WW2 Historian James Holland Breaks Down Call of Duty: WW2

[@oliverboisen7475]

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

[@alejandroyepez]

Did not i need it until today

[@K_-_-_-_K]

Need him & Al on hearts of iron 4 :D

[@oliverboisen7475]

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

[@taylorfusher2997]

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

[@your_local_subaru_impreza_gc8]

​@@taylorfusher2997 and?...

[@haydenhodgson8716]

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

[@taylorfusher2997]

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

[@cdc6329-im]

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

[@AndrewNiccol]

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

[@jhohelysguapache7007]

Fr😊

[@friendlym1rifle]

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.

[@allshookup1640]

I can also guarantee that many of them did it anyway. Wouldn’t you? You’re a smoke going on what is probably going to be a suicide mission that has been planned and delayed for months. I bet you many took a smoke to calm their nerves. I can’t prove it but I wouldn’t be shocked at all. If you live you take the punishment if not you got a last smoke in

[@vinnieg6161]

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

[@mohammedashian8094]

I mean it is a nice phone so…😅

[@EliteGhost008]

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

[@edm240b9]

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]

Yes, better than vanguard which is shit

[@TheClassicWorld]

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]

@@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]

@@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. :)

[@Normally_aspirated]

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

[@mateusbrown4215]

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

[@EliteGhost008]

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

[@rayvestrayvene5376]

James Holland is the best. Great Historian.

[@Wedsheport]

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

[@j0njn]

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]

Yes exactly 😂 "Defend yourself James!"

[@alexperkins9990]

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]

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

[@qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm3937]

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

[@chandlersampson]

James is a treasure.

[@RUSH2112RUSH]

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.

[@jamyskis]

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

[@matts5247]

I LOVE JAMES HOLLAND favorite historian

[@hermanjacobs4425]

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.

[@_733t]

"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

[@vtrix4925]

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

[@Martinspire]

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.

[@heeggie]

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

[@UnknownUnknown-uc5ty]

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

[@HECKproductions]

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

[@JosStorm]

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

[@dodopod]

MoH too, while they're at it.

[@ziggypop79]

Yeah that’s the best one for me

[@lukeclayton8771]

James’ knowledge is incredible! Pleasure to watch

[@ThatOneFrederick]

James is the single best person on the channel / "show."

[@warsandmilitaria]

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

[@ashhawk2346]

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

[@FireStormHR]

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]

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

[@gonzalesrafael22]

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.

[@KissTheGreat]

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.

[@matts5247]

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

[@gregtronica3569]

yeaj

[@JohnSmith-mk5jt]

yeag

[@lifeenabled]

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

[@MissesWitch]

"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!

[@thevictoryoverhimself7298]

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]

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

[@Jenny_Myers]

Come on, if it was like that it would be boring

[@AussieBattleCat]

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

[@raisinmancereal]

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

[@eastonrobbins1822]

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

[@cory8965]

Quite possibly the best thing I've ever watched.

[@cheriefsadeksadek2108]

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

[@paulgill7660]

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 😮😮❤❤❤❤❤

[@cadejohnson3219]

Love this guy, need more of these for sure

[@EokaBeamer69]

I wish they had at least taken time to let him play the tutorial once and adjust his sensitivity before recording this. Otherwise good vid. It's lovely how he gets hung up on every little detail and just lets himself get immersed. :)

[@mr.a8315]

That was awesome, so interesting & entertaining.

[@Unabonger420]

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

[@lillydav10]

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

[@briandix4633]

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

[@djentyman4002]

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

[@georgebettasso1395]

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

[@arpadkocsis7472]

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

[@MishaElRusito]

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

[@Fafuchess]

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

[@jansenart0]

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]

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

[@Meravokas]

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.

[@piyo744]

7:50 I actually don't think this is too inaccurate. The M1943 jacket was introduced, from what I can tell, no earlier than summer of 1943, being standardized in August (and as Mr. Holland says, really came around by Autumn). Pierson fought and even commanded a battalion in the Battle of Kasserine Pass, before the M1941 was standardized: the Battle of Kasserine Pass was in February. I'm not sure of the enforcement of standardized jackets, but I don't think it's too out of the realm of possibility for him to still wear his M1941 he wore in Kasserine Pass to honor the troops he failed.

[@davidalexhughes]

Can we all take a moment to thank John

[@mrsakanarghost-_-8501]

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

[@PalleRasmussen]

Pierson should also have had the straight magasine on his Tommygun. Drum magasines were not used much in WW2. James is a great chap it seems.

[@therookiesplaybook]

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

[@mattclarke8791]

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

[@johnspeak9517]

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.

[@ziggypop79]

This is great thank you

[@garfd]

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.

[@killiangardenhire6307]

He should’ve tried world at war

[@someonesch4361]

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

[@razvanalex3691]

Respect for this gentleman

[@jordanbooth4470]

I’m a simple man. I see James Holland, I click

[@soloar2007]

He has great books on audible

[@kingbabybob4868]

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

[@dogmadogma5398]

Great stuff. Thanks!

[@dhkdeoen]

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

[@DuaneMARTIN-fj2oe]

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

[@thecrimsonbubbles]

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

[@nickjackson6905]

Paul woodidge pointed out several mistakes even before hitting the beech

[@OPEK.]

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

[@James-ju4gj]

Could watch this for hours

[@cheesyfromindonesia9969]

James Holland and Mark Felton gaming confirmed?

[@derewan07]

11:15 Imagine 1400 Rounds per second 💀💀💀

[@terpgomer]

I love how Honest Game Trailers called this "Call of Duty WWII: Saving Profit Margin"

[@clage929]

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...

[@slowraceultra]

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

[@NardoVogt]

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

[@stevenwujek6917]

PLEASE have him do world at war

[@dun0790]

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

[@minimac721]

I like his excitement

[@matts5247]

Hate call of duty but I love this shit

[@RickyS08]

James should review COD: World at War

[@JohnnyZMunoz]

Hell let loose gameplay next

[@markt3541]

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

[@matts5247]

How does this have so few views the KZbin algorithm is busted

[@fuqupal]

I remember going back to this game in 2019 and was amazed of how insanely good the graphics were

[@RyRy1515]

James Holland rules. I wish I had his job

[@ctttt7019]

You can. Just pick a historical interest and write a few books

[@thespicemasta]

Next project, James Holland plays Kards/ meets the developers 😎

[@NathanBritto]

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

[@d1aLtONE_13]

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

[@tardarsauce1842]

One thing I hate in this game, is every guns sounds like they have a freakin suppressors on, its like firing on a bb gun. Not to mention some gun fire rates aren't accurate, like how the MG42's rate is too slow

[@JIMMYLEGS_]

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

[@flaviapunktexe]

What does a PPSch-41 doing in normandy?

[@Broxyc]

Weren’t there also mines strapped to the logs?

[@dem0nchild610]

Ya the cod ww2 beach landing was great until I found a type 100 with a drum mag kinda ruined it