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.

Table of Contents:
Preface: War and Remembrance Acknowledgements Theatres of War: An Introduction to World War II Chapter 1: The Fall of France (1940) Key films featured: The Lion Has Wings, The Battle of the River Plate, Dunkirk, Mrs Miniver, Eagles Over London Chapter 2: The War in the Skies (1940-45) Key films featured: Battle of Britain, Angels One Five, Reach for the Sky, The Way to the Stars, The Dam Busters, 633 Squadron Chapter 3: The War at Sea (1940-45) Key films featured: In Which We Serve, The Cruel Sea, Sink the Bismarck!, Above Us the Waves Chapter 4: The Pacific War (1941-42) Key films featured: Tora! Tora! Tora!, Pearl Harbor, From Here to Eternity, They Were Expendable, Midway Chapter 5: The Submarine War (1940-45) Key films featured: 49th Parallel, Crash Dive, We Dive at Dawn, The Enemy Below, Das Boot, Torpedo Run, Operation Pacific, Murphy’s War Chapter 6: The War in the Med (1940-45) Key films featured: Ill Met by Moonlight, Malta Story, The Guns of Navarone, Escape to Athena, The Battle on the River Neretva, The Secret Invasion, Force 10 from Navarone Chapter 7: The Desert War (1940-43) Key films featured: The Desert Fox, Ice Cold in Alex, Tobruk, The Battle of El Alamein, Play Dirty, Commandos, Patton, The Big Red One Chapter 8: War Behind the Wire (1940-45) Key films featured: The Wooden Horse, The Colditz Story, The Great Escape, Von Ryan’s Express, The One That Got Away, The McKenzie Break, Escape to Victory Chapter 9: The War in the Far East (1941-45) Key films featured: The Bridge on the River Kwai, Return from the River Kwai, King Rat, The Long and the Short and the Tall, Never So Few, Merrill’s Marauders, Objective, Burma! Chapter 10: The Eastern Front (1941-45) Key films featured: Stalingrad, Come and See, Cross of Iron, The Star, Kanal Chapter 11: The Battle for Italy (1943-45) Key films featured: A Walk in the Sun, G.I. Joe, Anzio, To Hell and Back, Salt in the Wound, Rome Open City, Paisà, The Last Days of Mussolini Chapter 12: Special Ops in Europe (1940-44) Key films featured: The Cockleshell Heroes, The Heroes of Telemark, Max Manus, Flame & Citron, Operation: Daybreak, Went the Day Well?, The Eagle Has Landed, The Dirty Dozen Chapter 13: Special Ops in Europe II (1944-45) Key films featured: Where Eagles Dare, Valkyrie, Operation Crossbow, The Dirty Heroes Chapter 14: The D-Day Landings (1944) Key films featured: Overlord, D-Day the Sixth of June, The Longest Day Chapter 15: The Battle for France (1944) Key films featured: Saving Private Ryan, Is Paris Burning?, The Train, Kelly’s Heroes, Days of Glory, The Inglorious Bastards, Inglourious Basterds Chapter 16: Operation Market Garden (1944) Key films featured: The Last Drop, A Bridge Too Far Chapter 17: The Pacific War II (1942-45) Key films featured: Guadalcanal Diary, The Thin Red Line, In Harm’s Way, MacArthur, Sands of Iwo Jima, Flags of Our Fathers, Letters from Iwo Jima, None But the Brave, Hell in the Pacific Chapter 18: The Ardennes Offensive (1944-45) Key films featured: Hell is for Heroes, Attack, Battle of the Bulge, Battleground, The Bridge at Remagen Epilogue Key films featured: Downfall, The Fifth Day of Peace, Ashes and Diamonds, Germany Year Zero, Hiroshima Mon Amour Bibliography Index