What War Was ‘Band of Brothers’ Based On? Answered.

Band of Brothers, which premiered on HBO 2001, is coming back in a big way. The 10-episode miniseries was recently added to Netflix’s lineup, introducing it to new audiences and sparking conversation about the show’s famous scenes on social media.

Showcasing a star-studded cast, Band of Brothers features Michael Fassbender, Tom Hardy, Damian Lewis, Ron Livingston of Office Space fame, and Friends’ David Schwimmer. Tom Hanks, who co-created and produced the show alongside Steven Spielberg, also has a small cameo in the limited series.

Stephen E. Ambrose, a non-fiction author and historian, published a book of the same name in 1992, which Band of Brothers was based on. Featuring true events along with some dramatizations, the show undoubtedly has newcomers wondering about the true story behind the multi-million dollar project.

What war did the ‘Band of Brothers’ fight in?

Band of Brothers depicts the Easy Company, also referred to as the 2nd Battalion of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division. Joining forces in 1942, the group fought in World War II a few years after the war officially kicked off, the following year after the United States joined in.

The famous group of soldiers, also called the E Company, was instrumental in aiding the United States and the Allies in the war. From the Battle of the Bulge to the infamous Battle of Normandy during D-Day, members of the Easy Company fought and strategized throughout Europe, with paratroopers dropping in from aircraft to battle Nazi forces during World War II.

Band of Brothers not only showed the horrors of war but also how brotherhood and unlikely friendships formed amid the chaos of battle and bloodshed. 

Around the 20th anniversary of the war drama, Hanks recounted the most important takeaways of Band of Brothers and why so many gravitated to the show, which boasted millions of viewers per episode during its original run on HBO.

In a sit-down with Deadline in 2021, Hanks shared, “The key word of the title is ‘Brothers.’ I think the resonance of the series comes from the sense of ‘Us,’ that we are all in this together and the primary, instinctive duty is to look after our brothers. A unit – like Easy Company – stands alone, together.”

Band of Brothers went on to secure several Emmys and a Golden Globe, winning out in the best limited/miniseries category in both award programs. Interested in watching Band of Brothers? Stream the famed war drama on HBO or Netflix and let us know your thoughts in the comment section.

(featured image: HBO)