Historical Films

Miller is the consultant for the historical and documentary material accompanying the HBO production, The Pacific, a ten-part mini-series produced by Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg, and Gary Goetzman. The series will premiere on March 14, 2010. The DVD and [Blu] Ray, on which Miller is featured as lead historian, will be available in June 2010.

The dramatic series was shot in Australia and is based on the stories of three U.S. Marines—Robert Leckie, Eugene Sledge, and John Basilone—who fought in the war’s Pacific theater.

Miller is also the chief historical consultant and writer for the HBO website accompanying The Pacific. He is writing ten original essays for the website, editing all historical material, and helping to produce nine interactive maps.

At War in the Pacific

A one-hour NPR radio show, At War in the Pacific, is a companion radio program to the HBO television show. Historians Donald Miller and Richard Frank provide background and analysis on what those battles meant—then and now. Filmmakers Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks share the challenges of bringing new light and depth to a major historic event.

David D’Arcy hosts the radio program which vividly portrays a war that stormed onto islands spread across 5,000 miles of ocean that would turn into a tropical hell.  He introduces four young and idealistic Marines—John Basilone, Robert Leckie, Sydney Phillips, and E.B. Sledge—as they come of age in months of searing combat. The program highlights how the Pacific conflict shaped the lives of these Marines, their friends and relatives who shouldered the burden state-side, and the course of our nation. The radio program was broadcast on NPR stations in February 2010.

Beyond all Boundaries: The War That Changed the World

Miller worked as a writer and historical consultant with producer Tom Hanks on a film that is now the signature attraction of the National World War II Museum’s Victory Theater, a new IMAX theater that is part of the museum’s $300 million dollar expansion. The museum is located in New Orleans and has been designated by Congress as America’s official World War II Museum. Miller is also head of the Museum’s Presidential Counselors, a group of distinguished historians, archivists, and heads of major public television stations and historical sites.

Beyond All Boundaries is a multi-sensory cinematic experience—the first of its kind in the world. It was made exclusively for the museum by Hanks and Hollywood director Phil Hettema. The film premiered at the Victory Theatre’s grand opening in November 2009, an event hosted by Tom Brokaw. Tom Hanks is the film’s narrator and the film features the voices of Kevin Bacon, Blythe Danner, Brad Pitt, Patricia Clarkson, Tobey Maguire, Viola Davis, Gary Sinise, and Elijah Wood and others.

World War II in HD

Miller was writer and chief historical consultant for this full-color, high definition series narrated by Emmy Award-winner Gary Sinise. The ten-hour series aired on November 19, 2009 and ran for five consecutive nights on the History Channel. Miller’s best-selling book, The Story of World War II, was the inspiration for the character-driven series, which tells the story of the war through the lives of 12 individuals whose paths often intersect in serendipitous ways. The series uses color footage, much of which has never been aired before, drawn from more than 3,000 hours of World War II film unearthed from archives and private collections across the globe.

The film received lavish critical attention, and had one of the highest audience ratings of any show featured on the History Channel. It deals equally with the War in Europe and the War in the Pacific, and weaves together these two conflicts through the lives and testimonies of those at the face of battle.

Victory in the Pacific

Victory in the Pacific is a PBS American Experience show chronicling the war in the Pacific. It is based on Miller’s book The Story of World War II. Miller was a scriptwriting and historical consultant, as well as an on-camera expert for the film. The program looks at the final year of the Pacific campaign. It portrays the devastating final battles, such as Leyte Gulf, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa, by featuring numerous first-hand experiences of Japanese and American soldiers and civilians. It also explores the rationale for dropping the atomic bomb and provides a glimpse into the decision-making process of the Japanese military. The film was nominated for three Emmys in 2005—Outstanding Historical Programming- Long Form; Outstanding Individual Achievement in a Craft: Writing; and Outstanding Individual Achievement in a Craft: Research.