Get in the Mood for FoW

It has been some time since you painted a Flames of War model or played a game. You’ve been lackluster and in need of a boost. How do you break out of this funk?

You need to immerse yourself in the world of World War II. There is a plethora of WWII material out there making it more difficult to choose the most useful. We’ve compiled a list of items for your consumption that will definitely get, and keep you, in the FoW frame of mind.

Operation Mincemeat by Ben Macintyre – True and bizarre story of a dead man’s pivotal role in tricking the Nazis and asserting Allied victory in Sicily.

Band of Brothers – HBO Miniseries by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks based on the book of the same name shows first-hand American involvement

Saving Private Ryan – Steven Spielberg film starring Tom Hanks, Matt Damon et al featuring the best depiction of the Normandy invasion.

Valkyrie – Film starring Tom Cruise about the Stauffenberg plot to assassinate Hitler

Enemy at the Gates – Film starring Jude Law and Joseph Fiennes focusing on the Battle of Stalingrad with an emphasis placed on sniper combat.

Das Boot – Wolfgang Petersen film focusing on submarine warfare and the Battle of the Atlantic.

A Bridge Too Far – Richard Attenborough film with all star cast covering Operation Market Garden

The Guns of Navarone – Film starring Gregory Peck, David Niven, and Anthony Quinn based on book of the same name. Covers commando raid to destroy a key German fortress in the Aegean.

Patton – Film starring George C. Scott covering the WWII career of General George S. Patton. Great coverage of North Africa, Sicily, and Normandy actions.

The Longest Day – Film starring John Wayne et al covering the Normandy invasion. One of the best WWII films made.

The Man Who Never Was – Film based on book of same name covering Operation Mincemeat and the Invasion of Sicily.

Many of these films are based on books, which make great reads.

For music you should check out the CD Sons That Got Us Through WWII, which features a lot of music from that era. Also, the VI Corps Music website has great military music that plays directly on the web for free.

If all of this fails then I strongly recommend going to your local game store and watch some Flames of War in action or surf Youtube for Flames of War videos (there’s a lot of great how to vids on there).

Posted from my iPad.