History Channel: Cowboys & Outlaws (2-DVD)

They carved out a unique and enduring place within American iconography, but a real and powerful history belies the mythos. For a brief period that peaked during the immediate post Civil War years, as Manifest Destiny reigned supreme, cowboys drove westward into the Great American Frontier. For some, such as the herders who drove cattle from the Texas plains to the heads of the great northern railroads, it was a time of enormous opportunity. But this period also bred outlaws, thanks in no small part to the widespread lawlessness: merely wearing a badge and wielding a gun signified authority. This unique documentary series from The History Channel probes the experiences and roles of cowboys and outlaws during the said period - with a combination of dramatic reenactments, forensic evidence, incisive narration by Bray Poor and a host of other elements that help recreate the era and subjects in question. The full program, as presented in this two-disc set, runs approximately 4 hours and 42 minutes.