doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com OT: "The War" series by Ken Burns on Public TV

I have seen no discussion on this series, I guess it is a bit off topic. BUT, this series is absolutely so outstanding I think it deserves some discussion. It concluded the seven parts series last evening, there will be repeats. This is definitely a MUST WATCH program. It depicts the war from the viewpoint of the people of four different US towns, and the people that lived there, including those who served and those who stayed behind. I have been a student of WWII since I was a child. It seems I have strange "connection" with the war, although I was only a child at that time. I had relatives in the war, and perhaps that's my draw. They showed film of liberating many camps in Europe near the end of the war that I had never seen before. Horrifying! Some of the worst I have seen. All in all this show deserves whatever type of award is given for public tv documenteries. Excellent.

Agree wholehearedly! I caught it last night and stayed up well past my normal bedtime to watch it thru its conclusion. Absolutely a first-rate production!

I shoot occasionally with a buddy that was in the Phillipines during the war. He was decorated for valor while there and was invited to have dinner with McArthur.I have an even greater respect for him after watching that series. My deepest thanks to all our GI's then and now.

I had two friends that were Marines in the Pacific landings and fighting and the few terrible stories that they would tell were depicted accurately in the Series. My cousin was a Ship Captain sitting offshore during the battle for Okinawa and his stories were also illuminated by the series. I believe 10,000 sailors alone were casualties off of Okinawa.

If I remember correctly the quote from the fabulous series "Victory At Sea", one in seven naval casualties (US) in World War II were suffered in the battle for Okinawa. Ask the men who fought at Guadalcanal, Pelilu, Angaur, Iwo Jima, Okinawa, and a thousand other places in the Pacifac theater, whether they think that Hiroshima and Nagasaki were justifiable!!!!

Post deleted by Ron Vella

I'm leery of WWII films ever since 'Saving Private Ryan' which had great reviews and to this day I can't understand why anyone would think that movie was anything but garbage.

GregSY, in no way is this series to be considered a "WWII Film." True, it does contain quite a lot of archival footage in the documentary, but a very large portion of it is interviews with either the participants or the folks who stayed behind. There is not a single "actor" in the series. It's built around the stories of those who served and those who waited for them back home.

Greg, I'm wondering why you had such a low opinion of SPR. Of course it is fiction and there is some poetic license but many of the events portrayed happened in similiar ways. The story is based on the Sullivan brothers of Iowa with names and places changed. I've seen it in the company of WWII paratrooper vets and they enjoyed it and seemed to think it had the "feel" of being there for the most part.

Chief, I agree, it was a excellent series. If anyone has not seen it, set your tivo for the repeats!