Congratulations to the Genre-istas of Romancing the Genres on their 10 years of providing fabulous content for romance readers the world over!
As all of you now know, I like to tie my blogs in with my WW2-era writing, so for this month's #10 theme, I thought it might be fun to visit some Top 10 lists for songs, books, and films of the era when my heroes and heroines were dancing cheek to cheek.
TOP 10 SONGS
There are many "top songs" lists, but the following are both indisputably popular and on my personal Top 10 Songs of WW2 list.
1. Bugle Call Rag -- love the upbeat, fast tempo, particularly the Glenn Miller version
2. Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy -- Andrews Sisters classic
3. Coming in on a Wing and a Prayer -- the lyrics to this song are so on target for my books where my heroes are often struggling to bring a plane safely home
4. In the Mood -- iconic Glenn Miller
5. Gonna Take a Sentimental Journey -- bluesy Doris Day version is my favorite
6. Accentuate the Positive -- I've always loved these optimistic lyrics
7. We'll Meet Again -- Vera Lynn was known as the "Forces Sweetheart" in Britain
8. The White Cliffs of Dover -- another Vera Lynn classic
9. Straighten Up and Fly Right -- Andrews Sisters
10. G.I. Jive -- who can resist this one?
TOP 10 BOOKS
Rather than books published during the 1940s (of which I'm sad to say, I have read very few), I am sharing some of my personal favorite books set during WW2.
1. Tanamera by Noel Barber -- Noel Barber's novels, written later in his life after a long career as a foreign war correspondent, inspired my desire to write WW2-era romances. This one is set in pre-war and WW2 Singapore and is a book I re-read every few years.
2. A Farewell to France by Noel Barber - Barber takes readers to WW2 Europe in this one
3. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller -- the biting satire and dark humor, along with the historical accuracy, make this one a stand-out among WW2 novels
4. A God in Ruins by Kate Atkins -- painstakingly detailed and accurate research and memorable characters
5. Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein -- strong characters and a gripping plotline that will stick with readers long after they've closed the book
6. The Winds of War/War and Remembrance -- a two-volume multi-generational saga, Wouk's work was among the first novels set in the era that I recall reading in high school
7. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah -- the story of the two sisters is breathtaking and heartbreaking
8. The Alice Network by Kate Quinn -- though not set directly in WW2, one of the storylines connects to events in war-time France
9. Goodbye Mickey Mouse by Len Deighton -- fabulous look at the experiences on an American bomber base in England during the war
10. The Rose Code by Kate Quinn -- brilliant interwoven stories of three very unique young women thrown together at Bletchley Park during the war and the secrets that continue to affect their lives in the years following the war
TOP 10 FILMS
I again went with films set during WW2 rather than released during the war.
1. Band of Brothers -- HBO mini-series
2. Saving Private Ryan
3. Jewel in the Crown mini-series
4. Twelve O'Clock High
5. Darkest Hour
6. Dunkirk (2017 version)
7. The Pacific -- HBO mini-series
8. Schindler's List
9. U-571
10. Atonement
I hope you've enjoyed a brief tour of some of my favorites of the era! Enjoy the rest of this month's celebration of 10 years of Romancing the Genres!
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3 comments:
Great lists, Eleri.
I know the songs - most of the movies but only some of the books. The music is of my parent's era so was played and sung while I was growing up. The songs may have been written/released during WWII but they were popular for years afterwards.
"Tanamera" looks like an interesting story. I'd think anything Noel Barber wrote would be historically accurate as well as entertainingly informative.
Thanks, Eleri. I love Big Band music!
Nice list of related songs, movies, and books. My husband is a WW2 expert, having written and/or edited many of the Time Life WWII books. His fave movies because of their accuracy are: Dunkirk (2017 version), Band of Brothers, and Saving Private Ryan. I haven't seen any of those because realistic war movies are too hard for me to watch. But I have seen Schindler's List. Another great war movie is Das Boot both he and I liked was Das Boot. All in German about a German Submarine during WW2.
You also listed several songs I love from that time period. I'm a huge Glen Miller Orchestra fan, so would add these two: In The Mood and Chattanooga Choo Choo. And another Andrews Sisters rendition from the 1941 movie Buck Private. Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy. My gorwing up years framed WW2 around a variety of musicals and movies (mostly humorous) of the time. All, of course, to help the American Public not worry so much about the boys fighting overseas.
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