This is the story of four American towns and how their citizens experienced the Second World War. Directed by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick, this 14-part series offers viewers a more personal side to what has been called the greatest cataclysm in human history. Through the personal accounts of a handful of men and women from four American towns: Mobile, Alabama; Sacramento, California; Waterbury, Connecticut; and Luverne, Minnesota, the documentary explores the impact of the war on the lives of those who served on the front lines, and their loved ones back home, revealing the intimate, human dimensions of the global catastrophe that took the lives of between 50 and 60 million people. Throughout the series, one theme remains constant: in extraordinary times, there are no ordinary lives.