Well, gang, it's the last day of the Victory Celebration Blog Party. Can you believe it's over already? It's sure been a lot of fun! If you're like me and can't get enough WWII action, I have good news for you - this post is a whole list of recommendations (books, movies, and *other*) from yours truly. Some of them were useful to me in my research, and I'll include a content guide and age recommendation as needed.
Key:
✝️ Christian
🧸 Middle Grade
🤬 Language
💣 Violence
❤️🔥 Romance/Spice
🍷 Substance Use
⚠️ Other
👶 Recommended Age
Books
Fiction
- Trains and Tulips by Savannah Jane McCrary (of course! 😇) ✝️
💣 Mentions of violence and death (not detailed)
❤️🔥 A very sweet engaged couple (100% appropriate!)
🍷 Mentions of cigarettes
⚠️ Interrogation scenes and concentration camps (not detailed)
👶 13+ - The Auschwitz Escape by Joel C. Rosenberg ✝️
🤬 I don't remember; mentions of cursing, I think
💣 Some war violence, hangings, and torture (not too graphic, but more than I prefer)
❤️🔥 Prison guards make some comments about women (pretty veiled)
🍷 I don't remember, but probably cigarettes and drinking
⚠️ Concentration camp; antisemitism and slurs
👶 18+ - "Stille Nacht" by Ryana Lynn Peterson (short story) ✝️
💣 A wounded soldier (not detailed)
⚠️ Mention of antisemitism
👶 8+ - Cherry Ames, Army Nurse; Cherry Ames, Chief Nurse; and Cherry Ames, Flight Nurse by Helen Wells
🤬 Infrequent mild language
💣 Treating wounded men (not detailed)
❤️🔥 Crushes on guys, a friend is engaged (appropriate)
🍷 Some smoking, I think
⚠️ A few derogatory nicknames for the enemy
👶 12+ - We Were There at the Battle for Bataan by Benjamin Appel 🧸
💣 Mentions of fighting and death, a character is wounded (not detailed)
👶 10+ - Tales of the RAF series by Don Patterson 🧸
🤬 Nothing stronger than "blast it"
👶 8+
Nonfiction
- If You Survive: From Normandy to the Battle of the Bulge to the End of WWII, One American Officer's Riveting True Story by George Wilson
🤬 Some language, but not terrible
💣 War violence and death (not excessively gory)
❤️🔥 Mention of soldiers getting into trouble over women
🍷 Drinking and smoking
⚠️ Some derogatory nicknames for the enemy
👶 18+ - Evidence Not Seen: A Woman's Miraculous Faith in the Jungles of WWII by Darlene Deibler Rose ✝️
💣 Some injuries and death (not detailed)
❤️🔥 Mention that a woman was with the camp commander
⚠️ Prison camp, interrogation
👶 15+ - War and Grace: Short Biographies from the World Wars by Don Stephens ✝️
💣 War violence, death (not detailed)
⚠️ Some mentions of prison/concentration camps
👶 12+ - Goodness and Mercy by Esther Davison ✝️
👶 12+
Movies
- Dunkirk (2017) by Christopher Nolan
🤬 Infrequent language
💣 Wounds and death (not gory)
🍷 Smoking
⚠️ Intense scenes with fire and being trapped underwater
👶 15+ - Divisione Folgore (1953) by Duilio Coletti
🤬 (unsure because I watched it in Italian without subtitles, but probably not much if any)
💣 Fighting, wounds, and death (not gory at all)
🍷 Smoking
👶 13+
TV Episodes
All of these are from the Combat! tv series (1962-1967). I've only watched the first two season so far, but I know there are some other good episodes in the other seasons as well!
🤬 Very mild, infrequent
💣 War violence, fighting, and death (not graphic)
🍷 Smoking and sometimes drinking
⚠️ The Germans get called "Krauts"
👶 12+
Season 1
- A Day in June (Episode 1)
- Any Second Now (Episode 2)
- Forgotten Front (Episode 6)
- Rear Echelon Commandos (Episode 8)
- Far from the Brave (Episode 13)
- The Medal (Episode 19)
- High Named Today (Episode 31)
Season 2
- Bridge at Chalons (Episode 2)
- Bridgehead (Episode 7)
- Anatomy of a Patrol (Episode 14)
- What Are the Bugles Blowin' For? (2 parts) (Episode 15-16)
- Gideon's Army (Episode 20)
Lego Videos
You didn't expect this category, did you? 😉
JD Brick
💣 Minor blood (the videos I'm linking are all okay, but some of his other, newer videos are bloody. 😓)
🍷 Smoking (in the Bulge video)
Brictator
💣 Minor blood (again, these ones I'm sharing are okay, but I haven't watched the rest of his videos because they are bloody.)
Well, folks, that's all from me, but if you have any books/movies/shows that you'd like to share, drop them in the comments below!
Don't forget! Today is your LAST DAY to enter in the giveaway!
Savannah is doing a wrap-up of all her WWII posts throughout the years; make sure to visit her blog and our other participating bloggers!
- L.E. Levens
- Addison Crissone
- Sophia McCrary
- Journey Bloomfield
- Emily Brown
- Katja Labonté
- H.C. Kingsley
Before we go . . . would y'all like to see this blog party become an annual event? If it was, what articles and content would you like to see, and would you participate?
And, to wrap up the Victory Celebration Blog Party, our last song is a farewell, from who else but the D-Day Darlings!
We'll meet again! 🫡✌️🪖
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Yay! I always love to find more WWII book and movie recommendations! Adding a couple of these books to my to-read list! And, of course, I’m honored to see my book on the list! 😊
I’ve seen Dunkirk (with a language filter, because there were a few instances of pretty strong language). Watching WWII movies is one of my favorite things to do, so if you ever want any more recommendations, I’d be happy to provide some! 😊
I love Dunkirk! I’ve watched it at least twice (my dad filters it, hehe), though I tend to hyperventilate at the underwater scenes. Here’s a funny thing, I always picture Niall from T&T like the Scottish pilot in Dunkirk. 🤭
I’ll probably be asking for recs at some point! 😁
Oh, that’s funny! Well, I’d be happy to provide my recs!
It was so much fun to host this blog party together! Thank you so much for doing it! 😊
Thank YOU for joining me and running the giveaway! 💕
Of course! And it’s funny you mentioned the JD Brick Lego videos because my brothers just recently discovered them and have been telling me how great they are!
Oh, that’s funny! 😂 The Bismarck one is my brother’s favorite video of all time.
ooo i’ll have to check some of those books out!!
Yessss, they’re really good!