Product Description

The compendium is an armchair companion for viewing the classic television series "Combat!," starring Vic Morrow as Sergeant Saunders. "Combat!" was television's longest-running World War II drama and honored the frontline U.S. infantryman.

Airing originally on ABC from 1962 through 1967, "Combat!" followed the exploits of the fighting men of Company K's second platoon as they battled their way across Europe. A critical and popular success, "Combat!" lives on in syndication, where it continues to attract new fans.

The gritty drama attracted an impressive roster of guests, including luminaries from the past, current film stars, and the risingn stars of tomorrow. Lee Marvin, Mickey Rooney, Tom Skerritt, James Caan, Beau Briges, Sal Mineo, Eddie Albert, Frankie Avalon, Neville Brand, Charles Bronson, and more all came to "play soldier" with the men of "Combat!"

The book includes comments from Rick Jason, Dick Peabody, Tom Lowell, Pierre Jalbert, Conlan Carter, Jack Hogan, Robert Altman, Robert Blees, Georg Fenady, A.D. Flowers, and Earl Parker. The book has production notes, backstage stories, recollections of the actors, bloopers, reviews of all 152 episodes, and photos. A section of color photos of "Combat!" collectibles is also included.

The compendium is printed on high-quality paper, with a gloss color cover and over 150 photos throughout (both black-and-white and color). Softbound, 8-1/2 by 11 inches.

With a foreword written by Rick Jason (who played Lt. Hanley in the series).

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #884415 in Books
• Published on: 2002-08-18
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 176 pages

Review
... how much I'm enjoying your book. A nice spirit to it. It's good to be remembered. -- Jack Hogan, actor who played Kirby on "Combat!", from a personal letter to the author (refers to original 1997 version of the book)

About the Author
In a writing career spanning twenty-five years, Jo Davidsmeyer has been editor for several non-fiction publications (everything from real estate to internal medicine) and was creator and managing editor of Strange New Worlds, a magazine for science fiction collectors and enthusiasts.

Her articles about television and media collectibles have appeared in The Military Trader, Television Chronicles, Gateways, The New Monthly, Just Write!, Fantastic Collectibles Magazine, and many others.

She is a published and award-winning playwright, as well as an accomplished musical director. Her play "Angel," a drama about the trial and execution of a Nazi war criminal, was a winner of the Open Book/Fireside Theatre National Playwriting competition. It was produced in New York City and has enjoyed regional performances.

She organized Comboat! ‘96, a Caribbean cruise that was the first reunion of the cast since the series had ended. Two years later, she again reunited cast and fans for Recon ‘98 in the SimiValley, California, which included a tour of Franklin Canyon, where so many Combat! episodes were filmed. She is webmaster for the Combat! Fan Page, where fans have gathered for information and discussion since 1996.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
INTRODUCTION by Jo Davidsmeyer

"We had a ball," says Tom Lowell, who played Billy Nelson for the first two seasons of Combat! "There are several things I've done in my career that I'm very proud of. But my remembrances of having worked in the business are focused toward one area only, and that's the two years that I spent on Combat! It was the best. Yes, I worked at Disney, at all sorts of other things, but this was the most fun time with these guys. I could not wait to get to work every day."

Tom Lowell's sentiment is shared by many fans of the show. Those, like myself, who were children when Combat! first aired in the sixties, couldn't wait for Tuesday night when we would sit before our television sets, hanging on every action of the men of King Company. Between Tuesdays, we recreated the battles in our backyards, terrorizing the neighborhood pets. The show appealed to a variety of ages, from young children to veterans of both world wars. Teens watched the show with parents who served in the war, using the series as a bridge between generations. Drill Sergeants watched Combat! with their men, using it for object lessons or to critique the military operations.

Something about this particular TV series resonated with its audience. Baby-boomers who re-discover Combat! as adults find that the show holds up well over the decades. They are surprised that it has a depth and meaning they had not perceived as children. Forty years after the cameras stopped, Combat! is still fresh and vital. The characters of Hanley, Saunders, and the rest of the squad continue to entertain and engage new audiences.

For the youngest fans of Combat!, World War II and Normandy sound as distant as Shiloh and Antietam did to the World War II generation. Still, Combat! attracts new fans around the wiorld, as it enjoys renewed life in syndication. It has a message still relevant to a world that has since entered into another millennium.

Many vieweres are drawn to Combat! by the special chemistry among the characters. Combat! rises above the typical action show because the stories are about people, not just explosions and hardware. The strong acting and superior scripts of the "human drama of men at war" are remarkably compelling.

I first saw Combat! when I was six years old. That started a love affair that's lasted a lifetime. In 1993, I began seeking others who remembered Combat! Then, I was thrilled just to discuss the show with others who remembered its haunting drama. I had little notion that my search would lead me to meet the actors, get to know them and their art well, and to be personally blessed by the loving friendship of both Dick Peabody and Rick Jason, who have since gone to their reward.

This is a revised version of the original book printed in 1997. The 2002 edition includes updates of cast and crew information. I've also added short reviews of all the epiisodes and an index.

This book expresses the admiration and affection I have for this show and the people who created it. I hope that readers will find this book useful as an armchair companion for viewing the episodes. I have no desire to be coldly objection about Combat! First and formost, I am a fan, happy to scout ahead and "take the point."

-- Jo Davidsmeyer

Customer Reviews

Great Companion to the DVD Releases
I searched for this book for years and finally located it on Amazon.com. The last time I spied COMBAT! A VIEWER'S COMPANION TO THE WWII TV SERIES, it was in a Cleveland bookstore. At that time, COMBAT! was not available on any of the cable television stations available in my area, so I left the book on the shelf.

With the recent release of the COMBAT! on DVD, I renewed my effort to find this volume. I am glad I found it because this guide is more than a bunch of episode summaries. The book is packed with behind the scenes information. The cast interviews are priceless. Please note that trivia from this guide is also used in the special features of the DVD series.

Until I read the VIEWER'S COMPANION, I always assumed COMBAT! was canceled due to the public's growing concern over Vietnam -- essentially that Cowboy and Cop shows were in, and Army shows were out. In reality, COMBAT! was canceled due to the financial mismanagement of the production company. Rick Jason's commentary clearly relates the motive for the show's demise.

Author Jo Davidsmeyer clearly has a passion for COMBAT! as this guide has been carefully assembled. If you have the opportunity to buy this book, add it to your collection.

Better than water in your foxhole!
This well-written book takes the reader into every avenue of detail on the 1960s groundbreaking television show. Biographies, filmographies, episode detail, you name it this book has it. My favourite part of course are the actors' memories of what they liked and did not like about a particular episode, director, or guest star. You really get a feel for what is was like to make this weekly drama series.

No fan should be without a copy
I recently bought season 1 - campaign 1 from Amazon and to my delight the show was just as brilliant as I remembered it as a kid. It was my favourite show when I was growing up in Australia, but when it went off the air here in the 1970's, alas it never returned.

Jo Davidmeyer's book is a great read & each time I watch an episode I read the review afterwards & it certainly adds to the experience. Its packed full of info, bloopers, photos, stories & quotes from the actors and directors.

The author has a keen sense of humour and is passionate about the show and the actors and no fan of the show should be without this wonderful book.