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Title: The Dodger

Subtitle: The Extraordinary Story of Churchill's Cousin and the Great Escape

Author: Tim Carroll

Narrator: Cameron Stewart

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 53 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-12-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 2.5 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: History, 20th Century

Publisher's Summary:

The Dodger is the long-awaited story of Johnny Dodge, a wartime hero, the American-born cousin of Winston Churchill and a pivotal figure in the escapade immortalised in the legendary Hollywood film The Great Escape. Of all the Allied prisoners who broke out of Hermann Göring's 'escape proof' camp in the famous episode of March 1944, Johnny Dodge was the most intriguing.

When the Second World War broke out, he volunteered for the Army but was quickly captured after the debacle of Dunkirk. He became a prisoner of war and an inveterate escapologist and troublemaker - eventually becoming one of the ringleaders of the 'Great Escape'.

Surviving the murderous Gestapo, he was thrown into a VIP compound of Sachsenhausen concentration camp on the orders of Heinrich Himmler - but escaped once more. After recapture, Johnny was spirited away by the SS to a meeting in Berlin with Hitler's interpreter, who sent him on a clandestine mission to his cousin in Downing Street. His odyssey through the dying embers of the Third Reich to Switzerland and freedom in the company of a louche Nazi apparatchik is the last curious escapade in the story of Johnny's adventurous life. The Dodger draws upon Dodge's voluminous private papers, including photographs taken inside prison camps and letters home, casting revealing new light on the myth of the Great Escape.

Tim Carroll is a national newspaper journalist and television producer. He is the author of The Great Escapers: The Full Story of the Second World War's Most Remarkable Mass Escape and was co-author of In Hitler's Bunker: A Boy Soldier's Eyewitness Account of the Führer's Last Days.

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Title: The King Who Saved the Crown

Author: Michael Dean

Narrator: Ray Lonnen

Format: Unabridged

Length: 51 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-21-13

Publisher: Redbush Entertainment

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: History, 20th Century

Publisher's Summary:

King George V1 never expected to be King. Known in the family as Bertie, he was shy and retiring and grew up in the shadow of hismore outgoing brother Edward. It was his brothers abdication that compelled him to take his place on the throne.

Overcoming a lifelong stammer his dignity and courage helped lead the country through some of the darkest days of World War two.

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Title: History of the Donner Party

Subtitle: A Tragedy of the Sierra

Author: C. F. McGlashan

Narrator: Bobbie Frohman

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 51 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-14-13

Publisher: Alcazar AudioWorks

Ratings: 2.5 of 5 out of 8 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

C.F. McGlashan was the newspaper publisher of the local paper in Truckee, California, the closest town to the Donner Pass. McGlashan interviewed the survivors of the Donner Party, gathered artifacts and amassed an enormous amount of secondary information. Over an 18 month period, McGlashan published serialized articles in his paper and turned his articles into a book. History of the Donner Party is considered the definitive account of one of the most notorious treks in American history.

Members Reviews:

Good story, bad reading.

Would you try another book from C. F. McGlashan and/or Bobbie Frohman?

The author? Sure, as long as it interested me. The narrator? Not a chance.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

I didn't really like the narration right from the start. She quickly jumped from the end of one chapter to the beginning of the next, seemingly in the same breath. There was also just something about the rhythm of her reading that I didn't like. If those were the only two issues I wouldn't have really been bothered, but halfway through the book it's like whoever edited it just stopped trying. The narrator has to repeat herself many times, she'll get halfway through a sentence, stop and read the sentence over again. At one point she mispronounces a word so many times she stops, you can faintly hear her saying it to herself, and she starts again. (She did pronounce it right that time though.) She can also be heard clearing her throat at least one time. I'm only giving the performance two stars instead of one because if all of those issues had been edited out or if she'd been asked to read pieces of it again I would have only taken off one star. I actually feel bad for the narrator.

Any additional comments?

The book itself is well written, even if it is a little dull in parts. It also starts off fairly slowly, but that's often the case when it comes to the telling of historical events. But due to the narration I could only recommend it to anyone if they didn't have to pay for it.

Narrator was droll. Editing was sorely needed.

The narrator was horribly droll and a bad reader. She was expressionless. The book was not edited and needed to have been. The narrator during a chapter was clearing her throat, re-read passages on several occasions. It was obvious that she had lost her place.

The story may have been good had it been read by someone else. She also kept reading the word lived as a long I.

Worst purchase I've made. Don't waist your money.

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Title: Sealab

Subtitle: America's Forgotten Quest to Live and Work on the Ocean Floor

Author: Ben Hellwarth

Narrator: Christa Lewis

Format: Unabridged

Length: 13 hrs and 1 min

Language: English

Release date: 07-17-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 41 votes

Genres: History, 20th Century

Publisher's Summary:

Sealab is the underwater Right Stuff: the compelling story of how a U.S. Navy program sought to develop the marine equivalent of the space station - and forever changed man's relationship to the sea.

While NASA was trying to put a man on the moon, the U.S. Navy launched a series of daring experiments to prove that divers could live and work from a sea-floor base. When the first underwater "habitat" called Sealab was tested in the early 1960s, conventional dives had strict depth limits and lasted for only minutes, not the hours and even days that the visionaries behind Sealab wanted to achieve - for purposes of exploration, scientific research, and to recover submarines and aircraft that had sunk along the continental shelf. The unlikely father of Sealab, George Bond, was a colorful former country doctor who joined the Navy later in life and became obsessed with these unanswered questions: How long can a diver stay underwater? How deep can a diver go? Sealab never received the attention it deserved, yet the program inspired explorers like Jacques Cousteau, broke age-old depth barriers, and revolutionized deep-sea diving by demonstrating that living on the seabed was not science fiction. Today divers on commercial oil rigs and Navy divers engaged in classified missions rely on methods pioneered during Sealab.

Sealab is a true story of heroism and discovery: men unafraid to test the limits of physical endurance to conquer a hostile undersea frontier. It is also a story of frustration and a government unwilling to take the same risks underwater that it did in space. Ben Hellwarth, a veteran journalist, interviewed many surviving participants from the three Sealab experiments and conducted extensive documentary research to write the first comprehensive account of one of the most important and least known experiments in U.S. history.

Members Reviews:

An excellent story of adventure and discovery.

It's a wonderful story. Audio book is very well presented, and I enjoyed it greatly

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Title: Res Gestae Christiani

Subtitle: My Time as the President of the Cambridge University Korean Society 2002-2003

Author: Christian Kim

Narrator: Alexandra G. Haag

Format: Unabridged

Length: 2 hrs and 33 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-28-13

Publisher: The Hermit Kingdom Press

Genres: History, 20th Century

Publisher's Summary:

Res Gestae Christiani: My Time as the President of the Cambridge University Korean Society 2002-2003by Christian Kim is a heart-warming real-life account of the struggle of Korean students at Cambridge University to empower themselves against all odds. At the helm of this endeavor is Christian Kim, who was the President of Cambridge University Korean Society from 2002 to 2003. Christian Kim, a PhD candidate in Hebrew, Jewish, and Early Christian Studies, sets out major objectives to achieve Korean empowerment.

First, Christian Kim seeks to disseminate Korean culture and help non-Koreans understand the Korean experience. Thus, Kim invites one of the major literary figures from South Korea to discuss Korean literature. Kim also invited the Ambassador of South Korea, who is now the primary expert on North Korea for the South Korean government, for a special lecture, sponsored together with the Centre for International Studies of Cambridge University. Besides his efforts to help others to better understand Koreans, Christian Kim spearheaded many "firsts" for Koreans in Cambridge University. Kim organized the first ever Cambridge University Korean Society Formal Hall at Jesus College, Cambridge. This is a historic event in the history of Cambridge University and the history of the Korean people in the United Kingdom. Furthermore, Christian Kim organized the first ever all-Chinese get together. This is a historic event for the Chinese people of Cambridge University and an important step in the history of China. Another critically important "first" was the joint program between Cambridge University Korean Society and the Interdisciplinary Japanese Forum. It is the first time that a major Korean Society in higher education in the European Union sponsored a joint program with the Japanese society at the university. It has historic ramifications.

This book contains important documentation for the study of British history, the history of the Korean people, the history of Chinese people, the history of Japanese people, and the history of higher education. This is a book that serious historians cannot go without. As it is written in a very readable way, this book will be of interest to everyone who has any interest in British history, Cambridge University, Asian history, and sociology.

Members Reviews:

Needed book!

There is a lot of racism against Korean's in Cambridge University. Most of this racism seems to emanate from French students, who appear to have an irrational hatred of Korean's. A good example would be when a group of Korean's came to my College bar to watch South Korea play against France in the World Cup. The Korean's were told repeatedly to shut up by a group of French students whenever they cheered for South Korea (known as the red devils). The French students were very aggressive towards the Korean's, especially after Park Ji Sung scored the equalizer. I hope that France gets knocked out of the World Cup in the group stage.

It is a shame that Christian Kim was asked to leave Cambridge since he did a lot of good work as president of the Cambridge University Korean Society. Racist attacks against Korean's fell during Christian Kim's presidency, however they are now on the rise. I feel that this is a very important book in the fight against anti-Korean racism.

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Title: Titanic: The Tennis Story

Author: Lindsay Gibbs

Narrator: Julie Eickhoff

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 55 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-15-13

Publisher: New Chapter Press

Genres: History, 20th Century

Publisher's Summary:

A stirring and remarkable story, this novel tells the tale of the intertwined lives of Dick Williams and Karl Behr who survived the sinking of the Titanic and went on to have Hall of Fame tennis careers.

Two years before they faced each other in the quarterfinals of the U.S. Nationals - the modern-day U.S. Open - the two men boarded the infamous ship as strangers. Dick, shy and gangly, was moving to America to pursue a tennis career and attend Harvard. Karl, a dashing tennis veteran, was chasing after Helen, the love of his life. The two men remarkably survived the sinking of the great vessel and met aboard the rescue ship Carpathia. But as they reached the shores of the United States, both men did all they could to distance themselves from the disaster.

An emotional and touching work, this novel brings one of the most extraordinary sports stories to life in literary form. This real-life account - with an ending seemingly plucked out of a Hollywood screenplay - weaves the themes of love, tragedy, history, sport and perseverance.

Members Reviews:

The Tennis Story is a powerful tale of love and devastating loss during the early 1900s based on ...

Titanic: The Tennis Story is a powerful tale of love and devastating loss during the early 1900s based on real events. In addition to the hard facts about the voyage, this novel brings a fresh breath to a tragic topic through a strong tennis subplot. In fact, it might be safe to say that the ships tragic end isnât the main focal point of the novel at all.

Lets face it- everyone is familiar with the James Cameron Titanic story. Gibbsâ book brings with it the same sophisticated, upper class feel during the characters time aboard the Ship of Dreams that the director honed in on, giving the romance storyline a more luxurious sensation that continues on after the vessel has long been lost. Iâd recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a classy romance story.

Titanic: The Tennis Story is definitely worth picking up for a quick read. It also makes a great gift for anyone interested in the Titanic, modest romance, or tennis history.

Emotional Resonance Carries This "Titanic" Story

Lindsay Gibbs has taken one small part of a seminal story and given it the fullness of expression it deserves.

There is a nakedness about books. They are either page-turners or they're not. They either sweep you along and capture you in the flow of the narrative, or they don't. "Titanic: The Tennis Story" certainly gave Ms. Gibbs some terrific material, but the author made the most of it.

One of the biggest challenges involved in retelling the story of the Titanic is that the larger course of events is already known on a general level. One knows, even before reading the first page, that a harrowing escape lies in store for the principal figures in the drama. Any author has to make the tension of the moment come alive in a fresh way.

Lindsay Gibbs does exactly that.

"Titanic: The Tennis Story" soars because the author manages to give such piercing insight into the inner emotional lives of Karl Behr and "Dick" Norris Williams. It's easy to care about these people because their journeys are fleshed-out and anything but one-dimensional. Had the central figures in this story served as paper-thin props for the sinking of the Titanic, they would be easily cast aside and forgotten.

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Title: The Marconi Scandal

Author: Frances Donaldson

Narrator: Carolyn Seymour

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 28 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-15-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Genres: History, 20th Century

Publisher's Summary:

In March 1912 the postmaster-general accepted the Marconi Company's tender to build the first six stations of a wireless chain to link up the British Empire. The negotiations had been conducted for the Marconi Company by the managing director, Godfrey Isaacs, brother of Sir Rufus Isaacs, the Attorney-General. Immediately it became clear that opposition to the contract would be unexpectedly strong. There was evidence of a gamble in Marconi shares. Rumours began to spread charging Ministers, among them Lloyd George, with corruption in placing the contract and using their position to speculate in Marconi shares. Although it has been discussed in many biographies of the period, this is the first objective and full-length account of a dramatic and little-known event in English history.

Lady Donaldson of Kingsbridge (1907-1994), a British writer and biographer, was the daughter of Freddie Lonsdale, a playwright. She married John George Stuart Donaldson, Baron Donaldson of Kingsbridge (known as Jack), a left-wing intellectual, social worker, and dilettante Gloucestershire farmer, in 1935. As the daughter of the playwright Frederick Lonsdale, she grew up in the frivolous world of 1920s café society, yet she became a committed socialist. As the wife of Lord Donaldson who was on the board of both London Opera houses and was subsequently Minister for the Arts, Frances Donaldson was at the cultural centre of British life. Her body of work included topics such as farming, and biographies on writers Evelyn Waugh and P. G. Wodehouse, as well as on her father, Freddie. Her biography of King Edward VIII won the Wolfson Literary Award and was the basis for a six-part television series, Edward and Mrs. Simpson, starring James Fox and Cynthia Harris.

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Title: The Man in the Crowd

Subtitle: A Fan's Notes on Four Generations of New York Baseball

Author: Stanley Cohen

Narrator: Daniel Wallace

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 20 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-12-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: History, 20th Century

Publisher's Summary:

The celebrated author of The Game They Played offers a must-have memoir for Yankees fans.

For Stanley Cohen, baseball is the prism through which he views the events of the last 70 years. In The Man in the Crowd, Cohen chronicles Americas changing mood and lifestyle from the years of World War II through the silent generation of the 50s, the revolutionary turmoil of the 60s through the social decay of the 70s, the excess of the 80s through the technological transformation of the 90s, up through the sobering uncertainty of the post-9/11 present day. His narrative spans four generations as he recounts in sparkling prose how, for his immigrant father, sports was a means of assimilation into life in the New World; the warmth of watching his son and, later, his grandson both fall heir to his devotion; and how the game of baseball has provided his life with its truest sense of continuity.

Editorial Reviews:

Stanley Cohen's memoir is a deeply personal, wistful rumination on his 70-year passion for America's pastime. To him, baseball, or as he calls it, the "enduring, timeless game of geometric precision", serves as a metaphor for life, and it frames his view of family, culture, politics, and history.

Whether voicing a Boston cab driver or Cohen's mother, Daniel Wallace's performance is as colorful and evocative as Cohen's prose. He succeeds at capturing the full spectrum of emotions on display in the work - no easy task.

Members Reviews:

Excellently written

A frank, well thought and well written story. Interesting listen to anyone who likes to know about the feeling behind being a baseball fan. Knowing you can like more than one team but your heart will always belong to your favourite

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Title: The Lone Assassin

Subtitle: The Epic True Story of the Man Who Almost Killed Hitler

Author: Helmut Ortner, Benjamin Ross (translator)

Narrator: Traber Burns

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 29 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-23-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Genres: History, 20th Century

Publisher's Summary:

One man had a single goalto eliminate Hitler from the face of the Earth.

Living as a carpenter who had spent time working in a watch factory, Georg Elser was just an ordinary member of society living in Munich. That is, however, until he took it upon himself to attempt to assassinate the Fhrer, Adolph Hitler. Being a common man who opposed the Nazi regime, Elser took the skills from his craft and worked to assemble his own bomb detonator. Every night, he snuck out to the Munich Beer Hall, where he worked on assembling the bomb that he planned to use to kill Hitler.

Hidden in a hollowed-out space near the speakers podium, Elsers bomb went off successfully, killing eight people. Hitler was not one of them.

This is the story, scene by scene, of the events that led up to Georg Elser taking justice into his own hands, his attempt to murder the Fuhrer, and what happened after the bomb went off. The Lone Assassin is a powerfully gripping tale that places the listener in the dark days of Munich in 1939, following Elser from the Munich Beer Hall, across the border, and sadly, to the concentration camp where his heroic life ended.

Editorial Reviews:

The biography titled The Lone Assassin: The Epic True Story of the Man Who Almost Killed Hitler is thoughtful, understated, and meticulously detailed. The tone of this book matches its subject perfectly. Georg Elser is a introspective and uninvolved in politics. He is the classic private citizen. But once Elser comes to understand who Hitler is and what he represents for the future of Germany, Elser begins a silent crusade. He builds and explodes a bomb that the Fuhrer escapes by departing early from the bomb site. Had Elser succeeded he would have killed Hitler in his early career. Benjamin Ross translates author Helmut Ortner. Narrator Traber Burns nimbly picks out the careful details.

Critic Reviews:

Perhaps as thorough a study of the people involved and significance of the events as can be constructed. (Publishers Weekly)

Members Reviews:

I had never heard of the assasination attempt

by Georg Elser on Abolph Hitler's life until I read this book. I found this book very interesting. The author decsribed in detain Georg's life in an attempt give the reader a good understanding of his formative years and personality. I felt that Georg Elser was described well and even more light was shed as the transcripts from his interrogations were quoted throughout the book. Georg Elser came within minutes of impacting history, but Hitler's speech was shorter than usual and the bomb exploded shortly after he left the tavern. If the deed had been completed successfully, WWII probably never would have occurred. I found it suprising that Elser wasn't executed shortly after the assasination plot was perpetrated by a lone German citizen, and not a British or Russian plot. Of course the Reich propagandized the attempt. Georg Elser was instead internned in two concentration camps in barracks for high profile, important men, and was given better food and privaleges. The Reich had intended to use Elser in a staged mock trial after the war, but in the final days of the war, when Germany was sure of losing, the order was given to exterminate Elser. What came as a total shock to me is that even through the 1980s-1990s, a vast majority of German citizens still looked upon Elser as a traitor rather than the brave hero he almost was.

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Title: Collection of Works: Portraits, Volume 9 [Russian Edition]

Author: Mark Aldanov

Narrator: Evgeny Karpov

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 4 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-26-12

Publisher: IDDK

Genres: History, 20th Century

Publisher's Summary:

The ninth volume of the collected works of the outstanding Russian writer Mark Aldanov (1886-1957) includes stories about people who played a prominent role in Russian history.

Please note: This audiobook is in Russian.