Books,Films & Documentaries

[Asid]

Use this thread for listing all Books & Films/Documentaries etc that you think the group will find interesting.

Please try and give a description and any links.


Please do not break any copyright laws. Please give credit to the original creator if possible.

Thank you


Regards

[Frankie]

I'll mention Fury at the risk of getting flamed. To be honest, haven't seen it yet. But I've read that it's a great movie with a flawed ending.



and the battle with the Tiger Tank:


Credit must be given to the makers of Fury for using the only working Tiger tank in the world in the movie. Prior to the movie, this had never been done before! The authentic Tiger tank exists in the Bovington Tank Museum in Southern England. It is Tiger Tank 131 which was the very first Tiger tank captured by the Allies during WW2. The video below explains.


This video puts the Sherman tank (not Firefly) into perspective. It was an engineering disaster when faced against the German Tiger tank that had superior firepower and armour.


Tiger vs Sherman. Shocking statistic: on the average, it took a squad (4) of Shermans to take out one Tiger - 3 Shermans sacrificed in order for the fourth one to take out the Tiger in the rear. The battle between these two tanks was won by the Sherman through overwhelming numbers and the ability for a knocked-out Sherman to be repaired, re-cleaned (argh!!!) and refitted within 36 hours, versus irreplaceble, unreliable, over-engineered Tiger tanks. At great cost to Allied tankmen. Watching this video made me realise the great sacrifice that the Allied tank crews paid over the plains and hedgerows of Normandy.


Cheers, Frankie Kam.

[Frankie]

There's also Lebanon (2009).

[Beef]

A good Book / Movie combo is "Killer Angels" by Michael Shaara which was made into a film in 1993 titled "Gettysburg". Shaara and his son Jeff are among my favorite authors.

[Cougar11]

I have always liked the books from W.E.B. Griffin, Tom Clancy, and the Team Yankee book/series by Harold Coyle.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Team_Yankee
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brotherhood_of_War
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Corps_Series
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Clancy you can pick any of his books about the military or war.

I spend hours, days, weeks, and months reading all of these books. Was great during and after high school, on active duty, and while deployed overseas.

[Cougar11]

My favorite movie about war other than the ones listed already.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Were_Soldiers
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Full_Metal_Jacket
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platoon_%28film%29
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saving_Private_Ryan
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamburger_Hill
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Thin_Red_Line_%281998_film%29
http://www.jwplace.com/military.html anything he did with war movies.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Band_of_Brothers_%28miniseries%29
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restrepo_%28film%29
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jarhead_%28film%29
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top_Gun
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lone_Survivor_%28film%29
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hurt_Locker
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Hawk_Down_%28film%29

 just for some of them

[Beef]

Some classic World War II movies I have seen, probably multiple times:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirty_Seconds_Over_Tokyo
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelve_O%27Clock_High
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sands_of_Iwo_Jima
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_Harm%27s_Way
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Devil%27s_Brigade_(film)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Longest_Day_(film)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bridge_on_the_River_Kwai
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dirty_Dozen
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patton_(film)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Britain_(film)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Bulge_(film)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Enemy_Below
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelly%27s_Heroes
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tora!_Tora!_Tora!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gallant_Hours
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guadalcanal_Diary_(film)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fighting_Seabees
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Petticoat
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halls_of_Montezuma_(film)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Never_So_Few

[Cougar11]

Some classic World War II movies I have seen, probably multiple times:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirty_Seconds_Over_Tokyo
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelve_O%27Clock_High
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sands_of_Iwo_Jima
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_Harm%27s_Way
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Devil%27s_Brigade_(film)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Longest_Day_(film)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bridge_on_the_River_Kwai
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dirty_Dozen
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patton_(film)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Britain_(film)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Bulge_(film)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Enemy_Below
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelly%27s_Heroes
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tora!_Tora!_Tora!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gallant_Hours
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guadalcanal_Diary_(film)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fighting_Seabees
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Petticoat
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halls_of_Montezuma_(film)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Never_So_Few

Love these films. Move of those have John Wayne, Fonda, and others in them.

[Asid]

Film

Das Boot

Directors cut



Das Boot is an adaptation of the 1973 German novel of the same name by Lothar-Günther Buchheim. Set during World War II, the film tells the fictional story of U-96 and its crew. It depicts both the excitement of battle and the tedium of the fruitless hunt, and shows the men serving aboard U-boats as ordinary individuals with a desire to do their best for their comrades and their country. The screenplay used an amalgamation of exploits from the real U-96, a Type VIIC-class U-boat.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Das_Boot

Rated 8.4 on IMDb: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082096/

[Frankie]

Flags of Our Fathers. This scene depicts the hell that was Iwo Jima. It's amazing that Clint Eastwood shot the original scenes in Iceland where the sand is black like in Iwo Jima which is now off limits to tourists.
Read the book, it's even better.

The video below shows you what Hollywood can do with special effects these days. It's simply amazing, bringing the Pacific WW2 back to life on the silverscreen.

[Asid]

Flags of our fathers is a great movie. Have you seen Letters from Iwo Jima

The story of the battle of Iwo Jima between the United States and Imperial Japan during World War II, as told from the perspective of the Japanese who fought it.

Same film but from the other perspective.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0498380/?ref_=tt_rec_tt

Excellent

[Beef]

Since we're talking about the Pacific Theater in WWII, let me recommend a book titled With the Old Breed, by E.B. Sledge. It is by the far the most telling book I've read thus far about the brutality of modern warfare. The author, through his own experience in the Marines during Peleliu and Okinawa, provides an unromantic and visceral depiction of the sight, sound, and smell of combat. You won't be able to put it down.

[Asid]

Since we're talking about the Pacific Theater in WWII, let me recommend a book titled With the Old Breed, by E.B. Sledge. It is by the far the most telling book I've read thus far about the brutality of modern warfare. The author, through his own experience in the Marines during Peleliu and Okinawa, provides an unromantic and visceral depiction of the sight, sound, and smell of combat. You won't be able to put it down.

Interesting. I will have to check it out.

Thanks Beef

[Asid]

A good Book / Movie combo is "Killer Angels" by Michael Shaara which was made into a film in 1993 titled "Gettysburg". Shaara and his son Jeff are among my favorite authors.

Films

I liked Gettysburg the film.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107007/

Gods and Generals was also good.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0279111/?ref_=tt_rec_tt
The rise and fall of legendary war hero Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson as he leads the Confederacy to great success against the Union from 1861 to 1863. Prequel to the 1993 classic "Gettysburg".

Glory was excellent

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097441/?ref_=tt_rec_tt
Robert Gould Shaw leads the US Civil War's first all-black volunteer company, fighting prejudices of both his own Union army and the Confederates.

Stars: Matthew Broderick, Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman (i know you can hear his voice in your head right now).....

[Asid]

Wargaming on a Budget: Gaming Constrained by Money or Space

Paperback – 30 Jul 2010



http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wargaming-Budget-Gaming-Constrained-Money/dp/1848841159

Wargaming can be a very expensive hobby, but it needn't be. Iain Dickie, one of the best-known names in the hobby shares dozens of hints and tips on how to cut the cost of your gaming and get 'more bang for your buck'. He offers sound practical advice on buying and building your armies (should you opt for metal, plastic, or even card, and in which scale?), gaming tables, terrain, buildings and even storage solutions. As well as purely financial constraints, Iain Dickie also recognizes the fact that available space is another major restriction for many gamers and tackles this issue too. Now you've no excuse not to get wargaming!After 25 years as editor of Miniature Wargames magazine, Iain Dickie is one of the best known names in the hobby. He's even been on the telly, appearing alongside Angela Rippon in Games of War. He has recently retired as editor and intends to spend his time between writing and sailing and, of course, wargaming.