Military Historian Rates Classic World War Two Films

Historian Dan Snow reviews some of his favourite World War Two movies from the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s.

Dan begins with a review of 'Guns of Navarone' (1961), starring Gregory Peck, Anthony Quinn and David Niven, and analyses the accuracy of British commandos using disguises on missions during the Second World War. He also sheds light on the Dodecanese Campaign, a relatively unknown Mediterranean theatre of the conflict which proved to be Hitler's last great strategic victory in 1943.

Dan moves onto the cult classic that is 'Das Boot' (1981). One of the first World War Two movies to show submarine warfare with gritty realism, Das Boot has been praised for its historical accuracy and ability to allow audiences to empathise with soldiers from the wrong side of an inglorious war. Dan delves into the filmmaking process, which involved rebuilding the interior of a real U-96, and the history behind this aspect of naval warfare in the Atlantic during World War Two.

Next up is one of the most famous World War Two movies of all time - 'The Bridge on the River Kwai' (1957), starring Alec Guinness. Supposedly based on a true story, Dan assesses on the film's accuracy, commenting on the history behind the Burma railway and Japanese POW camps in the Burma-Thailand jungle.

Finally, Dan reviews a lesser known World War Two classic film, 'The Night of the Generals' (1967), starring Peter O'Toole as an infamous and brutal German general tasked with flattening the Polish capital of Warsaw.

Watch The Guns of Navarone Now: https://bit.ly/WatchTheGunsOfNavarone

Watch Das Boot Now: https://bit.ly/WatchDasBootNow

Watch The Bridge On the River Kwai Now: https://bit.ly/WatchBridgeOnTheRiverK...

Watch The Night of the Generals Now:

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00:00 Introduction
00:22 Guns of Navarone (1961)
08:21 Das Boot (1981)
16:30 The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
21:52 The Night of the Generals (1967)
29:46 More Historical Movie Reviews!