3/5 Not As Interesting As The Movie, Not As Informative As The Book.
  by Toriach (somewhere, out there.)
My introduction to Charlie Wilson was through the movie starring Tom Hanks. This however got me interested enough to look for both the book and the History Channel documentary. The documentary while interesting dove tailed in some ways almost too closely with the movie. It is only after about the half way point that it goes into greater detail about what really happened, and even still it offers only a bare bones sketch compared to the book. While I do think the documentary is interesting and worthwhile, I would recommend it as a companion to the movie and book, as I do not think it is strong enough on its own merits.

1/5 Terrible
  by James R. Mitchell (Anniston, Alabama)
This is the worst thing I've ever bought on Amazon. The story stinks. Everyone thinks this man is a hero? He sucks.

4/5 straightforward presentation... fascinating story...
  by W.Kim (Los Angeles, California United States)
I haven't yet seen "Charlie Wilson's War" but I am watching the HIstory Channel's "The Truth @ Charlie Wilson's War," which thankfully is free of the bombast that nearly spoils some History Channel documentaries. But then the presentation doesn't really need it. The real life Charlie Wilson's Afghanistan adventure makes for a wild story, complete with high class 'socialites' determining the fate of nations, party-boy politicians, drug use scandals, illegal arms smuggling operations, and the lives of millions on the line - at least the Afghans wanted Wilson's help (and that makes a big difference for me), and whatever has followed since, he definitely delivered, in his own unique way. There's nothing fancy about the storytelling here, but the story doesn't need the embellishment.

5/5 I loved it!
  by J. Bockius (Northern California, USA)
I had never heard of Charlie Wilson before. Back when all these events were taking place in the '80s I was busy having babies and (to my deterrment) ignored politics. No interest at all; blissfully ignorant. I did not bother seeing the move Charlie Wilson's War at the theater, and actually had never heard of it till it was nominated for some Oscar Awards. I was channel surfing one day and came across this documentary on the History channel. I watched it and was so uplifted by it that I had to see the Tom Hanks movie. Charlie Wilson is no saint, which he readily admits.

This is a wonderful American story and I think the documentary is even more entertaining than the movie. I haven't bought this DVD yet, but I think I will. It's excellent!

5/5 The real Charlie Wilson in his own words
  by Jeedgr (Wayne, PA USA)
If you want to meet the real Charlie Wilson and the real exchanges that took place as he forstered the Afgan effort to drive the Russians out of of Afganistan, then you'll want to see the History Channels "True Story". It involves so much detail about how things get done in Washington and in Congress that if your like me you'll watch it over and over. This is no movie made up by Hollywood, but, except for some parts, it puts together documentary scenes with the protagonist himself, Congressman Charlie Wilson, telling story, how he got Congress to fund the weapons and supplies to the Afgans, how he made visits to the right world leaders to help instigate it, and without a lot of publicity.

One scene that the History Channel had that unfortunately did not get onto the DVD is the finale of the Russians, as they were leaving Afghanistan across freedom bridge, requested that Charlie show up in military uniform. Charlie thought the Russians were going to shoot him since he was not at that moment a civilian, but they wanted to salute the man who pulled off uniting a people who drove them out.

Unfortunately also, we never got hear Charlies views and efforts to overcome the Pakistani's who never could be trusted in the beginning and are doing everything they can today to support the middle-east terrorists following the Bin Laden cult, and of course to continue to be one of the 80 or so despot governments that now run the UN.