[Discussion] The Battle of the Monday Blahs

[muccamukk]

As the quiet dread of rarepair deadlines begins to settle in, we all need some positivity. Or, I do, anyway. Here's some suggestions :D

• Post about bits of canon you currently love/are thinking about.


• What random related facts delight you?


• Rec a fanwork you've recently discovered or revisited for the hundredth time.


• Actor just that damn pretty you have to share a pic or gif? Share one!

What's making you happy in HBO War Fandom this week, folks?

Comments

[thrillingdetectivetales]

I'm currently listening to the audiobook of Malarkey's memoir. Overall I'm really enjoying it so far, but the part I've been most delighted about is his super unsubtle thirst for hero worship of Joe Toye.

I've always enjoyed Malarkey as a character in the show and felt it a bit of a shame that we don't get to see more of him in a leading role, so the book is a really nice expansion into his character. Will post a proper review when I'm finished with the thing, but until then, I'll be rolling in Don/Joe and Don/Buck feels.

[muccamukk]

The Don/Joe feels are SO STRONG. I kind of feel like Joe is his Lew Nixon. Especially the way he talks about their lives after the war, Don really wants Joe to be remembered well, and for his family to understand.

[thrillingdetectivetales]

They definitely have similar ride-or-die vibes. Complete with Don waxing rhapsodic about Joe at length much in the same way that Dick does about Nix. (STRAPPING ARMS)

I think Malarkey is one of the more underrated characters in the show in terms of popularity, and he seems like a man who felt things very, very deeply, even if he didn't always know what to do with that.

[lt_aldo_raine]

I'm having a similar experience doing some reading up on Talbert. My god, my god, my god, the Winters hero worship is unreal. I'm honestly surprised he didn't propose while the war was on.

[muccamukk]

IDK if you have time, but I'd love it if you could share some of that Tab research. I still want to do the post war one for him.

[thrillingdetectivetales]

Ditto on the "would love research access" sentiment. Tab is my honey child and I need to know more about hiiiimmm.

(Winters seemed to have a bit of reciprocal hero worship happening for Tab in a few of the texts, too. More Tab/Dick!)

[muccamukk]

I def want someone to do that post-war cabin prompt.

[lt_aldo_raine]

Sorry to (perhaps somewhat falsely) excite you ladies. I haven't been able to find much, honestly. In addition to Dick's book, which I know y'all have read, I've been looking at A Company of Heroes and We Who Are Alive and Remain. Both are collections of stories and interviews from the troopers like Tab and their families who felt snubbed by Ambrose. I've also been reading the Forrest Guth book, which isn't the most well-written but has a lot of anecdotal content.


Alexander, Larry (2011). In the Footsteps of the Band of Brothers: A Return to Easy Company's Battefields with Sgt. Forrest Guth. NAL Trade. ISBN 0451233158.

Brotherton, Marcus (2010). A Company of Heroes: Personal Memories about the Real Band of Brothers and the Legacy They Left Us. Berkley Caliber. ISBN 978-0-425-23420-4.

Brotherton, Marcus (2010). We Who Are Alive and Remain: Untold Stories from the Band of Brothers. Dunton Calber. ISBN 978-0425234198.

[muccamukk]

I do keep meaning to read the Botherton ones. I know that Tab's family was Very Unhappy with how Ambrose wrote about him.

[lt_aldo_raine]

Yeah, they were Not Pleased.

I'm also just such a fan of all the fanboy letters that Tab sent to Dick.

[slightlytookish]

I read We Who Are Alive and Remain a few months ago and found it sadder than I expected it to be (mostly towards the end tbh). Is A Company of Heroes about the same, would you say? I was going to read them back to back but thought it might be too much melancholy at once.

[lt_aldo_raine]

I haven't finished either--mostly just jumping around to the bits relevant to the fic I'm writing--so, I don't want to speak conclusively. But I haven't found A Company to be too melancholic so far! I'd say its definitely worth a glance or two, especially if you're interested in the lives of the men cast into the periphery of the show/Ambrose's book.

[slightlytookish]

Thank you, that's good to know. I definitely plan on reading it but mostly I was wondering if I should buffer it with something more cheery.