Discussion of everything and anything World War II
bigtwils 
This was the only film for this study which was viewed in the way it was intended, on the big screen. I saw Saving Private Ryan within days of its release in 1998. It was amazing and exhausting in equal measures, particularly the first twenty minutes or so. In conjunction with a lecture on the … Read more
Market Garden Musings A question for the ages is why did September 1944’s Operation Market Garden fail. This is not going to be a definitive answer because I do not think there is one. I do not claim any new knowledge or point of view, but I have studied it in one way or another … Read more
When I first moved to North Wales and even when undertaking an MA in Military Studies, I did not realise the rich wartime history that abounded around me. I had begun listening to podcasts while walking the dog and We Have Ways was my pod of choice. This led to buying one of James Holland’s … Read more
Steven Spielberg had wanted to make the film version of Thomas Kennealy’s book Schindler’s Ark for several years before he finally produced his multi-Oscar-winning masterpiece. In this blog, it is going to be Schindler’s List the film that is the focus of attention. The Girl in the Red Coat Spielberg chose to film in black … Read more
The simple answer to ‘Is Memphis Belle a true story?’ is yes. The more complicated answer is that the film does not really tell the story of the mission or the crew that undertook it. Saving Private Ryan was the first film analyzed for the thesis and nearly three thousand words were written on it … Read more
Ironically, I call the Four Horsemen naïve in the following analysis and I feel that I was somewhat naïve in my treatment of this film (and the others for that matter). It is one of a very small number of films Mark Hamill did between Star Wars and The Return of the Jedi. So watch … Read more
One of the main goals when creating this site, was to open channels for debate. This post will hopefully do that by discussing war comedy TV Shows and films too. As such, my choices are those that I know but also maybe a couple that are contentious to stimulate debate. As always, the purpose is to … Read more
Look what I should have written This next part of the thesis deals with the 1957 film, The Enemy Below. Two members of the cast of The Enemy Below, Robert Mitchum and Kurt Jurgens would also appear later in the thesis, in The Longest Day. The film could easily do with more of a synopsis … Read more
This next instalment of the thesis is interesting for several reasons. It is based on the novel by Willi Heinrich, The Willing Flesh. This is a fictionalized rendering of the experiences of Johann Schwerdfeger in the Battle of the Caucasus and the Kuban Pocket. For someone who is pedantic about weapons in films, this film … Read more
Dear Santa As shops in the UK have started stocking Christmas decorations and even my local pub launched its Christmas menu at the beginning of last month, I thought I would jump on the bandwagon and produce my Christmas list. Well, a list of books I would like to read and review in the next … Read more