 until the end of the Civil War in 1865.

Gettysburg

In the summer of 1863, General Robert E. Lee leads the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia into Gettysburg, Pennsylvania with the goal of marching through to Washington, D.C. The Union Army of the Potomac, under the command of General George G. Meade, forms a defensive position to confront the rebel forces in what will prove to be the decisive battle of the American Civil War.

The Outlaw Josey Wales

After avenging his family's brutal murder, Wales is pursued by a pack of soldiers. He prefers to travel alone, but ragtag outcasts are drawn to him - and Wales can't bring himself to leave them unprotected.

2001 Maniacs

On their way to Spring Break, college kids take a detour through an old Southern town. The people of Pleasant Valley insist the kids stay for their annual barbecue celebration... but instead of getting a taste of the old South, the old South gets a taste of them!

The General

During America’s Civil War, Union spies steal engineer Johnny Gray's beloved locomotive, 'The General'—with Johnnie's lady love aboard an attached boxcar—and he single-handedly must do all in his power to both get The General back and to rescue Annabelle.

Sahara

Seasoned adventurer and treasure hunter Dirk Pitt, a former Navy SEAL, sets out for the African desert with his wisecracking buddy Al in search of a confederate ironclad battleship rumored to have vanished long ago, the main draw being the treasure supposedly hidden within the lost vessel. When the daring duo come across Dr. Eva Rojas, a beautiful scientist who is juggling an escape from a warlord and a mission to stop the spread of a powerful plague, their desert expedition begins to heat up.

Mysterious Island

During the US Civil War, Union POWs escape in a balloon and end up stranded on a South Pacific island, inhabited by giant plants and animals. They must use their ingenuity to survive the dangers, and to devise a way to return home. Sequel to '20,000 Leagues Under the Sea' .

Gods and Generals

The film centers mostly around the personal and professional life of Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, a brilliant if eccentric Confederate general, from the outbreak of the American Civil War until its halfway point.

Andersonville

This lengthy docudrama records the harrowing conditions at the Confederacy's most notorious prisoner-of-war camp. The drama unfolds through the eyes of a company of Union soldiers captured at the Battle of Cold Harbor, VA, in June 1864, and shipped to the camp in southern Georgia. A private, Josiah Day, and his sergeant try to hold their company together in the face of squalid living conditions, inhumane punishments, and a gang of predatory fellow prisoners called the Raiders.

Dead Birds

Towards the end of the Civil War, a group of Confederate soldiers hole up on an abandoned plantation after robbing a bank, and find themselves at the mercy of supernatural forces.

National Treasure: Book of Secrets

Benjamin Franklin Gates and Abigail Chase re-team with Riley Poole and, now armed with a stack of long-lost pages from John Wilkes Booth's diary, Ben must follow a clue left there to prove his ancestor's innocence in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.

The Legend of Zorro

Despite trying to keep his swashbuckling to a minimum, a threat to California's pending statehood causes the adventure-loving Don Alejandro de la Vega and his wife, Elena, to take action.