The New York Times hailed Ken Burns as “the most accomplished documentary filmmaker of his generation.” “More Americans get their history from Ken Burns than any other source,” said late historian Stephen Ambrose. With almost twenty documentaries to his name, Ken has earned countless awards and nominations, ranging from Oscars to Peabodys.

 

His first feature film, “Brooklyn Bridge” (1981), about the heroic completion of the largest bridge of its era, was nominated for an Academy Award. He followed this early success with a string of several historical documentaries: “The Shakers: Hands to Work, Hearts to God,” “Statue of Liberty,” “Huey Long,” “The Congress,” and “Thomas Hart Benton.”

 

In 1990, Ken Burns served as the director, producer, co-writer, chief cinematographer, music director and executive producer of the epic television series “The Civil War,” which aired on PBS in nine episodes. “The Civil War” was the highest rated television series in the history of American public television at the time, with an audience of 40 million during its premier. Columnist George Will said about the series, “If better use has ever been made of television, I have not seen it and do not expect to see better until Ken Burns turns his prodigious talents to his next project.” The series was awarded with over 40 major film and television awards, including two Emmy Awards, two Grammys Awards, a People’s Choice Award, a Peabody Award, a D.W. Griffiths Award, and the $50,000 Lincoln Prize.

 

His next major project, “Baseball,” covered the entire history of baseball from the 1840’s to the late 1990’s. It premiered on PBS in 1994 and became the most watched series in PBS history, with over 45 million viewers. The Daily News said that the series “resonates like a Mozart symphony.”     

 

Ken continued to produce and direct critically acclaimed historical documentaries, “The West,” Thomas Jefferson,” “Lewis and Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery,” “Frank Lloyd Wright,” “Not for Ourselves Alone: The Story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Susan B. Anthony.”

 

In 2001, Ken directed his third epic documentary, “Jazz,” which traced the American art form’s transformations through the decades. Tom Brokaw said, “’Jazz’ is a masterpiece of American television.” Jack Newfield of the New York Post said, “Jazz is the best American documentary film I have ever seen. Period.”

 

Ken’s second war film, “The War” aired on PBS in 2007. This poignant feature on World War II follows the lives of four people throughout the U.S. who were all affected by the devastation.

 

His most recent project, “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea” will air on PBS September, 2009 in six episodes.

 

Ken was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1953. He currently resides in New Hampshire with his family.