Band of Brothers
10 Part MiniSeries Of 101st Airborne
During World War II

Editorial Reviews:

An impressively rigorous, unsentimental, and harrowing look at combat during World War II, Band of Brothers follows a company of airborne infantry--Easy Company--from boot camp through the end of the war. The brutality of training takes the audience by increments to the even greater brutality of the war; Easy Company took part in some of the most difficult battles, including the D-Day invasion of Normandy, the failed invasion of Holland, and the Battle of the Bulge, as well as the liberation of a concentration camp and the capture of Hitler's Eagle's Nest. But what makes these episodes work is not their historical sweep but their emphasis on riveting details (such as the rattle of a plane as the paratroopers wait to leap, or a flower in the buttonhole of a German soldier) and procedures (from military tactics to the workings of bureaucratic hierarchies). The scope of this miniseries (10 episodes, plus an actual documentary filled with interviews with surviving veterans) allows not only a thoroughness impossible in a two-hour movie, but also captures the wide range of responses to the stress and trauma of war--fear, cynicism, cruelty, compassion, and all-encompassing confusion. The result is a realism that makes both simplistic judgments and jingoistic enthusiasm impossible; the things these soldiers had to do are both terrible and understandable, and the psychological price they paid is made clear. The writing, directing, and acting are superb throughout. The cast is largely unknown, emphasizing the team of actors as a whole unit, much like the regiment; Damian Lewis and Ron Livingston play the central roles of two officers with grit and intelligence. Band of Brothers turns a vast historical event into a series of potent personal experiences; it's a deeply engrossing and affecting accomplishment. --Bret Fetzer

DVD Features:

HBO's impressive miniseries may have the most handsome DVD packaging to date: a tin container enclosing the accordion sleeves holding six discs. The extras on the set are just as classy. Besides the rudimentary 30-minute making-of, there's an hour's worth of video diaries by actor Ron Livingston (who portrays Lewis Nixon) detailing the tough "actors' boot camp." The first-person recollections of the real Easy Company soldiers that begin each episode are expanded in the 80-minute documentary We Stand Alone Together. The real footage and heartfelt recollections complement the series, but viewers may want more interaction between the lifelong friends. The documentary is better in the final minutes, when the veterans are not talking about the specific incidents depicted in the film. Another big help in this set is the "field guide," a dossier of maps, glossary, definitions of ranks, a timeline, and a who's who for each episode. --Doug Thomas

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Band of Brothers

Customer Reviews:

From a teacher's view
Just a note to teachers: The boxed set clearly is an excellent investment for history and social studies teachers. But I particularly like the "Why We Fight" episode as a non-judgmental view of the Holocaust, as seen through the eyes of American soldiers. Those who teach about morals and values in Sunday School classes might also find this particular episode helpful.

Classroom use
I teach American History to lower level high school students and this series is a fantastic tool when discussing WWII. I watched the series on HBO and the extra details on the DVDs are worth the money.

OMG BOB is da BEST!
I started watching band of brothers before I left the united states at a friends house. I woke up one moring made some coffee and sat down to watch a war/film that ended up being an adventure. As soon as I got to my next assigment over seas it was the first thing I purchased from amazon and I waited home very impatiently till it came in, a week later! Very fast. I don't want to talk about episodes in the series because I don't want to spoil it for anyone who is interested in seeing it. All I want to say is if you get through the entire collection and the series doesn't inpire you to become a better person or fills you with pride then there is something definitly wrong with you. Highly entertaining and a must see for WWII buffs, or not, alike. I would recommend this collection to anyone even the French HAHA j/k.

Follow Easy Company of the 101st Army Airborne Division
In This 10 Part MiniSeries including Interviews of Surviving Veterans

Click Here to Buy Band of Brothers