PBS - Chicago: City of the Century (4-DVD)

The City of Big Shoulders was once little more than a troublesome marshland that had been ravaged by fire. This extensive look at the ingenuity that built the city of Chicago uses archival footage and photos along with enlightening interviews to offer a history Chicago. Studying the racial tension of this immigrant city as well as the dark gangster past and the Democratic machine, the documentary offers an unflinching portrait of a city whose architecture and labor relations were greatly influential in shaping America. The four volume series is narrated by Chicago reporter John Calloway and features the voices of historians specific to the city such as the legendary and colorful Studs Terkel.