Movies and Books for Young Men

[KevMT]

Scroungers post about "Lonesome Dove" got me to thinkin about some books and movies that I believe do a great job in defineing honor for young men like my son. Here's a few I would like to share. Probably nothing new here for most of you.


Movies
Second-Hand Lions
Band of Brothers

Books
Little Britches: by Ralph Moody
Citizen soldiers: by Stephen Ambrose.


Does anyone have a few they want to share.

Kev

[KCSO]

Before anything else Memorize the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights and KNow out Constitution and the amendments. You shouldn't play the game if you don't know the rules.

Darn near anything by Louis LaMour
The Divine Comedy
Homer
Virgil
John Doanne
Plato



"HOMBRE"
Most John Wayne and in fact most Westerns made before 1970.

[Bret4207]

I still read "Bulldozer" by Stephen Meader a couple times a year. Any of his books are fine for adolescent boys. American values, kind to their widowed mothers, go to church and fight for the right type messages.

For over 12 YOA or so I'd second anything by L'Amour, most Jack London, Rutherford Montgomery (for the younger ones too), Jim Corbetts jungle hunting books, Zane Gray if it appeals to them (the dialoge was a bit over the top for me), James Fennimore Cooper with the same caveat, any of the classics like Hercules, Ulysses, etc.

Movies- Most westerns, pretty much anything made before 1955 or so.

[waksupi]

Captains Courageous comes to mind, for a book. And just because I like them, anything by Russell Annabel.

[MT Gianni]

Robert Louis Stevenson's Michael Strogoff is a great book as is Old Man and the Sea, and the same author that wrote " Where the red fern grows" wrote Summer of the Monkeys that is a good read. Movies Jerimiah Johnson especially when you can recognize the places talked about by name. Gianni.

[Frank46]

Band of Brothers, Second Hand Lions, for movies. Brown on Resolution by CS Forester, read that one years ago. I think that it was made into a movie at one time. Frank

[shooter2]

Scroungers post about "Lonesome Dove" got me to thinkin about some books and movies that I believe do a great job in defineing honor for young men like my son. Here's a few I would like to share. Probably nothing new here for most of you.


Movies
Second-Hand Lions
Band of Brothers

Books
Little Britches: by Ralph Moody
Citizen soldiers: by Stephen Ambrose.


Does anyone have a few they want to share.

Kev

Most anything by Rudyard Kipling and the early books by Robert Ruark; especially "The old Man and the Boy" and "Something of Value". Ditto on the Where the Red Fern Grows. Talequah is about an hour and a half from where we live. Any of the Horatio Hornblower books or the recent movies. All about boys growing into men with ethics and values.

Last, but first, the most important book of all; The Holy Bible. There are good "teen level" versions available with modern english and commentaries to help with the interpretation of the text. All you need for salvation in one volume!

[MT Gianni]

If he reads at an adult level "Clear the Bridge" and "Wahoo" by Richard H. O'Kane are excellent pacific WW2 submarine books. "Endurance" by Albert Lansing about Ernest Shakleton's 18 months stranded on an ice shelf in Antarticia is probably the best book on the subject I have read. If your idea of "Survivor" is failure unless every one returns alive and in good health then look for this book. Gianni.

[Blackwater]

Ruark really used to inspire me in my younger days. Much of a man's eventual character is absorbed, rather than taught, and I think Ruark's work may well absorb into a youthful mind & heart as well or better than anything or anyone else. I really miss Mr. McNab and the guys at the Lower 40, too. Quite a lot, they were. Most any of the classics that were used to give us older folk a "classical education," where you're taught HOW to think instead of WHAT to think, would do good service, I think.

As to movies, "The Patriot" with Mel Gibson ain't bad at all. One relatively unknown movie my grandson responded well to was "Against a Crooked Sky." Loved Richard Boone in it, with his dog, "Barrkiller." Just bought "Old Yeller" so we can watch it together. The price of sacrifice is sometimes great, and a budding young fellow shouldn't be taught it comes without risk. If he tears up when Old Yeller dies, I probably will too. Darn I hate to see that boy cry!

Lastly, I doubt I'd ever have developed my reading and writing ability if I hadn't talked Mom & Dad into subscribing to Field & Stream and Outdoor Life at a very early age, like maybe 11 or so, IIRC? Good periodicals get a young man's attention, and he learns to anticipate something new to read - a very positive thing, and I think especially so these days. The PC movement has pretty well gotten most curriculums to where they're a lot drier than they were when us older folk were coming up, IMO, and my wife's a retired secondary public school teacher.

The main thing is to get them to read, and a lot of that depends on taking them afield, and ASAP, letting them foray out on their own, if your situation permits.

[waksupi]

Something humorous may get them interested in reading more. Patrick McManus would be the ticket for this, plus give them an idea of what to do, and not to do.

[7br]

I second waksupi's suggestion of Patrick McManus. Humor in life goes a long way. A lot of us are so worried about losing face we don't extend ourselves.

[Bret4207]

Fur-Fish-Game magazine is better for young fellers than F+S, Out.Life, etc. No tobacco, booze ads or half nekked wimmen. Plus it's a bit more down to earth for those on limited means. We also like "The Backwoodsman" magazine, even more down to earth.

[carpetman]

TprBrett---That Fish and Fur with no half naked women sounds like my kind of book---take it all off,who wants just half?

[versifier]

Pennsylvania Game Comission puts out one of the best hunting and wildlife magazines in the country, Pennsylvania Game News. Mc Manus will result in both laughter and learning.
For novels: Kim by Rudyard Kipling, Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card, The Word For World is Forest bu Ursula K. LeGuin, Starship Troopers and The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein, Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien, The Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, and Rite Of Passage by Alexei Panshin.
Autobiography: everything by James Herriot, All Creatures Great and Small, All Things Bright and Beautiful, All Things Wise And Wonderful, The Lord God Made Them All, James Herriot's Dog Stories, etc., The Diary of Ann Franke.
Movies: The King Of Hearts, The Postman, Dr Strangelove, Joe's Apartment, Independence Day, The Sound of Music, Schindler's List, Band of Brothers.
That ought to keep him out of trouble, until he discovers girls.... :violin:

[swheeler]

I think a couple movies that would be great for young men or women are -In Pursuit of Honor and The Last Samuri

[The Nyack Kid]

Something humorous may get them interested in reading more. Patrick McManus would be the ticket for this, plus give them an idea of what to do, and not to do.

"Humorous" ?!?!? "Not to do"?!?!??!?
now you tell me .my brother and i thought that was how thing where supposed to work , we thought his books were "outdoors for dummys" . heck we thought we were doing things right cause our experances were about the same as McManus's. .............

[johniv]

All good recommendations , and I concur that getting a young man or woman to read is important. To the list I would add anything by "T.R." such as his book on ranch life or "Through Brazilian Wilderness" .
John

[KevMT]

"Humorous" ?!?!? "Not to do"?!?!??!?
now you tell me .my brother and i thought that was how thing where supposed to work , we thought his books were "outdoors for dummys" . heck we thought we were doing things right cause our experances were about the same as McManus's. .............

One of my son's favorite Mcmanus quotes is from the story when he and Retch tried to make a cannon out of sewer pipe and a croquet ball. After the thing predictably explodes the town constable comes along and asks, "Are you boys smoking back here?" to which the boys reply, "heck mister if you would have been here a few minuets ago, we would have still been on fire." :veryconfu


Kev

[Bret4207]

Jules Verne! How could I have forgotton. Better add in Mark Twain too.

[The Nyack Kid]

I would place at the top of the list J.R.R Tolkien
Toolkien was a brillant writer and a wonderful story teller. the moives are great but they lack the depth of the books .
Tolkien was superb at desribing what was happening in the story .

when choosing a book for a younster ask youself , if it is just a bounch of type or words in a book, or does it draw you in to the story , make it seem like you are part the story ?
the great litrary masters will draw you into thier stories . this is what you look for when it comes to getting youngsters into reading you have to get thier atention and keep it.

[waksupi]

Robert Heinlein (sp) is also a must read. Lots of wisdom there. A Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy is pretty fun.

[waksupi]

I think a couple movies that would be great for young men or women are -In Pursuit of Honor and The Last Samuri

Is Pursuit of Honor the Don Jonson movie, about the end of the calvary? If so, I wholeheartedly agree, not only for kids, but for anyone with a sense of honor, and what is right. Powerful movie.

[krag35]

I'll second Heinlien, and any of Clive Cussler's books.

For movies, hard to beat, To kill a Mockingbird, the Wind and The Lion, Charge of the LightHorsemen, Galipoli, Red Dawn, Lawence of Arabia, and the Sand Pebbles.

krag35

[Bret4207]

Be carefull of what war movies you watch. My son happened to watch "Saving Private Ryan" with me a couple years ago. He wants absolutley nothing to do with the military now. Not that I want my son in war if it can be avoided, but I don't need him scared of it unnecessarily either. Young minds are impressionable, sometimes more so than is needed.

[KevMT]

Be carefull of what war movies you watch. My son happened to watch "Saving Private Ryan" with me a couple years ago. He wants absolutley nothing to do with the military now. Not that I want my son in war if it can be avoided, but I don't need him scared of it unnecessarily either. Young minds are impressionable, sometimes more so than is needed.

I agree with you up to a pointBret. I was planning to let my 15 year old see Private Ryan in order to see the "reality" of war rather than just the John Wane version. In the recent past there was a big push to get many inner city kids to join the military so they can get out of poverty. I think it's a great idea and MANY turn in to fine young men. But there is allways that segment that seems surpried when they are actually called on to go to war.

Kev

[rocklock]

Two "Made for TV" movies that I'd recommend are A&E's The Lost Battalion and TNT's The Rough Riders. I thought that Tom Berringer was good as TR but Gary Bucy as Joe Wheeler stole the show. I also enjoyed TNT's Gettysburg.

As for books, a couple by John Toland:

Battle - The Story of the Bulge and But Not in Shame: The First Six Months After Pearl Harbor.

[potdrosser]

I have to agree with rocklock that "The Rough Riders" is a great flick. I also think some of the stories by Corey Ford are great too.