When eagles dared : the filmgoers' history of World War II /

When eagles dared : the filmgoers' history of World War II /

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Bibliographic Details
Author / Creator:Hughes, Howard, 1971-
Imprint:London ; New York : I.B. Tauris, 2012.
Description:xiii, 289 p. : ill., facsims., ports. ; 25 cm.
Language:English
Subject:
World War (1939-1945)
World War, 1939-1945 -- Motion pictures and the war.
War and motion pictures.
Format: Print Book
URL for this record:http://pi.lib.uchicago.edu/1001/cat/bib/8736418
Hidden Bibliographic Details
ISBN:9781848856509 (hbk.)
1848856504 (hbk.)
Notes:Includes bibliographic reference (p. [261]-263) and index.
Summary:When Eagles Dared tells the stories of the historical events of World War II and the films that have depicted these events on cinema screens, presenting a guide to history through cinema that compares the cinematic myth with the historical reality. Illustrated with rare posters and stills, it gives a unique view of this war through the lenses of over 50 diverse films including Downfall, Patton, Tora! Tora! Tora!, Anzio, The Thin Red Line, Letters from Iwo Jima, Stalingrad, Battle of the Bulge, Cross of Iron, and A Bridge Too Far. Events discussed include the war in the skies (Battle of Britain and The Dambusters), the sea (Sink the Bismarck!), and the North African desert (The Battle of El Alamein and Tobruk). There are "special mission" movies, including Where Eagles Dare and Inglourious Basterds, classic tales of ingenuity (The Great Escape), and human endurance (The Bridge on the River Kwai).
Review by Choice Review

Hughes (a freelance writer on cinema) has written several likeminded "filmgoers" guides, among them Stagecoach to Tombstone (CH, Oct'08, 46-0783), a guide to "great Westerns," and Aim for the Heart (CH, Mar'10, 47-3692), which looks at Clint Eastwood's career. The books are meant for fans rather than scholars; a bibliography of barely three pages comprises books also aimed at a readership of fans. This book is, as the author writes, a "salute to the warriors who participated in the war, and the filmmakers who immortalised" them, rather than a critical or scholarly inquiry into cinematic depictions of the war--a labor that emanates more from the heart than from the mind. In keeping with its classification as "history," the book is organized chronologically; chapters include "The War in the Skies (1940-45)" and "The Battle for France (1944)." Partly as a result of national identities of the moviemakers themselves, English-speaking movies focused on the western European theater dominate. The book is richly illustrated by stills. All in all, this is a treasure trove for the fan in search of a good compendium of the popular history of WW II, rather than a scholarly guide to the films. Summing Up: Recommended. General readers only. T. Cripps emeritus, Morgan State University

Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review

The Leo J. and Celia Carlin Book Fund bookplate

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