looking for a gift idea for a 14 year old

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bean5671 -> looking for a gift idea for a 14 year old (9/7/2009 6:42:56 PM)
he had a great history teacher last year that really turned him on to the ww II time period any book/game idea ideas for a 14 year old. I was going to get him the world at war DVD set from history.com but dvds will not work as his mother is very anti TV when I told her it was 22 hours long she said he is not allowed to watch more than 1 hour of tv a day so it would not be a good gift for him

junk2drive -> RE: looking for a gift idea for a 14 year old (9/7/2009 6:53:58 PM)
I only remember a few books from all those book reports I was supposed to do. Up Periscope Battle for (of?) Battan Bridges at Toko-Ri (Korea but good anyway) 1 and 3 were also made into good movies which I saw after reading the books. In later years Cliff's notes were my M.O. lol

Hertston -> RE: looking for a gift idea for a 14 year old (9/7/2009 6:57:42 PM)
On the assumption that as your Mrs doesn't want him watching too much TV she's unlikely to approve of much video gaming either, I'd suggest Axis and Allies Miniatures

hadberz -> RE: looking for a gift idea for a 14 year old (9/7/2009 8:01:16 PM)
I remember when I was 14 [:)] What mama don't know, wont hurt her [:)] I'd get the dvd's.

JudgeDredd -> RE: looking for a gift idea for a 14 year old (9/7/2009 9:29:14 PM)
It would still be an excellent gift...it's probably the single most informative and watchable documentary series ever made about the conflict. I bought the VHS series many years ago at a cost of Ł100+ I'd say get him the DVD set. It'll only take him 22 days to watch them all...and he will be much the wiser for it.

V22 Osprey -> RE: looking for a gift idea for a 14 year old (9/7/2009 10:57:06 PM)
I would recommend Sean O Connor's Firefight for a video game idea.Games usually play within 30 minutes or less, and it has alot of realism.Just download the game then burn it to a CD and give it to him.Plus he will never get bored of it because there are literally billions of different maps to play on, plus all the different countries.

Adam Parker -> RE: looking for a gift idea for a 14 year old (9/7/2009 10:57:06 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: JudgeDredd It'll only take him 22 days to watch them all... I was just about to say the same thing. That's how we watched it when it first came out on TV! Three things: 1. The intro I think goes 2 hours, so get your wife on side for that. The beginning is extremely moving and educational. 2. Educate your son beforehand on the Holocaust as without prior warning, its graphical portrayal will shock and confuse. 3. The DVD menu is kind of quirky. So he'll need your help to navigate him around the series chronologically/by episode, as the interface does not always make it clear, which things follow the other. That said, then go out and buy him a couple of those new huge compendiums of "Commando" and "War" comics! Straight from our childhood, they're awesome!

bean5671 -> RE: looking for a gift idea for a 14 year old (9/7/2009 11:47:44 PM)
not my wife my sister in law thank god[:'(] this is for my nephew I think I will just get him the dvds still any more Ideas

junk2drive -> RE: looking for a gift idea for a 14 year old (9/7/2009 11:56:50 PM)
Buy yourself the DVDs and have him over for a weekend.

E -> RE: looking for a gift idea for a 14 year old (9/8/2009 12:18:44 AM)
Can't go wrong with Sir Laurence! (Hell of a thing really. A documentary that is still as riviting today as it was over 30 years ago.)

Southernland -> RE: looking for a gift idea for a 14 year old (9/8/2009 1:06:10 AM)
the DVDs, a portable small screen DVDplayer and ear phones... never too soon for a kid to start learning to ignore draconian authority

bean5671 -> RE: looking for a gift idea for a 14 year old (9/8/2009 1:25:29 AM)
southern you do not know the half of it she is a brit lawyer and a law prof at Princeton they spend more time in england then the US all the kid wants to to is go hunting with my dad, but she ships him to her parents in london every christmas

TAIL GUNNER -> RE: looking for a gift idea for a 14 year old (9/8/2009 1:56:09 AM)
For books, I think anything about the Allies on D-Day is a good starter. For games good for a beginner, I reccomend John Tiller's Campaign Series. For DVDs, Band of Brothers is a great series. good luck!

Fallschirmjager -> RE: looking for a gift idea for a 14 year old (9/8/2009 3:46:32 AM)
He is 14 and still have rules like that? I imagine in college he will 'break out' a little his first semester :) Or maybe I was just raised differently. At 14 my parents were leaving on 10 day trips and I was getting myself up and taking myself to school and cooking for myself.

Gil R. -> RE: looking for a gift idea for a 14 year old (9/8/2009 4:00:53 AM)
Not that I have kids, but "Band of Brothers" is not appropriate for a 14-year-old. My guess is that any mother who limits TV viewing to 1 hr./day would be especially upset by that scene involving the young fraulein, but there's also the problem of a lot of stuff being over the head of someone that young. I'd think that movies like "Patton" and "Bridge Too Far" would be the way to go, if not for that time-limit. Great movies can lead to great interest in learning more through reading. As far as books go, maybe a set of the old Time-Life WWII books would do the trick -- lots of great pictures, and it's really pictures that bring home what that war was like. (Since when does Princeton have a law school? Must be part of a pre-law program...)

ijontichy -> RE: looking for a gift idea for a 14 year old (9/8/2009 5:45:09 AM)
14 is not that young ... youth these days are either neglected or mollycoddled. Get him that World At War DVD set, and one of those WWII Atlases. Boys love poring over maps. A different suggestion is to get him an introductory WWII board game that you can play with him. Quality time with the kid, you know.

Cmdrcain -> RE: looking for a gift idea for a 14 year old (9/8/2009 6:22:02 AM)
Book wise, At dawn we slept, Time For trumpets or Costellos "pacific war" are good books Not sure if their still in print through but worth checking for. Second is about Battle of Bulge, First is about pearl harbor Their not fiction books. I'd also go with the DVD... might point out to Sister in Law theres a difference between "TV..TV" and a Documentry Dvd set that teachs about history... which isn't "Tv" Likely the TV limits on "TV" as in plain old TV programs that melt the mind [:'(] But a Historical Documentry.... is history in video format

jackx -> RE: looking for a gift idea for a 14 year old (9/8/2009 8:46:47 AM)
He's only 14... so I'd say no to any war movie recommendations. They're either too gory, or glorifying war, or a mixture of both (or white-washing the Wehrmacht, but I guess you're clear of that danger, being in the US...). Probably shouldn't be alone watching some of the documentaries, either, better if he can talk to someone about it, and if he's really curious about/interested in WW2, he'll have a truckload of questions... The WaW dvds seem a good choice, and you could probably use them as a starting point for a responsible/educational media use debate... probably better to get the parents on board, than to circumvent them via the portable DVD player... I guess it just comes down to using your judgement as to what the kid can, and cannot handle.

bean5671 -> RE: looking for a gift idea for a 14 year old (9/8/2009 1:04:00 PM)
not sure what she teaches I live in ohio and have never been to their house in NJ from what my wife tells me she is someone of note at the university though never marry into a rich family

TonyE -> RE: looking for a gift idea for a 14 year old (9/8/2009 6:04:14 PM)
Carriers at War is a quick intro to WWII naval action and might fit into a one hour time-slot per day. It isn't gory either [;)].

dooya -> RE: looking for a gift idea for a 14 year old (9/8/2009 7:16:45 PM)
Does the boy play chess? If not, buy him a chess board and a good introduction. Best wargame ever.

bean5671 -> RE: looking for a gift idea for a 14 year old (9/8/2009 7:22:57 PM)
chess I am a member at icc and my son plays there as well, not sure if my nephew does or not that is a good idea

JudgeDredd -> RE: looking for a gift idea for a 14 year old (9/8/2009 10:54:36 PM)
bean5671 Just wanted to thank you for reminding me about this series. I have it on VHS, but they're in the loft and too "bulky" to have downstairs, so I've now bought the DVD set for Ł27. [:D] Happy chappy and bring on the best, most informative WWII documentary ever made (and with an awesome narrator also!)

kaybayray -> RE: looking for a gift idea for a 14 year old (9/9/2009 12:05:46 AM)
As a Father of 6 kids that controls internet access and TV time I recommend getting the History DVD's. Unless his parents are mindless anti-American lemmings orbiting Neptune they wont whine once they realize that the series is about the Real World History. The graphic story of how we came to still have Freedom, Liberty and Justice in this world. The story of how a generation refused to be put in a box and crushed and rose up against murderous facisim. I think their major objection to a lot of TV time is the mindless programmed crud that is pandered by the popular media as "Entertainment". TV programming like, American Idol, MTV and the remainder of Human Debris that is paraded across our living rooms in the form of "Reality TV". Just my thoughts but from my perspective I would be absolutely flaberghasted to walk into my living room and find one of my teens actually watching anything about History that wasnt produced by the MTV crowd. So get them for him. Who knows, he may just start taking notice of Grandpa and Grandma and ther rest of his family of that generation and start asking some questions. OMG he might actually learn how to us the "T" word... Think.. Later, KayBay

killroyishere -> RE: looking for a gift idea for a 14 year old (9/9/2009 12:01:09 PM)
Memoir 44 is better than Axis and Allies. If I were a kid again that's what I would want.

JudgeDredd -> RE: looking for a gift idea for a 14 year old (9/9/2009 12:02:18 PM)
Seconded Memoir '44 - great little game.

Adam Parker -> RE: looking for a gift idea for a 14 year old (9/9/2009 1:19:57 PM)
Hi Bean, Looking at all the advice here has actually let me wonder what I would do in your position or would want if back at the age of 14. This is really a fine age when the mind is expanding - and pretty much like a sponge, will start to soak up anything and everything conceptually with ease. I remember at this age being given a Tamiya model catalgoue by my parents. It was a life changing moment. These were the days when the catalogue was written pretty much like an encyclopedia. Each tank or model had a wordy history written about it and the amount of detail just oozed itself into my cranium. I couldn't get enough. I just wanted to read and read as much fine print as I could. Those were great days. Anyway, what I've concluded is that at your Nephew's age, any book you buy can become the basis of a life long love in military history. So I would lavish him with something special or unique in this regard: Book Recommendation: Panzer Truppen Vol 1 and 2 - Jentz, the foremost exposure to the make up and role of the German Panzer forces around. Heaps and heaps of minutae to endulge in, lots and lots to direct further reading towards and a coverage of every area in the European Theatre of Operations. Book Recommendation: Rise and Fall of the Third Reich - Shirer, a book to treasure through life. Maybe a challenging read to start with at 14 but why restrict potential? A wonderful way to begin a study in the geopolitics and strategies of WW2, a real page turner. Board Game Recommendation: Memoir 44 - Days of Wonder, as others have suggested. Just start with the basic game and add modules for future celebrations. Its a real gem covering the whole war now. PC Wargame Recommendation: The new Operation Barbarossa to be released this week by Matrix, looks to be an exciting, easy to learn, hard to master goer for someone wishing to witness the Russian Front. I'm sure to be expanded into the West later. So I hope all this, together the W@W DVD suggestion helps you some more. Best wishes, Adam.

junk2drive -> RE: looking for a gift idea for a 14 year old (9/9/2009 2:04:54 PM)
I've played Memoir 44 too and my nephew bought it because he had a young son. Not a bad game for adults IMO. You just might turn out to be that weird uncle that saves him from the dark side, lol.

105mm Howitzer -> RE: looking for a gift idea for a 14 year old (9/9/2009 2:42:06 PM)
Hi Bean, if he's got a computer, get him the WaW dvd, he can still view them from his pc. Memoir 44 and expansion packs, great for those together times a well. My cousin's hubby went to P U School of Law. Doing fine in NTC now, the bum . [8D]

jackx -> RE: looking for a gift idea for a 14 year old (9/9/2009 6:28:25 PM)
I'm a bit worried about anything that is big on technical detail/minutiae, and thus also fairly clinical and detached. Mainly because it's addictive, and over that addiction, it's easy to forgot the wider context of the war in which that equipment was used, and its effect on human beings. That's a balancing act for anyone, and probably really tricky with a kid. I have a half-brother, who's only 12, but really into WW2 submarines and planes, and it's a tough job to decide what he should, and shouldn't be watching/reading yet. He has seen "Das Boot" (TV/stereo only, so not that scary), which I thought was a bad idea, but it might've just been the right thing to give him a basic idea that those things weren't just fancy toys and pieces of engineering, like those steam locomotives he's also in love with... not much of a suggestion I'm afraid, just some general thoughts/rant on the subject based on recent personal experience. My apologies.

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