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First time watching this, wow is intense isn't it? Can't stop watching it, especially as the people are based on real chaps.
The companion series is great too.
Think it's just called "Pacific."
Never actually watched all of BB...I did watch all of Pacific though.
It was a far nastier conflict than the European campaign in many, many ways...
Oh, if you want something "lighter" and more up to date as conflicts go check out "Generation Kill".
I watched Pacific very very good as well. I'll look up the other one.
No problems with it being as intense as it is, just brings ho e how terrifying it must have been and how brave those chaps were.
EDIT: Slight spoiler if you've not watched all of it!!! Ooops sorry!
I love B of B, superb television.
The 'interviews' with the veterans are humbling.
Richard Winters (Damien Lewis' character) passed away pretty recently. RIP. Very, very few of them left now.
Pretty incredible TV. The Pacific gets a fairly bad rap sometimes which is unfair, judged in isolation it's fine, it's just no Band of Brothers.
LoL good edit Flash! I missed the spoiler!! Agreed the interviews really do add to the weight of it, makes you realise it's not just a story!
Northwind agreed, Band of brothers is ( so far anyway ) in a different class, but I thought Pacific was great.
One of my favourite series ever. Realistic, not Yankee gung ho rubbish and the actual real life vets telling the stories is superb.
One of my favourites too - always got a lump in my throat at the end.
Band of Brothers was superb (had to remove the next sentence to avoid spoilers). The recent film, Hacksaw Ridge, reminded me of Band of Brothers. Also a true story. If you haven't seen it then definitely worth watching.
Actually, in retrospect, Pacific is probably as good as Band of Brothers IMHO.
Both terrific.
I read Band of Brothers by the historian Stephen Ambrose and, although I'd already watched the series (twice), it was totally riveting.
I recently also read My Helmet for a Pillow by Robert Leckie and With the Old Breed by EB Sledge. Two excellent, and different, memoirs of the Pacific conflict upon which the series was based.
I find that I can re-watch both series about every five years or so...
Both are absolutely brilliant works. Two of the best series ever made in my opinion. Enjoy OP.
My problem with Pacific is I only really liked Sledge and Snafu, the scenes of Sledge coming home make the room very very dusty.
Read Stephen Ambrose Pegasus Bridge - never be TV or a Movie as its about the British.
Amazing series. The Pacific wasn't as good but this isn't such a negative comment as BoB really is spectacularly good.
William Manchester's book Heart of Darkness about his time in the Pacific is also exceptional
"oldmanmtb - Member
Read Stephen Ambrose Pegasus Bridge - never be TV or a Movie as its about the British."
It's a good read, and goes some way to set the record straight with regard to some of SB shall me say less favourable comments about us Brits.
Also plenty of other reference works on the Orne bridges.
Film -TV?
in pre-production as we speak, http://pegasusbridgethemovie.com/
But lets not forget the sequence in The Longest Day, with Richard Todd himself a 6th airborne D-day veteran, playing the role of John Howard.
Ham and Jam, ham and jam.
I love BoB, such a brilliant series.
I think with the Pacific, you do not get to know the characters as well as you do in BoB. I felt more 'invested' and attached to those in BoB, which makes it such addictive & thrilling TV.
Read Stephen Ambrose Pegasus Bridge - never be TV or a Movie as its about the British.
Not only is it coming, it looks immense!
BoB is my favourite television ever. Not only is it brilliant, it's important. I don't know of a better advertisement for peace.
Never actually watched all of BB...I did watch all of Pacific though.
It was a far nastier conflict than the European campaign in many, many ways...
You've missed out. It's a while since I've watched it but I thought Pacific was technically good again but I didn't find it as involving. Hacksaw Ridge has a very sentimental first half and some of the bloodiest battle scenes I've ever seen in the second.
Looking forward to the Pegasus Bridge film.
Here is a (not vey) interesting fact. The actor Captain Richard Todd was part of the second wave of paratroopers at Pegasus Bridge where he met up with Major John Howard who led the initial assault.
Later, in the film The Longest Day, Todd played the part of Howard, but I don’t know who played Todd.
I wish that they would finish the Dambusters movie. The original is a great film of its time, but Todd (again) was 36 and too old to play Gibson who was only 25 at the time.
Thanks chaps didn't know it was happening i have mentioned before my Uncle was in the Airborne (Border Regiment) gliders he was at Sicily and Arnhem - at Sicily only he and his sergeant survived the glider dropping into the sea, at Arnhem his glider was first on the ground and his lieutenant was killed in the air. He was a lovely bloke got badly wounded at Arnhem and captured, German surgeon saved his life
There has been talk of a third series but rumours seem to go back 6-7 years and not in production yet based on the air battles over Europe for American bomber crews
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/hbo-developing-third-wwii-miniseries-413632
I'll always remember Episode 2 'Day of Days' about the drop into Normandy, the ensuing chaos and Winter's introspective narration at the end of the episode. Terrific stuff.
There's a Dunkirk film coming out too - I was at Dover Castle last week and the audio visuals in the tunnels where they describe the formation of the Little Ships choked me up.
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There's a Dunkirk film coming out too - I was at Dover Castle last week and the audio visuals in the tunnels where they describe the formation of the Little Ships choked me up.
I grew up in Portsmouth and whilst i knew my granddad had been in D-Day, he never spoke about it until they opened the D-Day museum in Portsmouth and asked if i'd take him, we got there and he asked to speak to someone to ask if they'd like some exhibits, he then produced a set of Carl Zeiss German binoculars and some other items given to him by a German officer and we quietly walked round whilst he told me about landing on Gold Beach with the Canadians, and there was a section that replicated being in the front of a landing craft and he suddenly had a little cry, that was it, i was off as well. We left and he never again raised the war, but it was clear he must have thought about it a lot.
My grandfather was in the signals unit of his infantry battalion, so he arrived on the beach after the initial assault.
He survived.
The infantry largely didn’t.
Dick Winters memoir, 'Beyond Band of Brothers' is brilliant. That man was an exemplary combat leader. Incredibly articulate, compassionate but ruthless when required.
Very, very few of them left now.
My neighbour Steve can hardly get himself around the house now, his knees are gone and he's in a lot of pain though he does his best to hide it. Despite that he never complains and hopefully will be around for a few years yet. 73 years ago today he was scaling the cliffs on Juno beach, a member of 46 Commando. He talks very little of those times, just doing his job. The names of his comrades on the memorial at Rots tell a different story and he was wounded at least twice that we know of. Most of what he did he only ever skirts around and with no family left and never having had children himself he'll take nearly all his memories with him. I and my family though will never forget him.
Last year he managed a final trip to Normandy to receive the Legion d'honneur
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And in memory of those who went with him and never came back this memorial stands in Rots
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I must admit i'm an old cynic that doesn't cry at much, but one thing that always gets me is seeing the old boys with their medals at the Cenotaph every year, even though i lost friends in the army, the Great War and WWII were a level that i hope we will never see again.
It really is a fantastic series, great characters, great visuals, great true story.
Another good companion for is it Saving Private Ryan, made a few years earlier by Spielberg - Private Ryan is a member of Baker Company, 506th PIR which I guess would have been a sister company of Easy Company so there's some cross-over, even if the bulk of the film is based on Army Rangers.
The Pacific is quite different, it was a different conflict and has a different tone - BoB is more idealised, they're more upstanding, clean cut Americans, some 'horrors of war' do happen because of them, mostly committed by non-core characters but for the most part they're very moral. The Pacific was a nastier, less moral war, there are no Angels in the Pacific.
I can't believe it's 16 years old now, came out pretty much the day of 9/11.
Great viewing on D-Day!
Without he contributions of the real people, Band of Brothers was one of the best things on telly, ever. With their contributions, I can't think of anything that comes close, particularly the Bastogne episode (avoiding spoiler for the OP.
On a similar topic, another trailer for the new Dunkirk film was released yesterday.
Feels like it could be a very difficult piece of cinema to watch at times.
The hairs on the back of my neck stand on end just watching the trailer for the new Dunkirk film.
Was rummaging through some of my Dad's family related things at the weekend, and found a certificate for the 25th anniversary of the Dunkirk evacuation. A family member was part of the small flotilla that went over. He was apparently in the merchant navy but also helped ran the local sea cadets in Ramsgate. Was at home when the whole thing kicked off, so took a boat out there with the help of some of the older cadets.
Without he contributions of the real people, Band of Brothers was one of the best things on telly, ever. With their contributions, I can't think of anything that comes close
I very much agree. It really does bring a tear to my eyes when I watch the veteran interviews – what I cannot even begin to comprehend though, is the shear inability of a great many vets to even speak of the dreadful things that they saw/did to people that weren't there – what they went through didn't end in '45, but will be with them for their whole lives.
I would have to say Band of Brothers is one of the best things ever committed to the screen. It's a little distracting how close it is to Saving Private Ryan from a purely visual perspective, but I guess you could never have one without the other.I'd love to re-watch it again in 4k.
Anyone who enjoyed B.o.B or has an interest in military history should really check out [url= http://jockopodcast2.com/ ]Jocko Willink's podcast.[/url] Jocko is an author and former Navy Seal.
Episode 74 focuses on the book "Conversations with Dick Winters"
Today, the 6th of June is also the 73rd anniversary of D-Day.
I cannot begin to imagine the horrors that lay in wait for them on those beaches. Their sacrifice will never be forgotten.
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A few years ago in Caen I met a couple of Canadian vets, they were a great pair of guys, they were welcomed everywhere they went, their only complaint was that no one would take their money
Yes, I always spare a thought on the 6 June, I think as time passes the enormity of D Day starts to slip from the public consciousness.
Dunkirk looks really interesting, I look forward to seeing that.
As an aside, I always smile at the pictures of the RAF pilots in a collar and tie, a real sign of the times.
I always hoped for some sort of undirector's cut of Pearl Harbor that removed essentially everything that isn't a ship sinking, that could be a great war film.
Got BoB on record to watch.
Saw The Pacific earlier this year. Excellent series. Very hard going, a very unpleasant business. And looked far worse in many respects than the European conflict.
Dunkirk looks really interesting, I look forward to seeing that.
I don't feel convinced yet - from the trailers I have seen they seem to be going for spectacular action rather than gritty realism.
Read a fair bit around Dunkirk and grandfather in law was there he did talk a ltlle bit about it and said it all felt quite organised! I think what is lost is the weeks before Dunkirk is the savagery of the fighting (68000 British casualties) it's a bit of a myth that the French folded or the British for that matter. The fact is they were simply overrun in many cases - Dunkirk Fight to the last man by Hugh Seagab - Montiforne is probably the best book to bring some perspective to it. I hope the film is not an overblown view of the evacuation and little else.
I had a grandfather and an Uncle at D Day both survived the war.
If you like Band of Brothers, you should check out From the Earth to the Moon which chronicles the Apollo Program and the run up to it.
Excellent. As good if not better than BoB.
If you like Band of Brothers, you should check out From the Earth to the Moon which chronicles the Apollo Program and the run up to it.
We watched Apollo 13 in a cinema in Harrogate (which is very close to Menwith Hill American Air Base). At the end a guy in the row in front of us turned round and said it was a pretty accurate film - turned out he was working in mission control when it happened (he was then working at the air base).
I was on the beach at Lepe yesterday and discovered that it was where they tested the Mulbery Harbours, Still a fair bit of concrete and stuff to see.
I loved BoB, great series
Its one of the top rated series on IMDB, along with Planet Earth!
The thing that I mull on is, in the above pictures, they are likely to be carpenters, delivery men, accountants, etc.
Not professional, volunteer soldiers.
All tested, all passed.
I had the pleasure and honour to be assigned as escort to Geoff Barkway at th 60th Anniversary celebrations in Normandy.
[url= http://http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1521488/Staff-Sergeant-Geoff-Barkway.html ]SSgt Geoff Barkway DFM[/url]
For those who don't know Geoff was one of the glider pilots who put their gliders down with pinpoint accuracy, at Pegasus bridge.
To spend a week almost solid with the man and listen to his tales, so much resonated with me. Listening to him and the other veterans together telling their stories from the battle was an awe inspiring.
It's a shame that today's generation of soldier won't get to listen to their stories. To realise that even when times change war doesn't. It's always about the man next to you.
Is band of brothers being repeated on tv? I looked on Netflix but not there. I missed it the first time round.
That's great Moose, been lucky enough to escort veterans a few times on Remembrance Day to Cenotaph and once to a do in the Netherlands celebrating European Airborne forces and the experience was always a humbling one, and with a few halves of beer consumed most of them still had a glint in their eye and some great tales.
upersessions9-2 - Member
Is band of brothers being repeated on tv? I looked on Netflix but not there. I missed it the first time round.
To be hones the box-set can be bought for next to nothing and worth it for the Extras on there
Just watched Hacksaw Ridge with the wife.
Wow.
Why didn't the Japanese cut the rope ladder net thing down?
Watched Hacksaw Ridge last night after reading the recommendation here - one of the best films in a while, shocking at times though.
^Re: the net ladder^ Ended up searching online about how accurate the film was and the movie greatly exaggerated the size of the ridge.
super sessions It's being shown . On Sky Atlantic at the moment.
It's up to about ep 7 or 8 though.
Atlantics Catchup type service (skyplayer? whatever its called now) might have it all for download?
Early morning ride through the local woods today and I came upon a group of WW2 paratroopers hung up in the trees - gave me quite a shock until I came out of the singletrack and saw all the filming kit.
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Just watched Hacksaw Ridge with the wife.Wow.
Why didn't the Japanese cut the rope ladder net thing down?
Watched it at the weekend and thought the same.
^Re: the net ladder^ Ended up searching online about how accurate the film was and the movie greatly exaggerated the size of the ridge.
Thank you
Just a PSA that the whole series of Band of Brothers and The Pacific are available on Sky now.