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Title: Hitler's Preemptive War

Subtitle: The Battle for Norway, 1940

Author: Henrik Lunde

Narrator: Tom Parks

Format: Unabridged

Length: 24 hrs and 34 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-29-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 32 votes

Genres: History, Military

Publisher's Summary:

This book describes the often overlooked World War II campaign for Norway - a complex series of battles in which Hitler out-gambled Churchill in order to secure a vital resource lifeline for the Third Reich.

After Hitler conquered Poland and was still fine-tuning his plans against France, the British began to exert control of the coastline of neutral Norway, an action that threatened to cut off Germanys iron-ore conduit to Sweden and outflank from the start its hegemony on the Continent. The Germans responded with a dizzying series of assaults, using every tool of modern warfare developed in the previous generation. Airlifted infantry, mountain troops and paratroopers were dispatched to the north, seizing Norwegian strongpoints while forestalling larger but more cumbersome Allied units.

The German navy also set sail, taking a brutal beating at the hands of Britannia, while ensuring with its sacrifice that key harbors could be held open for resupply. As dive-bombers soared overhead, small but elite German units traversed forbidding terrain to ambush Allied units trying to forge inland. At Narvik, some 6,000 German troops battled 20,000 French and British, until the Allies were finally forced to withdraw by the great disaster in France, which had then gotten underway.

Henrik Lunde, a native Norwegian and former U.S. Special Operations colonel, has written the most objective account to date of a campaign in which 20th-century military innovation found its first fertile playing field.

Members Reviews:

Fine history; narration not so good

Would you listen to Hitler's Preemptive War again? Why?

I probably wouldn't listen to "Hitler's Preemptive War" again . . . but, I would read a hard-copy edition.

What didnt you like about Tom Parkss performance?

Tom Parks would be a good narrator for a young adult novel, but lacked the "gravitas" for this material. His pronunciation of words (even English) was odd, idiosyncratic. His word emphasis was off-putting.

Any additional comments?

Very fine example of military history on the more-or-less "micro" level. Excellent research went into this book!

Great book hampered by poor narration

Where does Hitler's Preemptive War rank among all the audiobooks youve listened to so far?

The subject and quality of the research was excellent.

How could the performance have been better?

You would think that the narrator would have been pre-screened for his/her ability to pronounce German, names and words. The narrator's lack of ability to pronounce German names and terms makes the book difficult to listen to at times. This is a book about a German Campaign get a narrator that has the ability to pronounce German words and military terminology, both German and English correctly.

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Title: Bismarck

Subtitle: The Final Days of Germany's Greatest Battleship

Author: Niklas Zetterling, Michael Tamelander

Narrator: Charles Constant

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 51 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-29-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 94 votes

Genres: History, Military

Publisher's Summary:

A gripping tale of heroism - and doom - on the high seas....

The sinking of the German battleship Bismarck - a masterpiece of engineering, well-armored with a main artillery of eight 15-inch guns - was one of the most dramatic events of World War II. She left the port of Gotenhafen for her first operation on the night of 18 May 1941, yet was almost immediately discovered by Norwegian resistance and Allied air reconnaissance. British battlecruiser Hood was quickly dispatched from Scapa Flow to intercept the Bismarck, together with new battleship Prince of Wales. They were ordered to find the ship quickly because, on their way from the USA, several large convoys were heading for Britain.

On 24 May, Bismarck was found off the coast of Greenland, but the ensuing battle was disastrous for the British. The Hood was totally destroyed within minutes (with only three crewmen surviving), and Prince of Wales was badly damaged. The chase resumed until the German behemoth was finally caught, this time by four British capital ships supported by torpedo-bombers from the carrier Ark Royal. The icy North Atlantic roiled from the crash of shellfire and bursting explosions until finally the Bismarck collapsed, sending nearly 2,000 German sailors to a watery grave.

Tamelander and Zetterling's work rests on stories from survivors and the latest historical discoveries. The book starts with a thorough account of maritime developments from 1871 up to the era of the giant battleship, and ends with a vivid account, hour by hour, of the dramatic and fateful hunt for the mighty Bismarck, Nazi-Germany's last hope to pose a powerful surface threat to Allied convoys.

Members Reviews:

A must read for any WWII Naval Historian!

This was an excellent book! I love reading about naval history and the battles from WWII. Though the days of the surface to surface warfare on the high seas are all but gone, there is something exciting about steel vessels hunting for one another in the North Atlantic that had my attention from the first chapter.

It's 1941 so the regular use of radar and sonar for that matter cannot be relied upon so navies from both the Axis and Allies had to rely on intercepted radio transmissions, last known positions, and the human eye to track and hunt the opposition. And now it is up to the Royal Navy to hunt and destroy one of the worlds most powerful battleships even after they have been beaten with the sinking of the HMS Hood.

The writer does an excellent job conveying this well-known story from both the German and British perspectives. Never getting ahead of either, Zetterling effectively goes back and forth between the two navies to explain what each was doing, thinking, and attempting to do while integrating countless anecdotes from those who were there. Thoroughly enjoyable!

I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in WWII history, anyone interested in naval strategy, and anyone looking to add a volume to their collection like no other book. Two thumbs up!

Very good history, excellently narrated

What did you love best about Bismarck?

This is a serious maritime history, which is hard to find these days. It is excellently narrated by Charles Constant, who has the voice for it, and the intuitive feel for this type of material. Some of the sentences in the book are long and complex.

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Title: Leningrad

Subtitle: The Epic Siege of World War II, 1941-1944

Author: Anna Reid

Narrator: Peter Drew

Format: Unabridged

Length: 15 hrs

Language: English

Release date: 03-26-13

Publisher: Audible Studios for Bloomsbury

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 73 votes

Genres: History, Military

Publisher's Summary:

On September 8, 1941, 11 weeks after Hitler's brutal surprise attack on the Soviet Union, Leningrad was surrounded. The German siege was not lifted for two and a half years, by which time some three quarters of a million Leningraders had died of starvation. Stripping away decades of Soviet propaganda, and drawing on newly available diaries and government records, Anna Reid chronicles the Nazis' deliberate decision to starve Leningrad into surrender, the incompetence and cruelty of the Soviet war leadership, the horrors experienced by soldiers on the front lines, and, above all, the ordeal of life in the blockaded city.

Leningrad tackles a raft of unanswered questions: Was the size of the death toll as much the fault of Stalin as of Hitler? Why didn't the Germans capture the city? Why didn't it collapse into anarchy? What decided who lived and who died? Impressive in its originality and literary style, Leningrad gives voice to the dead and throws new light on one of the twentieth century's greatest calamities.

Members Reviews:

Very Good Look at the History We Were Not Taught

I am convinced from reading several history books about Russia lately that without the Soviet Union, Hitler may have been more successful. He would not have won, but had Hitler maintained the alliance rather than violate it, the world would be a different place today.

The siege of Leningrad was a horribly grim piece of history. The Soviet Union gave the city virtually no support. The city was on its own. Food ran out. Hundreds of thousands died. No wonder the Russian people are so tough. They had nearly a century of oppressive rule after their centuries of oppressive rule. They beat Napoleon and Hitler but not their own leaders and system.

The book is a little choppy to follow. But, unlike the Rape of Nanking, it is not so grossly graphic that you cannot bear to listen to it.

I highly recommend this book. Well done on all fronts.

Heart wrenching

This is Item #1 in the indictment of the human race, focusing on the misery that results from struggles regarding greed, power, lunacy, and the gullibility of the powerless. Sad. So sad. I continually overlapped already heard sections because I didn't want to miss a breath.

A truth at last revealed.

What did you love best about Leningrad?

The eye-witness accounts.

What did you like best about this story?

The whole idea. Not much is known about the siege in the West.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Peter Drew?

I might.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

The Battle between Darkness and Light.

Any additional comments?

None.

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Title: Badass: Ultimate Deathmatch

Subtitle: Skull-Crushing True Stories of the Most Hardcore Duels, Showdowns, Fistfights, Last Stands, and Military Engagements of All Time

Author: Ben Thompson

Narrator: Stephen Bowlby

Format: Unabridged

Length: 13 hrs and 48 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-12-13

Publisher: HarperAudio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 43 votes

Genres: History, Military

Publisher's Summary:

Unstoppable true stories of the most hardcore showdowns, last stands, and military engagements of all time! When only one can live, it's an ultimate deathmatch!

This ain't no table tennis. You're not here to skip rope with your niece. You're here to witness the catastrophically awesome exploits of history's greatest badasses. Not only that, you're here to see what happens when badasses collide, when glory and doom hang in the balance, when two men enter one man leaves. If you dare listen, you'll hear the stories of....

Members Reviews:

Good idea, Poor execution

Where does Badass: Ultimate Deathmatch rank among all the audiobooks youve listened to so far?

in the middle

If youve listened to books by Ben Thompson before, how does this one compare?

average

Any additional comments?

It was a good concept; sacrificing historical accuracy for entertainment value. It's just that the s**t talking was uncreative.

Aside from Standards of Literacy, It's ok LoL

I say standards of literacy because I believe the book is written without thinking about grammar, language, & repetition of words... I almost feel like I'm at one of those monster truck shows because the commercials on TV remind me of the narrator. But if u break it down to the basics, the stories are true (from my small knowledge of history & looking up certain parts in Wiki the content is accurate) with decent fictional content filling up the unknown parts of the historical record. Obv. with 'Badass' in the title the word is used waaaay too much along with normal slang that I used to speak when intoxicated in college to an extent while some slang is new to me.

TLC used to have a show that was similar to 'deadliest warrior' plus I love 'future weapons' & other military channel shows. This book is about 2-3 steps below that, lol, but I got it because I'd like to read a book that has multiple listings of past battles, conquests, major figures, & military campaigns. I think the author wrote 1 or 2 other books similar to this, but I would really rather read/listen to a book that is written for adults & not someone sitting on a couch watching Scarface & polishing his jewelry (JK, unfair generalization haha), but I really think it is the point of the book to be written in the 'common tongue' & 'slang' to be able to use sayings that u would never read in any book that has good literary content unless it involves a character who comes from the different demographics covered in the books language...

Vulgar language, graphic violence, & descriptive scenes from sex to fighting has never bothered me, if it doesn't bother u, & u have a credit to waste, the book is worth a read at 2x speed

It's like a rapper trying to give a history lesson

I have always been a fan of the idea behind Badass: Take historically significant characters, then present them in a larger than life, ridiculously exaggerated fashion with mature language. It's almost like a rapper wants to give you a history lesson.

I ended up laughing several times at the images that are portrayed in the book.

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Title: The 21st-Century Sniper

Subtitle: A Complete Practical Guide

Author: Brandon Webb, Glen Doherty

Narrator: Allen O'Reilly

Format: Unabridged

Length: 4 hrs and 12 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-20-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 78 votes

Genres: History, Military

Publisher's Summary:

The 21st century sniper is a mature, intelligent shooter who leverages technology to his deadly advantage. He has spent thousands of hours honing his skills. He is a master of concealment in all environments, from the mountains of Afghanistan to the crowded streets of Iraq. He is trained in science and left alone to create the unique art of the kill. To the sniper, the battlefield is like a painters blank canvas. It is his job to simultaneously utilize tools, training, and creativity to deliver devastating psychological impact upon the battlefield. And it is he alone who is left with the intimacy of the kill. A complete practical guide for any modern sniper, former Navy SEAL and military sniper Brandon Webb reveals the tips and basic training necessary to become an efficient marksman. Webb is an international authority on sniping, and after serving multiple missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, he ran the Navy SEAL sniper course, which is arguably the best sniper qualification course in the world. Including details on advanced sniper training for maritime, helicopter, and urban sniper operations, The 21st Century Sniper also touches on the latest research, development, testing, and evaluation of sniper weapons systems and optics. From trajectories and wind speed to camouflage and best vantage points and targets, Webb covers everything an expert sniper needs to know. This book is suitable for gun enthusiasts, outdoorsmen, the beginning sniper, and those with military backgrounds.

Editorial Reviews:

Allen O'Reilly expertly performs Brandon Webb and Glen Doherty's book The 21st-Century Sniper: A Complete Practical Guide. This volume really aims to unravel the mysteries behind of the military's deadliest combatants without falling to the misconceptions touted by films and video-games. While the sniper has played a part in every war for centuries now, not much has been written about the experience by those who have held this position in the military themselves.

With entries involving the long and storied history of the vital sharpshooting position, to a close look at the science of the scoped rifle and training needed to use one, this an crucial guide for understanding these artists of the battlefield.

Members Reviews:

READ it, Don't Listen

Where does The 21st-Century Sniper rank among all the audiobooks youve listened to so far?

Allen O'Rielly has no business narrating. He consistently mispronounced words, or overpronounced others. ".30-06" is not pronounced "point three zero to zero six". The points in the guns arent ever prnounced, and you definitely don't say "three zero to zero six".

He often stopped to catch his breathe, and semed generally inept. The book itself is great, focusing mostly on guns, tactis, and the history of the sniper. If you're looking for a book about that, then it's a great read. I stress READ unless they get some one else to narrorate this.

What did you like best about this story?

The "inside" story of snipers.

Would you be willing to try another one of Allen O'Reillys performances?

NO NO NO NO NO. I'd prefer a book narrorated by Gilbert Godfrey.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No. It's not even designed that way.

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Title: The Knights of Bushido

Subtitle: A History of Japanese War Crimes During World War II

Author: Lord Russell of Liverpool

Narrator: Simon Vance

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 44 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-13-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 55 votes

Genres: History, Military

Publisher's Summary:

The war crimes trials at Nuremberg and Tokyo meted out the Allies' official justice; Lord Russell of Liverpool's sensational bestselling books on the Axis' war crimes decided the public's opinion. The Knights of Bushido, Russell's shocking account of Japanese brutality in the Pacific in World War II, describes how the noble founding principles of the Empire of Japan were perverted by the military into a systematic campaign of torture, murder, starvation, rape, and destruction. Notorious incidents like the Nanking Massacre and the Bataan Death March emerge as merely part of a pattern of human rights abuses. Undoubtedly formidable soldiers, the Japanese were terrible conquerors. Their conduct in the Pacific is a harrowing example of the doctrine of mutual destruction carried to the extreme, and begs the question of what is acceptableand unacceptablein total war.

©2008 Skyhorse Publishing, Inc. (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

Editorial Reviews:

A belief in Japans divinely mandated right to rule over Asia led to stunning atrocities during the Second World War. Lord Russell of Liverpool, a lawyer who worked with the British Army during the war, offers a vivid and detailed catalogue of these bloody and vicious war crimes in his 1958 volume The Knights of Bushido.

The cruelty of the Japanese military was seen in Nanking, where thousands of innocent Chinese were raped and murdered by Japanese soldiers and its prisoner of war camps, where international treaties were ignored and soldiers were starved and tortured.

With his British accent, narrator Simon Vance strikes a dispassionate tone that allows the gravity of Lord Russells careful research and unembellished prose to speak for itself.

Members Reviews:

Not for the faint of heart

This was a great and terrible book at the same time. My grandma had told me about the hatred for the Japanese during WWII and how two of her high school friends were killed during the Bataan death march, but this book paints the full picture of the depths of depravity and horror that can be conjured up by the human mind.

Countless acts throughout the Sino-Japanese war to WWII are described here and broken into sections that describe how the Japanese dealt with situations (Pilots, Sea Battles, Prison Camps, Civilian Populations, Cannibalism). While it is not chronological, I feel it is a far better way of sorting through the information, as you can begin to see the Japanese mindset towards certain prisoners or situations.

The book does a good job of accurately portraying the horror experienced by the world during this time. The examples are brutal (babies thrown up and "caught" on a bayonet), but it helps show a whole side of World War II that is not talked about much, and gave me a new found admiration of the "Greatest Generation" who overcame such evil.

Grim but important to know

Would you listen to The Knights of Bushido again? Why?

Probably not, as much of it is ghastly: once one is familiar with the contents, it seems a bit pointless to go through the horrors a second time.

What about Simon Vances performance did you like?

Excellent.

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Title: Prisoners of War

Subtitle: Australians Under Nippon

Author: Tim Bowden

Narrator: Tim Bowden

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 34 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-08-13

Publisher: Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 5 votes

Genres: History, Military

Publisher's Summary:

This documentary series, first presented in 1985 by acclaimed producer and presenter Tim Bowden, is a harrowing account of the ordeals faced by Australian POWs in Japanese camps, at the height of World War II. Told through the first-hand accounts of survivors from the war, this series has been remastered and serves as an indispensable insight into the realities of the war in the Pacific.

Members Reviews:

A kind interview

This book is more of interview than a story, does not carry person away as a story book does. More for scholars than readers or listeners.

Sympathy for family who were POW of the Japanese

The only people who attacked Australia after the English. How we were defending the UK, Europe leaving our gates wide open. Then the Japanese arrive in Asia with the non practice of Geneva Convention. Hence belief people, POW, were lost in action whilst severely punished by the Japanese following their God - Japanese royalty - kill or die trying don't come home until called. The amount of time after the end of the conflict of the war prisoners were still being punished.

FILM SOUNDTRACK - DOES NOT WORK AS AN AUDIOBOOK

What disappointed you about Prisoners of War?

Not being able to understand what's being said. Some of the Australian accents are just too thick. I thought it would be one narrator reading the first-hand accounts of the war.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

I didn't get that far. I gave up after 30 minutes.

How could the performance have been better?

This is the soundtrack of a documentary film. It doesn't work as an audiobook. The survivors' accents are hard to understand. Then some are speaking over sound effects of bombing and shooting - maybe from an underlying film segment - and that only makes it all worse.

Sensation

Gripping. Moving. Enlightening. Brilliant. A fantastic reading experience. Should be heard by all Australian school children.

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Title: Topgun Days

Subtitle: Dogfighting, Cheating Death, and Hollywood Glory as One of America's Best Fighter Jocks

Author: Dave "Bio" Baranek

Narrator: Jeremy Arthur

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 47 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-07-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 50 votes

Genres: History, Military

Publisher's Summary:

Dave Baranek (callsign "Bio") was one of 451 young men to receive his Wings of Gold in 1980 as a naval flight officer. Four years later, seasoned by intense training and deployments in the tense confrontations of the Cold War, he became the only one of that initial group to rise to become an instructor at the navy's elite Fighter Weapons School. As a Topgun instructor, Bio was responsible for teaching the navy's and Marine Corps' best fighter pilots how to be even better. He schooled them in the classroom and then went head-to-head with them in the skies.

Then, in August 1985, Bio was assigned to combine his day-to-day flight duties with participation in a Pentagon-blessed project to film action footage for a major Hollywood movie focusing on the lives, loves, heartbreaks, and triumphs of young fighter pilots: Top Gun. Bio soon found himself riding in limousines to attend gala premieres, and being singled out by giggling teenagers and awed schoolboys who recognized the name "Topgun" on his T-shirts. The audiobook ends with his reflections on his career as a skilled naval aviator and his enduring love of flight.

Editorial Reviews:

Topgun Days: Dogfighting, Cheating Death, and Hollywood Glory as One of America's Best Fighter Jocks is a focused description of one mans exhaustive climb to the pinnacle of his career as fighter pilot. This autobiography by Dave Baranek will prove enjoyable to those generally interested in military life as well as those who wish to live vicariously through an expert fighter pilot. Baranek explains the patience and discipline required to ascend the fighter pilot career ladder. He segues into his life as role model for Hollywoods glamorized version of topguns. Assigned to create action footage for the Tom Cruise vehicle Top Gun, Baranek himself briefly becomes a pop phenomenon. Baraneks pride and sincerity can be heard in narrator Jeremy Arthurs entertaining recital.

Members Reviews:

Top Gun or Topgun

I admit it, Ive watch Top Gun the movie over and over. I love it. So when I had to a chance to read how it was put together I jumped at it. I had no reviews to help me (I really depend on reviews) so I felt a need to write a this review.

Bio (his call sign and it is in the credits I checked) our author tells us about how he learned to be a REO. A reo is the weapons officer in the back seat. Bio tells us about having to eject on a failed landing attempt. Bio relates how they study and study and study to fly those jets with such safety and menace.

Top Gun the school according to Bio didnt have a trophy given to the winner of the class. Tony Scott took some liberties with that one.

I think the preparation for the flights, the preparation for the teaching of the classes our author lets us know that being in a fighter jet is for in shape young men and women that are well trained and dedicated.

When I listen to a book some go by real fast, and that usually means to me it was riveting. This book flew supersonic by me and of course, I did stream the movie this weekend to check the credits and see exactly what Bio was talking about.

If you liked the movie this book is for you.

a pretty good and accurate, balanced storytelling

it was a very good book, pretty accurate, and fun. It brought back good memories, most of them accurate.

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Title: For Crew and Country

Subtitle: The Inspirational True Story of Bravery and Sacrifice Aboard the USS Samuel B. Roberts

Author: John Wukovits

Narrator: Robertson Dean

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 51 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-29-13

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 142 votes

Genres: History, Military

Publisher's Summary:

John Wukovits tells of the most dramatic naval battle of the Pacific War and the incredible sacrifice of the USS Samuel B. Roberts.

On October 25, 1944, the Samuel B. Roberts, along with the other 12 vessels comprising its unit, stood between Japans largest battleship force ever sent to sea and MacArthurs transports inside Leyte Gulf. Faced with the surprise appearance of more than 20 Japanese battleships, cruisers, and destroyers - including the Yamato, at 70,000 tons the most potent battlewagon in the world - the 1,200-ton Samuel B. Roberts turned immediately to action with six other ships. Captain Copeland marked the occasion with one of the most poignant addresses ever given to men on the edge of battle: "Men," he said over the intercom, "we are about to go into a fight against overwhelming odds from which survival cannot be expected."

The ship churned straight at the enemy in a near-suicidal attempt to deflect the more potent foe, allow the small aircraft carriers to escape, and buy time for MacArthurs forces. Of 563 destroyers constructed during World War II, the Samuel B. Roberts was the only one sunk, going down with guns blazing in a duel reminiscent of the Spartans at Thermopylae or Davy Crocketts Alamo defenders. The men who survived faced a horrifying three-day nightmare in the sea, where they battled a lack of food and water, scorching sun and numbing nighttime cold, and natures most feared adversary - sharks.

The battle would go down as historys greatest sea clash, the Battle of Samar - the dramatic climax of the Battle of Leyte Gulf.

Critic Reviews:

"On October 25, 1944, the USS

Samuel B. Roberts took part in one of the most doomed naval battles in US history. Wukovits recounts the battle in harrowing detail, while providing intimate glimpses into the lives of the men on board." (

Publishers Weekly)

Members Reviews:

Amazing Story, Heart Rending and Brave

What did you love best about For Crew and Country?

The story of ordinary men and their extreme, selfless acts of bravery. You get to know the crew, their lives, their loves and hopes, and you see how that affects them in the time of greatest crisis.

Have you listened to any of Robertson Deans other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not, but this one was pretty good. I'd definitely give him another listen without hesitation.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

The Ship That Fought Like A Battleship

Any additional comments?

This is not a rather happy book by the end, and many times while listening to it on my lunch break or driving around I had to switch to something more upbeat. Be prepared for that when you give a listen. Despite that (or maybe because of it) I feel that this should be essential reading for anyone interested in WWII, or history at all. It feels like the quintessential story of American heroism, and what we want to be.

Well Done Naval Story of the Samuel B. Roberts

This is one of the better written and read WWII naval stories I have listened to and I have listened to about 100 and read over 300 WWII histories and memoirs. I would rank it in the top 20. The author does a good job of explaining the big picture but mostly concentrates on the individual sailors stories who served on the Sammie B. which I prefer.

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Title: A History of the Peninsular War 1807-1809

Author: Charles Oman

Narrator: Felbrigg Napoleon Herriot

Format: Abridged

Length: 26 hrs and 55 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-03-12

Publisher: FNH Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 23 votes

Genres: History, Military

Publisher's Summary:

FNH Audio presents a reading of Charles Oman's classic military history A History of the Peninsular War. In this first volume, a detailed examination is made of the first years of the war, 1807 to 1809. The campaign is examined from both sides using reference materials from British, French, Spanish, and Portuguese sources. This book covers the invasion of Spain and Napoleon's trickery in luring the Spanish crown into prison. It also features Wellington's first peninsular battle and of course the famous retreat to Corunna and the battle at that place.

This history, written many years after Napier's, draws its information from more first-hand accounts and corrects some of more glaring mistakes and biases of Napier. Although this audiobook is abridged, the only text removed is a number of the non-English sections of the Appendix, namely sections one, two, three, four, and seven. All English text from the appendices is present.

Members Reviews:

Wonderful if you can tolerate the reader

What made the experience of listening to A History of the Peninsular War 1807-1809 the most enjoyable?

Well researched and presented material

How could the performance have been better?

If you could find someone to read the book who doesn't butcher the English language. It is cav-al-ry, not cav-ary and pam-plo-na, not pam-ploo-na. The reader continually mis-pronounces words and it is very annoying.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No way. Couldn't tolerate but a hour or so at a time of the reader, it was very painful at times.

Any additional comments?

Super book, be aware of this reader related to future purchases. Where is Robertson Dean or Michael Kramer when you need them?

Well researched content

Unfortunately impacted by the narrator's atrocious pronouncing of French names.

Is anybody reviewing these priductions before the audio release?

Ignorant Reader Botches Historical Classic

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

No, because the reader's total inability to pronounce anything above third-grade vocabulary is extremely distracting. Also, it is a strange choice to have a book that takes place in Spain read by someone with absolutely no clue how to pronounce Spanish--it's so bad that you usually can't tell whom or where he is talking about. He can be funny, though: my favorite was when he rendered "suzerainty" (overlordship) as "super-zanity."

What other book might you compare A History of the Peninsular War 1807-1809 to and why?

"Marlborough, His Life and Times," read by a dyslexic 8-year-old.

Would you be willing to try another one of Felbrigg Napoleon Herriots performances?

Only if the alternative was to have my brains pulled out through my nose.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

"Now on film, because you couldn't stand to listen to the audiobook."

Any additional comments?

A good book ruined by a bad reader. I want my money back.

doesnt translate well into audiobook

Would you recommend A History of the Peninsular War 1807-1809 to your friends? Why or why not?

Yes

Which scene was your favorite?

Battle of Balin and Moore's retreat.

Any additional comments?

This is probably an excellant book but it doesnt translate well into an audiobook.