I'm re-watching this HBO series for the 6th or 7th time (I have the DVD set.)
I honestly believe this series is the greatest thing that TV has ever produced - better than Roots, The Holocaust, North and South, etc.
Any other fans of this series?
Band of Brothers
Moderators: Cagliostro, sgt.null
-
Worm of Despite
- Lord
- Posts: 9546
- Joined: Sat Oct 26, 2002 7:46 pm
- Location: Rome, GA
- Contact:
-
lhaughlhann
- <i>Elohim</i>
- Posts: 134
- Joined: Mon Nov 08, 2004 8:17 pm
- Location: South Africa
-
duchess of malfi
- The Gap Into Spam
- Posts: 11104
- Joined: Tue Oct 15, 2002 9:20 pm
- Location: Michigan, USA
I've been catching bits of it on the History Channel recently, and I actually got to watch an entire episode on one of my days off of work a couple of weekends ago. I was so impressed with that episode (when they were going through their training) I have ordered the dvd set from Amazon (where it is currently on sale). 
This series shows what television could be, but so rarely is...
This series shows what television could be, but so rarely is...
Love as thou wilt.
[quote="Darth Revan"]It is totally amazing. I love it...
The best part, for me, is the beginning where the real people talk about it...quote]
I know what you mean. Also, the documentary "We stand alone...together" has several other interviews with the real people. It's included on the extra features DVD, Duchess - be sure to watch that also!
The best part, for me, is the beginning where the real people talk about it...quote]
I know what you mean. Also, the documentary "We stand alone...together" has several other interviews with the real people. It's included on the extra features DVD, Duchess - be sure to watch that also!
-
duchess of malfi
- The Gap Into Spam
- Posts: 11104
- Joined: Tue Oct 15, 2002 9:20 pm
- Location: Michigan, USA
It finally arrived late yesterday afternoon. Calibaby (a WW2 buff) and I watched the first four episodes while the kids were downstairs (there are some realistic rather gory sequences and I didn't want the kids, especially the 12 year old, to see those).
This is the best thing I have ever seen that was made for television.
For those who do not know, it tells the story of the men of "Easy Company", who were soldiers who parachuted behind enemy lines in WW2 to soften things up so the regular army could come in. This particular company had something like a 150% casualty rate.
Episode 1 told the story of the men going through their training.
Episode 2 told of D-Day, where the men were dropped behind German lines in Normandy and had to take out artillery that was shelling the invasion beaches.
Episode 3 told of the battle to take a little French town with an important crossroads. The company takes a lot of casualties there.
Episode 4 brought in replacement men for some of the killed and wounded. The men parachute into the Netherlands, where the fight with the Germans was much more tough than anticipated. That episode also contained some very moving scenes involving civilians, especially a little Dutch kid who tastes chocolate for the first time. Little scenes like that begin to show what life was like in occupied Europe, and the deprivations the regular civilians underwent. The courage of the Dutch resistance is also shown (one man tries to scream a warning to the Americans out of a window to run away, as the Germans were there in strength, but they didn't understand his warning).
I can't wait to see some more episodes. This miniseries is of extremely high quality, and is based on the letters, journals, and memories of the men who participated. The beginning of each chapter has snippets of interviews with some of the actual men who served.
Calibaby (a WW2 buff) and I watched the first four episodes while the kids were downstairs (there are some realistic rather gory sequences and I didn't want the kids, especially the 12 year old, to see those).This is the best thing I have ever seen that was made for television.
For those who do not know, it tells the story of the men of "Easy Company", who were soldiers who parachuted behind enemy lines in WW2 to soften things up so the regular army could come in. This particular company had something like a 150% casualty rate.
Episode 1 told the story of the men going through their training.
Episode 2 told of D-Day, where the men were dropped behind German lines in Normandy and had to take out artillery that was shelling the invasion beaches.
Episode 3 told of the battle to take a little French town with an important crossroads. The company takes a lot of casualties there.
Episode 4 brought in replacement men for some of the killed and wounded. The men parachute into the Netherlands, where the fight with the Germans was much more tough than anticipated. That episode also contained some very moving scenes involving civilians, especially a little Dutch kid who tastes chocolate for the first time. Little scenes like that begin to show what life was like in occupied Europe, and the deprivations the regular civilians underwent. The courage of the Dutch resistance is also shown (one man tries to scream a warning to the Americans out of a window to run away, as the Germans were there in strength, but they didn't understand his warning).
I can't wait to see some more episodes. This miniseries is of extremely high quality, and is based on the letters, journals, and memories of the men who participated. The beginning of each chapter has snippets of interviews with some of the actual men who served.
Love as thou wilt.
-
duchess of malfi
- The Gap Into Spam
- Posts: 11104
- Joined: Tue Oct 15, 2002 9:20 pm
- Location: Michigan, USA
We finished it up tonight, including the bonus disc. The episodes in Belgium with the Battle of the Bulge made my husband sick. He had to keep covering his face or leaving the room. 
One of them centered on one of the combat medics, and it was an episode where many of the men who had been there since D-Day were killed or seriously wounded. The courage and determination of combat medics cannot be overstated.
During the Battle of the Bulge, Easy Company was sent into an area where they knew they would be surrounded by German troops in Belgian forests. The German offensive was a surprise, so the men were sent in without enough ammunition, food, medical supplies, or winter clothing (it was freezing cold, in the snow, the middle of winter). They were sent in when the regular army was retreating, because they were trained to be surrounded and on their own, as they were paratroopers. They had to hold these positions under heavy shelling for weeks until Patton broke through to relieve them.
Afterwards, they push on into Germany. The end of the war is near, and the company has faced great hardship, pain, and death. The men are all beginning to seriously question why they had to go to Europe and fight at all.
Then they find a concentration camp (something none of them even knew existed) while scouting through the woods. The episode called Why We Fight made both of us cry like babies.
And yes, Don, the bonus disc with the documentary of the actual men telling their wartime experiences was very moving.
One of them centered on one of the combat medics, and it was an episode where many of the men who had been there since D-Day were killed or seriously wounded. The courage and determination of combat medics cannot be overstated.During the Battle of the Bulge, Easy Company was sent into an area where they knew they would be surrounded by German troops in Belgian forests. The German offensive was a surprise, so the men were sent in without enough ammunition, food, medical supplies, or winter clothing (it was freezing cold, in the snow, the middle of winter). They were sent in when the regular army was retreating, because they were trained to be surrounded and on their own, as they were paratroopers. They had to hold these positions under heavy shelling for weeks until Patton broke through to relieve them.
Afterwards, they push on into Germany. The end of the war is near, and the company has faced great hardship, pain, and death. The men are all beginning to seriously question why they had to go to Europe and fight at all.
Then they find a concentration camp (something none of them even knew existed) while scouting through the woods. The episode called Why We Fight made both of us cry like babies.
And yes, Don, the bonus disc with the documentary of the actual men telling their wartime experiences was very moving.
Love as thou wilt.
The episodes of Bastogne are heart wrenching. There is one particular scene with a real life veteran who says something like "My wife will tell you - on a cold night, when we're getting ready for bed, I always say 'I'm glad I'm not in Bastogne.'" That always breaks my heart.
Your comment about Patton (who has always fascinated me, BTW) relieving Easy made me remember what that no member of Easy has ever admitted to needing Patton's help at Bastogne. They were a proud group of men, weren't they?
When you get a chance, pick up the book by Ambrose. It's a difficult read at times (Ambrose' writing style can be quite disconnected) but worthy of your time. At the end of the book he goes into a bit of detail about the lives of the Tacoa men after the war, and he puts a little blurb in there about Sobel that you'll find interesting.
Check out this link:
www.voicenet.com/~lpadilla/winters.html
It gives the story of how Winters was screwed out of a Medal of Honor at DDay.
Calibaby will enjoy the rest of this site, it's a great site and the information is well researched.
Your comment about Patton (who has always fascinated me, BTW) relieving Easy made me remember what that no member of Easy has ever admitted to needing Patton's help at Bastogne. They were a proud group of men, weren't they?
When you get a chance, pick up the book by Ambrose. It's a difficult read at times (Ambrose' writing style can be quite disconnected) but worthy of your time. At the end of the book he goes into a bit of detail about the lives of the Tacoa men after the war, and he puts a little blurb in there about Sobel that you'll find interesting.
Check out this link:
www.voicenet.com/~lpadilla/winters.html
It gives the story of how Winters was screwed out of a Medal of Honor at DDay.
Calibaby will enjoy the rest of this site, it's a great site and the information is well researched.
not many posts on this thread recenly-i geuss you can only say something is brilliant so many times-but im new and i just have to shout at the top of my lungs that this series is the greatest thing since the invention of the wheel and i only have it on vcr. i may have to invest in the dvds for those extra interviews.FLAWLESS. 
It'd take you a long time to blow up or shoot all the sheep in this country, but one diseased banana...could kill 'em all.
I didn't even know sheep ate bananas.
I didn't even know sheep ate bananas.
FYI - some great links providing additional information about Band of Brothers:
www.kramerg.com/tircuit/ - a site dedicated to the memory of Medic Eugene Roe
forums.wildbillguarnere.com/index.php?act=idx - Sgt. Bill Guarnere's website, this site has TONS of great information
www.majordickwinters.com/ - major focus of this website is a movement currently underway to have Congress and the President upgrade Winter's DSC to the Medal of Honor.
www.kramerg.com/tircuit/ - a site dedicated to the memory of Medic Eugene Roe
forums.wildbillguarnere.com/index.php?act=idx - Sgt. Bill Guarnere's website, this site has TONS of great information
www.majordickwinters.com/ - major focus of this website is a movement currently underway to have Congress and the President upgrade Winter's DSC to the Medal of Honor.
-
duchess of malfi
- The Gap Into Spam
- Posts: 11104
- Joined: Tue Oct 15, 2002 9:20 pm
- Location: Michigan, USA
Ran into this today at the grocery store of all places!! 
www.amazon.com/gp/product/0425208133/10 ... e&n=283155
Looks like it was just published a couple of months ago.
www.amazon.com/gp/product/0425208133/10 ... e&n=283155
Looks like it was just published a couple of months ago.
Love as thou wilt.
-
Rau Le Creuset
- <i>Elohim</i>
- Posts: 194
- Joined: Sat Jun 29, 2013 9:49 pm
Band of Brothers
Has anybody here ever watched the show Band of Brothers? If not I would like to strongly recommend that you guys do so. It's an HBO 10 episode mini series put together by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg. The show revolves around a group of paratroopers in WWII. It takes from real Historical accounts of easy company and is a production of very high quality. I think this would be a great show to watch especially for the month of November and remembrance day, which is coming up this Monday. Right now I am just halfway through the series and have to say that it may be one of the most wrenching and realistic WWII productions I've ever seen. Just posting this because I really think this is a great show and I think some here would appreciate this if they haven't seen it yet. It really makes me feel as if I can almost have a glimpse of what these soldiers went through, I guess it makes me understand remembrance day that much more than I already do.
"I am He, that arrogant fool who thought he could thwart death itself with his money."