05-24-2007, 17:35
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#1
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Quiet Professional
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: North Texas, I can see OK from here!
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Last Stand of the 300
Tonight on the History Channel
Last Stand of The 300
I thought this was even better than the movie.
It is on at 8 PM EST.
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SF18C is offline
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05-24-2007, 19:29
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#2
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Quiet Professional
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Colorado
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I missed it. Thank God for DVR!
mp
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mffjm8509 is offline
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05-24-2007, 19:30
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#3
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Auxiliary
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Dallas Texas Metro Area / Back from the sandbox for now...
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Heh...watching it now. Very good show so far...I had no idea how large the naval battle was.
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Kraut783 is offline
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05-24-2007, 19:34
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#4
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Quiet Professional
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I am watching it as well, much more detail than the movie, maybe not as exciting but better insight!
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SF18C is offline
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05-24-2007, 19:36
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#5
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Guerrilla
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Northern Virginia
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The movie was about the myth of the 300, not so much the actual history.
This is a good documentary, but not much I hadn't already read.
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x-factor is offline
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05-24-2007, 19:39
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#6
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I agree, the naval campaign perspectve is well worth the time to watch it.
Nothing like having Pressfield explain his book as well.
I loved it in the Ken Burns "Civil War" series when Shelby Foote would come on. He made it seem like he was there when it happened.
TR
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"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat." - President Theodore Roosevelt, 1910
De Oppresso Liber 01/20/2025
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The Reaper is offline
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05-24-2007, 19:51
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#7
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Guerrilla
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Foote was a national treasure as a historian. It was a sad day when he died.
I met Ken Burns once (on a high school trip to Clinton's second inaugural...make liberal jokes at your convenience). I remember him giving a very thoughtful speech though I can't for the life of me remember what it was about. I shook his hand after, nice guy. One of the sources in his documentary is relative of mine.
Avery Brooks (the captain from Star Trek Deep Space 9 and noted Shakespearean actor) gave a kick ass reading of Patrick Henry's "Liberty or Death" speech too.
(And yes, I'm aware that I'm a big geek.)
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Last edited by x-factor; 05-24-2007 at 19:58.
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x-factor is offline
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05-24-2007, 19:58
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#8
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Guerrilla
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: New Mexico
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Just finished
Just finished watching it. Awesome show. Good to have a reminder that not all great "stories" are just stories.
I particularly enjoyed how the one guy equated the Spartans with "our very best Special Forces". Great stuff.
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jwt5 is offline
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05-25-2007, 05:14
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#9
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Guerrilla
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Atlanta, GA
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When you gents mention great documentaries like this, it makes me wish I had a television. Hopefully it'll come out on DVD and I can pick it up.
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Sionnach is offline
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05-25-2007, 05:52
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#10
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Quiet Professional
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Sionnach
When you gents mention great documentaries like this, it makes me wish I had a television. Hopefully it'll come out on DVD and I can pick it up.
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Its on DVD, 16.99. Click the link in the first post.
mp
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"May God be with you and may the devil be crushed underfoot as you march for peace on the skulls of our enemies, for goodwill, security and a quality of life that comes only with democracy, " - Ted Nugent
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mffjm8509 is offline
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05-25-2007, 06:02
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#11
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Guerrilla
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Thanks, mffjm8509. Serious lack of SA on my part.
Have any of you gents watched Decisive Battles: Thermopylae on the History Channel? They've got a package deal, and as I age, I seem to get more interested in history 
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Sionnach is offline
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05-25-2007, 10:08
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#12
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Quiet Professional
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Florida
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I will definitely have to watch this, but my heart still lies with the book Gates of Fire. If any of you liked the History channel's episode on the 300, I highly suggest reading Gates of Fire. Amazing book and a great insight on the historical battle of the 300 Spartans. It's not quite "non-fiction", but it is supposed to be an accurate account of what happened during that battle. Take it easy, Gentlemen.
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ironstoNe is offline
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05-25-2007, 11:37
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#13
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Guerrilla
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Northern Virginia
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Sionnach
Thanks, mffjm8509. Serious lack of SA on my part.
Have any of you gents watched Decisive Battles: Thermopylae on the History Channel? They've got a package deal, and as I age, I seem to get more interested in history |
I haven't seen the Thermopolyae one, but I've seen others in the Decisive Battles series i think. As I recall they're pretty good.
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x-factor is offline
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05-25-2007, 14:59
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#14
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BANNED USER
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Florida
Posts: 28
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by SF18C
Tonight on the History Channel
Last Stand of The 300
I thought this was even better than the movie.
It is on at 8 PM EST. |
Agreed.
Not only were Leonidas and the 300 extremely impressive warriors, the additional naval aspect was really interesting.
2 hours of one of the most impressive historical events of all time. Hell of a good show.
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5POINT56 is offline
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05-25-2007, 17:32
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#15
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Guerrilla
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Northern Virginia
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Historical question...
Do the 300 really qualify as a "special forces" or "commando" unit? A lot of historians like to throw that out there cause it sounds neat (the documentary lasst night called them "the Delta Force of their time"), but I don't think they really do.
Were the 300 an elite unit? Yes.
Were they specially selected? Yes.
Did they employ tactics, techniques, or equipment significantly different from the "regular" spartan army? No.
Did they operate in a small unit? No.
Did they employ coopted indigenous units? Sort of, but not really.
Did they rely on guile over strength? No.
Certainly Thermopolyae was an amazing feat of arms by one of the most elite collections of warriors ever, but elite does not necessarily equal special. Anyone else got a different take on it?
Follow on question for any of the other history-types...are there any other units from pre-modern history that you would call a "special" force? Who would you identify as the first "special forces" unit?
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