When Eagles Dared: The Filmgoers' History of World War II

by Howard Hughes

Overview

When Eagles Dared is a salute to the men and women who participated in World War II and the filmmakers who have immortalised their stories on screen. It tells both the story of the historical events of this first truly 'world war' and of the films that have depicted these events - comparing the cinematic myth with the historical reality - as a guide to history through cinema.

When Eagles Dared portrays the people who participated in the war, from the evacuation of the Allied forces from France at Dunkirk through to the battle for Berlin and beyond. Each chapter discusses a theatre of war, an event, a campaign or battle by explaining the historical events as they unfold and then examines how filmmakers have represented them. Chapters discuss the war in the skies (Battle of Britain and The Dam Busters), the sea (Sink the Bismarck! and The Cruel Sea) and the North African desert (The Battle of El Alamein and Tobruk). There are 'special mission' movies including Where Eagles Dare and The Dirty Dozen, classic tales of ingenuity (The Great Escape), valour (Saving Private Ryan), and human endurance (The Bridge on the River Kwai). Offering a unique view of war through the lenses of over 150 diverse films that have shaped our perceptions of the conflict, When Eagles Dared is illustrated with rare stills and posters from this ever popular genre.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781848856509
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	04/10/2012
Pages:	304
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 9.70(h) x 1.30(d)

About the Author

Filmwriter Howard Hughes is the author of Aim for the Heart: The Films of Clint Eastwood and of the Filmgoers' Guides: Stagecoach to Tombstone: The Filmgoers' Guide to the Great Westerns; Crime Wave: The Filmgoers' Guide to the Great Crime Movies; and Once Upon a Time in the Italian West: The Filmgoers' Guide to Spaghetti Westerns . Currently Hughes resides in Huntington, UK.

Table of Contents

Preface War and Remembrance ix

Acknowledgements xiv

Introduction: Before the Blitzkrieg 1

Chapter 1 The Fall of France (1940) 4

Chapter 2 The War in the Skies (1940-45) 14

Chapter 3 The War at Sea (1940-45) 35

Chapter 4 The Pacific War (1941-42) 44

Chapter 5 The Submarine War (1940-45) 59

Chapter 6 The War in the Med (1940-45) 69

Chapter 7 The Desert War (1940-43) 82

Chapter 8 War Behind the Wire (1940-45) 96

Chapter 9 The War in the Far East (1941-45) 112

Chapter 10 The Eastern Front (1941-45) 123

Chapter 11 The Battle for Italy (1943-45) 137

Chapter 12 Special Ops in Europe (1940-44) 151

Chapter 13 Special Ops in Europe II (1944-45) 170

Chapter 14 Operation Overlord: The D-Day Landings (1944) 181

Chapter 15 The Battle for France (1944) 190

Chapter 16 Operation Market Garden (1944) 209

Chapter 17 The Pacific War II (1942-45) 217

Chapter 18 The Ardennes Offensive (1944-45) 235

Epilogue: The End of Days 250

Bibliography and Sources 261

Index of Names 264

Index of Films 284

Editorial Reviews

"Hughes is a fan and his enthusiasm, as well as his research, shines through." — Keith Richmond, Tribune Magazine (UK)
 

Praise for Stagecoach to Tombstone:
 

 "Written with panache and fresh insight . . . buy it!" —Dave Worrall, Cinema Retro
 
"A deftly written collection of essays, full of fascinating insight, this will be a must for fellow travellers on the sagebrush trail." —Howard Maxford, Film Review
 
"Hold your horses for next month's release of Stagecoach to Tombstone: The Filmgoer's Guide to Great Westerns, author Howard Hughes' detailed tome on 27 classic films." —Newsday.com

From the Publisher