THE WAR | Near Execution | PBS

THE WAR, a seven-part series directed and produced by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick, tells the story of the Second World War through the personal accounts of a handful of men and women from four quintessentially American towns. This exclusive, revelatory "first look" at THE WAR and its creation provides excerpts from the series, insights from the on-screen participants, of creating this series at this time. During the preview, you'll see some of the work that went into making the seven-part documentary about World War II. Excerpts are introduced by interview footage of the filmmakers or participants in the film.

THE WAR, a seven-part series directed and produced by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick, tells the story of the Second World War through the personal accounts of a handful of men and women from four quintessentially American towns. Sidney Phillips worries that his colorful wartime vocabulary might follow him home to Mobile, AL, in this clip from part five.

THE WAR, a seven-part series directed and produced by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick, tells the story of the Second World War through the personal accounts of a handful of men and women from four quintessentially American towns. In part five, Mobile's Willie Rushton survives being wounded in combat, but discovers that his battle is far from over.

THE WAR, a seven-part series directed and produced by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick, tells the story of the Second World War through the personal accounts of a handful of men and women from four quintessentially American towns. Mobile GI Dwain Luce talks about luck and finds a rare bit of humor in the trenches, in this clip from part five.

THE WAR, a seven-part series directed and produced by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick, tells the story of the Second World War through the personal accounts of a handful of men and women from four quintessentially American towns. From episode four - Quentin Aanenson, a fighter pilot from Luverne, MN, explains what it was like to find the enemy in his gun sights - and pulling the trigger for the first time.

THE WAR, a seven-part series directed and produced by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick, tells the story of the Second World War through the personal accounts of a handful of men and women from four quintessentially American towns. Mobile's Maurice Bell recounts the landing at Tarawa, a tiny Pacific island, as he observed it from the deck of the U.S.S. Indianapolis. Clip from part three.

THE WAR, a seven-part series directed and produced by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick, tells the story of the Second World War through the personal accounts of a handful of men and women from four quintessentially American towns. Glenn Frazier talks about near-execution After surviving the "Bataan Death March," Mobile's Glenn Frazier recounts a near-death experience from a Japanese prison camp. From part one.

THE WAR, a seven-part series directed and produced by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick, tells the story of the Second World War through the personal accounts of a handful of men and women from four quintessentially American towns. In this excerpt from episode one, Sidney Phillips of Mobile, AL describes how he set out to enlist in the Navy... but ended up in the Marines.

THE WAR, a seven-part series directed and produced by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick, tells the story of the Second World War through the personal accounts of a handful of men and women from four quintessentially American towns. Directors Ken Burns and Lynn Novick reflect on the meaning of WWII, and why, even after more than six decades, it continues to fascinate America.

THE WAR, a seven-part series directed and produced by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick, tells the story of the Second World War through the personal accounts of a handful of men and women from four quintessentially American towns. Directors Ken Burns and Lynn Novick describe the challenges they faced in assembling thousands of hours of film footage into the finished series