A genuinely epic achievement, the 10-part World War II drama Band of Brothers is a television series that makes big-screen Hollywood war movies look small in comparison. Based on the book by historian Stephen Ambrose, the series follows the US 101st Airborne Division's "Easy" E-Company from initial training through D-Day and across Holland, Belgium, Germany and Austria until the end of the war. Coproduced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks the series takes its initial inspiration from Saving Private Ryan and borrows that film's visceral visual approach to combat scenes too. But where Band of Brothers scores over Ryan and almost every other war movie is in its scrupulous attention to historical detail and the unprecedented accuracy of its depiction of military life (retired Marine Captain Dale Dye, who also costars, is the man to credit). Helping the verisimilitude is the absence of big-name stars and the constant emphasis on the company not the individual--Easy saw some of the fiercest action of the war and suffered some of the worst casualties of any Allied unit and this terrible attrition is seen unflinchingly from the soldiers' own point of view.

After the high drama of the parachute drop on D-Day, Easy's greatest trial comes during the Battle of the Bulge when they are besieged at Bastogne in the depths of winter. In one of the most harrowing and credible depictions of war ever committed to film we see the men enduring the repeated artillery attacks of the German forces and experience, if only vicariously, some of the sheer terror of the assault while being humbled by the soldiers??? courage and determination. Such feelings are enhanced by the series' masterstroke--bookend interviews with the surviving members of Easy Company who talk with barely suppressed emotion of the experiences we see recreated. The endorsement of these veterans elevates Band of Brothers beyond any mere "war film"--its extraordinary achievement is that it shows the horror and savagery of war without gloss or jingoism and yet celebrates the fraternal bonds and dogged heroism of the men who fought. --Mark Walker

I like war films but have to be in the mood to watch them, so when I borrowed this box set from my brother it laid around for a couple of weeks whilst I built myself up to watching it. I am now 7 episodes in and am already writing this 5 star review. It simply is THAT good. This TV series (although in truth it is up to the standard of a hollywood blockbuster) will have you in awe at the sheer power of it. The acting is second to none, the visual style is supreme, the effects are more than realistic, you feel (although thankfully your not) that your actually in the middle of it all. There is just enough humble humour in this to sometimes take the edge off the gruesomeness and the total hell on earth vibe. I personally couldn't watch more than 2 episodes in one sitting, just because it is so relentless and harrowing. It makes you firstly appreciate what these people went through for everyone on this planet, and also how horrific war is. This is summed up perectly by the real soldiers who are interviewed at the beggining of each episode and who will bring you almost to tears when their voices break when recounting their memories.

There may be many other good TV series, but I guarantee none would have been made with so much, love, care and attention to detail than this. That is the least that these heroes could expect.

Now i'm off to watch the final three episodes, can't wait to see how it ends.

Amazing. Truly amazing. The best, most moving war movie or series, or, anything, that i have ever seen. Truly moving, after wathching it I felt a huge kinship with the men of easy company. I even set my background as band of brothers. Buy this.

Not usually one for war movies/dramas, but this was so well produced. Didn't catch the TV series, but glad to have found this on DVD - and at such a great price!

The finest drama of any kind available. A truly remarkable account of truly remarkable men.

excellent series.
no rambos here.
makes you wonder why we still keep killing each other.
maybe that's what it was meant to do??