War Hero (WWII Documentary Resource)

[CorPse]

Since not everyone has time to do a lot of research, if you're thinking of running a WWII game you could do a lot worse than checking out Ken Burns new documentary The War. It aired this summer on PBS, and I was very pleased and surprised to see that it was already out on video.

 

Very interesting and full of tidbits that I didn't know (not that I'm a war scholar or anything). And lots of color footage—creates a slightly more immediate feel than a lot of WWII docs & films.

 

But this series, along with the docu-drama Band of Brothers, would get you a long way toward finding the right tone for WWII setting.

[Toadmaster]

Re: War Hero (WWII Documentary Resource)

 

I wasn't able to keep up with Ken Burns series so I gave up and plan to get it on DVD. From the little I saw it was really good. Did he cover the war from the others nations view as well or just the US? The two I saw parts of were US oriented.

 

 

The Gurps WW2 series is great and Pinnacles Wierd War 2 also provides good material for wierd or straight campaigns.

 

I'm currently reading Ivan's war, it is a great book to give the Soviet perspective of the war.

[CorPse]

Re: War Hero (WWII Documentary Resource)

 

It sticks with the American perspective, but points out things like the huge Russian sacrifices on the Eastern Front, etc.

 

In Episode #4, which we watched tonight, there's footage of Japanese civilians jumping to their deaths of off seacliffs on Saipan to keep from getting captured by the barbarous Americans. Truly harrowing stuff.