OT: HBO's The Pacific - Weeks 1-3

For 8 years, I waited for Tom Hanks and Stephen Spielberg to make a film about the Pacific War in WWII. Band of Brothers was so amazing that I still watch it a few times a year. Three weeks ago, The Pacific debuted on HBO and it really didn't disappoint. The subject matter focused on Band of Brothers and The Pacific were so different that the films have an entirely different feel. In Band of Brothers, you watch the first episodes where the men in the 101st Airborne start out training together and follow them through the entire European war. In The Pacific, the filmmakers throw you into the mix right away--it's difficult to know who everyone is and the chaos is intense from the very beginning. I am enjoying the short clips on historical background for each new episode of The Pacific--men that fought in this theater are interviewed at the beginning of every episode and stock footage is shown. It makes each episode more personal knowing that these men were not just characters on television for some big budget series but were real men who fought hard to keep not only our nation safe, but those of our allies too.


I decided to post a few of the videos from HBO.com and will continue each week as they release them. I feel that this series and Band of Brothers were so special that everyone should see them. I have had friends who say they just can't stomach watching a war film, but these really are historical films that show the triumphs and horrors of war. It is important that every person knows the toll of war on our servicemen and servicewomen because, in my opinion, it makes us more thoughtful about entering conflicts. I thank all of our servicemen and servicewomen for their sacrifices in our current wars and all previous wars. All of you have given a tremendous amount of yourselves to our country.


If you are interested in reading about WWII in the Pacific, here are a few books that the HBO series is based on:


Helmet for My Pillow by Robert Leckie
With the Old Breed by Eugene B. Sledge

Red Blood, Black Sand by Chuck Tatum

China Marine by Eugene B. Sledge

HBO also has a companion book written by Hugh Ambrose called The Pacific. 

HBO also has tons of information on the war and is worth taking a look at. Click HERE to go to The Pacific website at HBO.com.

Episode One
Here is Part 1 of the historical background on Guadalcanal that HBO.com posted on their website. It also aired right before the beginning of the first episode of The Pacific:

Historical Background, Part 1: Guadalcanal Landing

*SPOILER ALERT* Here is the recap for Episode 1 of The Pacific:

The Pacific - Part 1 Recap

Episode Two:

Here is Part 2 of the Historical Background on Guadalcanal. It set up the second episode of the series wonderfully and gave a good sense of the intensity of the fight.

Historical Background, Part 2: Guadalcanal Defense

*SPOILER ALERT* Here is a recap of Episode 2 of The Pacific:

The Pacific - Recap Part 2

Episode Three:

Here is Part 3 of the Historical Background on the Marines who ported in Australia after the battle at Guadalcanal.

Historical Background, Part 3: Melbourne

*PREVIEW* Here is a preview of Episode 3 of The Pacific:

The Pacific - Episodic #3