WW2 Historian James Holland Breaks Down Call of Duty: WW2

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  • Опубліковано 14 тра 2024
  • He's back! Historian James Holland breaks down campaigns from Call of Duty: WW2 His book, Brother in Arms, is available to buy now: bit.ly/3ZAk2n4
    The Sherwood Rangers were one of the great tank regiments. They had learned their trade the hard way, in the burning deserts of North Africa. From D-Day onwards, they were in the thick of the action til the war's end. They and their Sherman tanks covered thousands of miles and endured some of the fiercest fighting in Western Europe. Their engagements stretch from the Normandy beaches to the bridges at Eindhoven. They were the first British unit into Germany, grinding across the Siegfried Line and on into the Nazi heartland.
    Through compelling eye-witness testimony and James Holland's expert analysis, Brothers In Arms brings to vivid life the final bloody scramble across Europe and gives the most powerful account to date of what it was really like to fight in the dying days of World War Two.
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
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КОМЕНТАРІ • 253

  • @oliverboisen7475
    @oliverboisen7475 Рік тому +1368

    Okay. We legit all need a James Holland historical gaming channel 😂

    • @alejandroyepez
      @alejandroyepez Рік тому +11

      Did not i need it until today

    • @K_-_-_-_K
      @K_-_-_-_K Рік тому +15

      Need him & Al on hearts of iron 4 :D

    • @oliverboisen7475
      @oliverboisen7475 Рік тому +3

      @@K_-_-_-_K Dan Snow aswell

    • @taylorfusher2997
      @taylorfusher2997 11 місяців тому +1

      German WW2 5cm mortar shell:
      Shell Impact blast Kill-zone radius: 7 feet 7.732 inches
      German WW2 8cm mortar shell:
      Shell Impact blast Kill-zone radius: 10 feet 7.732inches
      German stick grenade:
      blast Kill-zone radius: 4 feet 2.394 inches

    • @FlippedMercedesW12
      @FlippedMercedesW12 11 місяців тому

      ​@@taylorfusher2997 and?...

  • @haydenhodgson8716
    @haydenhodgson8716 Рік тому +466

    James has a way of explaining things that is just unrivalled, you can sense his passion for history in his every word

    • @taylorfusher2997
      @taylorfusher2997 11 місяців тому +2

      German WW2 5cm mortar shell:
      Shell Impact blast Kill-zone radius: 7 feet 7.732 inches
      German WW2 8cm mortar shell:
      Shell Impact blast Kill-zone radius: 10 feet 7.732inches
      German stick grenade:
      blast Kill-zone radius: 4 feet 2.394 inches

  • @itsmybridgenow6329
    @itsmybridgenow6329 11 місяців тому +103

    I've rapidly reached the conclusion that I would pay actual money to see this specific man play more of this game

  • @AndrewNiccol
    @AndrewNiccol Рік тому +292

    It's too short, you should make him play whole game start fo finish, I can watch this for 10 hours.

  • @friendlym1rifle
    @friendlym1rifle 8 місяців тому +5

    1:01 fun fact: the soldiers were actually prohibited from smoking on the landing craft due to fire regulations. You can even see “no smoking” written on the ramp in a photo from D Day.

  • @EliteGhost008
    @EliteGhost008 Рік тому +386

    It's impressive to discover that COD ww2 kept to historical facts even though the game story is fictional.

    • @edm240b9
      @edm240b9 Рік тому +32

      There’s some neat historically accurate points in the game. The most impressive one being that they used the actual radio callsigns for the US 1st Infantry Division. When talking on the radio, they use the callsign “Dagwood White”, which tells us they are part of the 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment.

    • @jonathansoberano282
      @jonathansoberano282 Рік тому +13

      Yes, better than vanguard which is shit

    • @TheClassicWorld
      @TheClassicWorld Рік тому +4

      Unless you get to the online madness, of course. Madness being a key word, there, sadly.
      P.S. Many novels, movies, and games are pretty accurate in various ways, despite being fictional. This itself is not the barrier. It's more a question of (a) talent (designers); (b) agenda/purpose; and (c) gameplay.
      The moment they let you be 'female' in Call of the Duty is the moment they really gave up on reality. Actually, I think the latest ones let you be some kind of wolf, super non-binary or whatever, like Halo? I'd have to check.
      I remember COD4 being a great one back in 2008-2010 or so.

    • @edm240b9
      @edm240b9 Рік тому +12

      @@TheClassicWorld buddy, CoD: Finest Hour let you play as a female sniper in that game. CoD 3 featured a female resistance character. I’m not saying the Vanguard campaign is good, but this idea that women didn’t have a role in combat in WWII is just poisonous. The OSS and SOE recruited several women for clandestine operations, the USSR utilized female tankers and pilots, you had female resistance fighters in France, Italy, Poland, the Philippines, etc. Hell, some women in the last days of the war were even awarded the Iron Cross in Germany, with one being awarded to a woman who led held off a Russian armored counter attack with Panzerfausts fired by school children.
      Even in the noncombatant roles they faced, there were plenty of times women were under fire. From the UK’s women searchlight operators being targeted by German bombers during the Blitz, to the nurses under fire at the Anzio beachhead, many service women were killed during the war, all whilst trying to save the lives of the men fighting on the ground.

    • @TheClassicWorld
      @TheClassicWorld 11 місяців тому +2

      @@edm240b9 Well, I think there were some female resistance fighters (more so, spies, on both sides), but I meant as a general matter across the entire game.
      But, I did not know that about Finest Hour.
      I know that you could only play as male in COD4, MW2, and so forth. :)

  • @vinnieg6161
    @vinnieg6161 Рік тому +62

    I love how he's admiring the detail on some ancient phone or something while the Germans are shooting at him ='D

  • @EliteGhost008
    @EliteGhost008 Рік тому +51

    I laughed when he said " I'm afraid I'm going to get addicted to this". Call of duty can be very addictive.

  • @rayvestrayvene5376
    @rayvestrayvene5376 Рік тому +55

    James Holland is the best. Great Historian.

  • @j0njn
    @j0njn Рік тому +165

    Being an avid listener to the podcast he has with Al Murray, We Have Ways of Making You Talk, I’m pretty sure this is what would really happen: he’d stop in the middle of combat to point out interesting features 😂
    (Big fan of his books, too. Good mix of the overall picture and the individual stories of some of the people involved.)

    • @roelmartinvandervelde9407
      @roelmartinvandervelde9407 Рік тому +5

      Yes exactly 😂 "Defend yourself James!"

    • @alexperkins9990
      @alexperkins9990 Рік тому +4

      Hey Jon, I'm also a long term WHW listener. I would love to see him and AL play Hearts of Iron 4. It's a grand strategy game where you control a country from Strategic and Operational level. You really develop an appreciation of "If I spend shipping doing this then I have to sacrifice doing something else... and I have to protect them which means my navy has to be withdrawn from somewhere else... oh and is my expeditionary force adequately supplied?... etc"
      Can you imagine.

    • @yankee9niner400
      @yankee9niner400 Рік тому +4

      Brothers in Arms is one of the best books I have ever read.

    • @qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm3937
      @qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm3937 Рік тому +2

      @@alexperkins9990 100% that’s Al’s kind of game

  • @Normally_aspirated
    @Normally_aspirated Рік тому +20

    This is so much fun seeing him geek out about how realistic and immersive video games can be

  • @mateusbrown4215
    @mateusbrown4215 Рік тому +46

    Please make this a series and have him play through all the game missions! Incredible content from one of my favorite historians!

  • @chandlersampson
    @chandlersampson Рік тому +37

    James is a treasure.

  • @Wedsheport
    @Wedsheport Рік тому +36

    This is excellent, I could watch a whole series of these.

  • @RUSH2112RUSH
    @RUSH2112RUSH 11 місяців тому +3

    How refreshing to have someone of my generation, I'm 59, break down games such as this and not complain because it's not quite as graphically impressive as their favourite system/PC. I'm lucky enough to have owned most mainstream systems from the Atari VCS onwards and have never felt the need to denigrate another rival system, whilst good graphics are appreciated I don't lose sleep over pixel count or ray tracing e.t.c
    As an aside I have read many of James Holland's books, and without exception they were all excellent, if ever a name is a guarantee of quality, his is.

  • @lukeclayton8771
    @lukeclayton8771 Рік тому +1

    James’ knowledge is incredible! Pleasure to watch

  • @gonzalesrafael22
    @gonzalesrafael22 11 місяців тому +1

    love these types of videos. you sort of wish you had to with you while playing and chiming in with all the details that you wish you knew as a history fan when playing a game like this.

  • @ashhawk2346
    @ashhawk2346 Рік тому +29

    This could have been longer, also was massively suprised to see this was made by Penguin Books 😂 wasn't expecting that!

  • @cadejohnson3219
    @cadejohnson3219 11 місяців тому

    Love this guy, need more of these for sure

  • @jamyskis
    @jamyskis 8 місяців тому +2

    "Is that my leg? Oh, no, that's someone else's leg." - That's the point where I was just piddling myself laughing.

  • @paulgill7660
    @paulgill7660 3 місяці тому

    Liked your description of the game 🎮 I don't play it often but it is my favorite game thanks again for a brilliant show 😀 thanks Paul 😮😮❤❤❤❤❤

  • @heeggie
    @heeggie Рік тому +6

    would love to have seen his reaction to some of the other levels and especially the epilogue POW camp

  • @vtrix4925
    @vtrix4925 Рік тому +2

    When James get excited at the start of the game made me smile

  • @hermanjacobs4425
    @hermanjacobs4425 Рік тому +8

    I played the game before and honestly I think the first level still remains one of the most difficult levels of the game for me. The fact you have little to no cover while moving forward under heavy enemy fire is just a suicidal manoeuvre.

  • @HECKproductions
    @HECKproductions 9 місяців тому +2

    older folks seem to have a lot of trouble using both sticks at the same time
    you always see them walking a bit and then stopping to turn their head and then walking another bit

  • @cory8965
    @cory8965 Рік тому

    Quite possibly the best thing I've ever watched.

  • @dogmadogma5398
    @dogmadogma5398 Рік тому

    Great stuff. Thanks!

  • @ziggypop79
    @ziggypop79 23 дні тому

    This is great thank you

  • @matts5247
    @matts5247 Рік тому +2

    I LOVE JAMES HOLLAND favorite historian

  • @UnknownUnknown-uc5ty
    @UnknownUnknown-uc5ty 9 місяців тому +2

    Now just imagine a whole series with James Holland, Jonathan Ferguson and Mark Felton

  • @warsandmilitaria
    @warsandmilitaria Рік тому +11

    I love James Holland. He is in a lot of cool videos.

  • @FireStormHR
    @FireStormHR Рік тому +16

    So awesome to see this! I would love his view on other chapters in this game, or even from another game like Hell Let Loose

    • @qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm3937
      @qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm3937 Рік тому

      Paul Woodage from WWTV has done episodes on HLL and it’s almost spot on for geography, topography, weaponry etc

  • @JS-gc7kf
    @JS-gc7kf Рік тому +11

    Show him the older COD games like the original, World at War, and United Offensive. He's going to have a blast!

    • @dodopod
      @dodopod Рік тому +1

      MoH too, while they're at it.

    • @ziggypop79
      @ziggypop79 23 дні тому

      Yeah that’s the best one for me

  • @Fafuchess
    @Fafuchess 11 місяців тому

    Love the video!
    But gotta say as someone who has played shotter games fore a decade it is gut wrenching to see someone being shot and just not reacting to the incoming damage lol, my intuition screamed for him to turn and return fire every time

  • @lifeenabled
    @lifeenabled 11 місяців тому

    Do the first call of duty game. That was what made me fascinated with WW2 as a young child and that fascination has never left

  • @raisinmancereal
    @raisinmancereal 10 місяців тому +2

    I thoroughly enjoyed this. Can we have him review the Battlefield games too or even vintage medal of honor games?

  • @AussieBattleCat
    @AussieBattleCat 11 місяців тому +1

    @6:36, super accurate while holding a PPSH ( James Holland is really god though, Just couldnt help but notice this)

  • @katyusha2262
    @katyusha2262 11 місяців тому

    James Holland is so Wholesome!

  • @JB21832
    @JB21832 Рік тому +4

    Great video, good game

  • @MissesWitch
    @MissesWitch Рік тому +3

    "the graphics are stupendously good" they really are for games these days, and it's quite an experience for someone who hasn't played a game for a long time or doesn't play much at all!

  • @matts5247
    @matts5247 Рік тому +32

    Would love to see his analysis on more realistic wwii video game gameplay even if it was just videos like of Hell Let Loose or Post Scriptum that are ridiculously more in depth and have elements of command structure and different combat roles and specialities as well as armor and air support

  • @cheriefsadeksadek2108
    @cheriefsadeksadek2108 Рік тому +2

    James Holland Is so Cool I really Want to meet him one day

  • @Martinspire
    @Martinspire 10 місяців тому +2

    Its pretty obvious that you should play this game and have him narrate the experiences because he can't really use the controls that well and I doubt he wants to put in the hours to actually get further. But its nice to see him spot the details and enjoy it.

  • @Enhancedlies
    @Enhancedlies Рік тому

    PLEASE DO MORE - id subscribe to a whole YT show just doing this

  • @_733t
    @_733t 11 місяців тому +1

    "I've just been hit by a German..."
    I kinda of want to make that my new notification sound.
    It's funny watching a 40-50 year old man discover the joy of gaming for seemingly the first time

  • @tomgrude353
    @tomgrude353 9 місяців тому

    Absolutely love it james 👍😅

  • @James-ju4gj
    @James-ju4gj Рік тому

    Could watch this for hours

  • @Unabonger420
    @Unabonger420 11 місяців тому +2

    I would watch every minute of a several-hours long series of James playing this game.

  • @arpadkocsis7472
    @arpadkocsis7472 7 місяців тому

    9:40 "the weaponry is good"
    sure, especially the PPSh41 seen earlier :D

  • @AirQuotes
    @AirQuotes Рік тому

    Fascinating

  • @PedroSantos_83
    @PedroSantos_83 9 місяців тому

    Awesome! 😎

  • @djentyman4002
    @djentyman4002 Рік тому +4

    Legend has it James Holland became a gamer after this experience 😂

  • @lillydav10
    @lillydav10 10 місяців тому

    Can we go back and do all the world war games with James please

  • @KissTheGreat
    @KissTheGreat Рік тому +4

    This isn’t too far off a lot of genuine gaming channels where they blither on about graphical details rather than playing the games. At least this guy has a good a reason to do it.

  • @thecrimsonbubbles
    @thecrimsonbubbles 7 місяців тому

    Pity you didn't get him as far as the Ardennes with analysis of uniforms and conditions there. Brilliant video though!

  • @mrsakanarghost-_-8501
    @mrsakanarghost-_-8501 Рік тому

    i wish James could see them mentioning Caserine pass on the Hill mission

  • @AReviewOfAnything
    @AReviewOfAnything 11 місяців тому

    This is great

  • @JIMMYLEGS_
    @JIMMYLEGS_ 7 місяців тому

    Hey James. You should also do one on Hell Let Losse 🙂

  • @thevictoryoverhimself7298
    @thevictoryoverhimself7298 11 місяців тому +3

    One thing they never get right about the normandy beaches is they are about 3-5 times longer from shoreline to defenses than is portrayed in movies and games. It reality it took hours to secure them, not 20 minutes of running and hiding behind things.

    • @ultimatestuff7111
      @ultimatestuff7111 10 місяців тому

      It’s because it would be super boring to watch in a movie or a video game

  • @georgebettasso1395
    @georgebettasso1395 Рік тому +1

    James Holland. Sicily 43 good read. Most people look at D-day and Sicily is look over.

  • @briandix4633
    @briandix4633 10 місяців тому +1

    I want to see a reboot of Medal of Honor: Allied Assault. Probably one of the most accurate depictions (if you ignore the storyline) of the invasion of Europe. But since it was early 2000s the graphics don't hold up today

  • @NardoVogt
    @NardoVogt Рік тому

    Tickety-Bo... yeah, gonna use that from now on

  • @razvanalex3691
    @razvanalex3691 11 місяців тому

    Respect for this gentleman

  • @mattclarke8791
    @mattclarke8791 11 місяців тому

    I’m trying to imagine a game where James Holland and Jonathan Ferguson are the technical advisers, maybe with Ian McCollum too!

  • @minimac721
    @minimac721 11 місяців тому

    I like his excitement

  • @garfd
    @garfd 10 місяців тому

    1:20 Now you’ve committed sacrilege, James! The LCAs of company A of the 116th (I assume this is what he is referring to) were never hit with mortars while in the water. One of the six foundered because of a previous accident that occurred (colliding with another craft) as they were being lowered into the water.

  • @someonesch4361
    @someonesch4361 Рік тому

    There are games that are more than just games, this game is one of those.

  • @soloar2007
    @soloar2007 Рік тому +1

    He has great books on audible

  • @MalicedMind5139
    @MalicedMind5139 9 місяців тому

    They should have him do World at War at some point 😊

  • @therookiesplaybook
    @therookiesplaybook 27 днів тому

    My grandfather died on D-day. He was shot by a German while admiring the rust.

  • @wxmyjnsn
    @wxmyjnsn 10 місяців тому

    LOL I love this video! He is admiring the paint chips and gets smoked! ROFL He should do a Twitch playing this game!

  • @nickjackson6905
    @nickjackson6905 Місяць тому

    Paul woodidge pointed out several mistakes even before hitting the beech

  • @eastonrobbins1822
    @eastonrobbins1822 10 місяців тому +1

    “Sorry mate can’t help. It’s.. dog eat dog here” = “skill issue”

  • @jansenart0
    @jansenart0 Рік тому +8

    7:50 The Thompson the Allies used (M1A1) wasn't capable of using a drum magazine; only stick mags. Nor did it have the 1921/28 forward grip.
    Literally unplayable.

    • @russellsage8706
      @russellsage8706 Рік тому +2

      I mean apart from the British commandos using the m1928 version early in the war

    • @Meravokas
      @Meravokas 11 місяців тому +1

      That variant was in use by the Marines the Pacific initially, and many squad leaders that had them didn't want to give them up as the war progressed unless they were forced to by mechanical failure, damage, or actual loss. While there was rarely no more than one drum magazine issued, it was favored as the 'first contact' magazine over the 30 round box magazine. But, it's a video game. The troops on the Atlantic wall weren't going to be using modified 9mm PPSh's, and in many cases for the assaulted areas contrary to what he says (He might be a historian but he's not infallible.) The primary positions on the Normandy section of the line were German manned. Though with inexperienced or less than (Physically fit) men. And there were there might have been emplacements with maxims, but even if not MG-42's they'd have been MG-34's, which were essentially just the heavier, milled precursor to the MG-42 which were falling out of favor and replaced where possible in active front line service due to weight more than anything else. All tanks were still fitted with MG-34's because the weight didn't matter and they could be pulled from the growing stockpile of 'surplus' 34's. Even in combat footage taken from D-Day the rates of fire on impacts in the water or sand do not correspond to a Maxim's fire rate which is basically half that of the 34/42.

  • @DuaneMARTIN-fj2oe
    @DuaneMARTIN-fj2oe 8 місяців тому

    Hello. Any info on how much for a signed book? I'll pay of course

  • @davidalexhughes
    @davidalexhughes Рік тому +1

    Can we all take a moment to thank John

  • @slowraceultra
    @slowraceultra Рік тому

    James Holland has a great podcast and his brother has a separate podcast that is great also. I encourage everyone to look them up.

  • @kingbabybob4868
    @kingbabybob4868 Рік тому +3

    James Hollands reaction to the LVT getting gunned down: “Oh dear” 😂

  • @stevenwujek6917
    @stevenwujek6917 9 місяців тому

    PLEASE have him do world at war

  • @thesrow1056
    @thesrow1056 8 місяців тому

    First time playing an fps 😁
    I think his reactions are more to his first time gaming than the game itself 😅

  • @OVERDOSE210
    @OVERDOSE210 10 місяців тому

    Yesss!

  • @dun0790
    @dun0790 Рік тому +1

    This was hilarious 🤣 him worried about that guys hand then he gets shredded and dosent blink an eye haha

  • @d1aLtONE_13
    @d1aLtONE_13 Рік тому +1

    Could you get him to do a video on the war game Hell Let Loose ?

  • @markt3541
    @markt3541 Рік тому

    Would be nice and educational to show what he is talking about such as the uniforms or guns

  • @Matt-hl5vm
    @Matt-hl5vm Рік тому

    Please get him or his friend or whoever to play Vanguard. I just want to see him tear it to shreds.

  • @craighouston7014
    @craighouston7014 11 місяців тому

    Pierson's got the wrong jacket on. Brilliant.😁

  • @e102g2
    @e102g2 Рік тому

    i love that we can have people sit and show it really went, cause games and movies blow it way out of propertions(even if cool xD) btw.. tom holland kinda look like him.. his dad?

  • @neverunderstand7472
    @neverunderstand7472 10 місяців тому

    Iove how he always wearing great jacket😂

  • @CelahiR88
    @CelahiR88 8 місяців тому

    My god give the poor man a mouse and a key board, the way its meant to be played.😅

  • @johnspeak9517
    @johnspeak9517 Рік тому +3

    The story's not so bad, but what would he think of the fantasy uniforms in the online game plays? And by that, I mean all of the uniforms.

  • @cheesyfromindonesia9969
    @cheesyfromindonesia9969 Рік тому +2

    James Holland and Mark Felton gaming confirmed?

  • @derewan07
    @derewan07 Рік тому +2

    11:15 Imagine 1400 Rounds per second 💀💀💀

  • @antonlarsen3777
    @antonlarsen3777 10 місяців тому

    It would be awesome to see James holland react to Hell let loose

  • @RickyS08
    @RickyS08 Рік тому +1

    James should review COD: World at War

  • @MishaElRusito
    @MishaElRusito 11 місяців тому

    My only issue with the game is the terrible sound effect designs. They are just dull and bass enhanced which is annoying.

  • @dhkdeoen
    @dhkdeoen 11 місяців тому +1

    “Is that my leg? No its someone else’s.”
    Well thats something I would expect from British comedy.

  • @NathanBritto
    @NathanBritto 11 місяців тому

    Kind of wish they played different chapters in the game instead of D-Day. Like Battle of the Bulge or clearing the Concentration Camps.

  • @OPEK.
    @OPEK. Рік тому +2

    Show him the original CoD World at War. The graphics arent as good but its better imo

  • @matts5247
    @matts5247 Рік тому +2

    Hate call of duty but I love this shit

  • @clage929
    @clage929 9 місяців тому

    Weren't Rommel's asparagus almost vertical, just like those he used for aerial suppression? So far, I rather read "Hemmbalken" or "obstruction beams" for the ones depicted in the game...