Discover the Best Sellers Audiobooks in History, 20th Century

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Title: Must History Repeat the Great Conflicts of This Century?

Author: The Great Courses

Narrator: Professor Joseph S. Nye Jr.

Format: Original Recording

Length: 5 hrs and 50 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-08-13

Publisher: The Great Courses

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 68 votes

Genres: History, 20th Century

Publisher's Summary:

Twice in the first half of the last century, the great powers engaged in wars that killed nearly 70 million people, with the aftermath of each shaking the international political system, changing the maps of the world, and setting the scene for the next great conflict. And for most of the past 50 years, the Cold War dominated international politics. Is this the history we are condemned to repeat?

This series of eight lectures about international politics will hone your ability to approach that question with knowledge and insight. It reveals how concepts such as the balance of power and the international system interweave with and help shape history, showing you what actually happened in the great conflicts and why. The lectures will help you answer many of the key questions those concerned with creating a stable peace must answer every day; did the end of the Cold War bring peace and harmony or war and chaos? Does the United States play a dominant role in international affairs or is its role declining? Is military power still the key to world leadership, or has economic power become more important? Should the United States attempt to play the role of global police force, or should it withdraw from its overseas military commitments?

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

Members Reviews:

Beware of historians with bad analogies.

1 Continuity and Change in World Politics

2 What Is an International System?

3 The Balance of Power and Its Problems

4 The Origins of the First World War

5 The Problems and Promise of Collective Security

6 The Origins of the Second World War

7 The Origins of the Cold War

8 Alternatives to the Present International System

This course was first released in 1991 so it was before the fall of the Soviet Union and the rise of terrorism in the world, but I found it very enlightening and still relevant for today. I wish President Bush and his cabinet had listened to this course before plunging us in another war with Iraq, but what is happened.

Professor Nye gives a promising scenario for the future of the world and the United States in these lectures. The first three (around 45 minutes in length) lectures explain International politics and systems and how important the Balance of Power is.

The next three explain the origins of the World Wars and the different scenarios that could have happened instead of global conflicts. I have always thought that they were inevitable but through his perspective, I can see how things could have been different.

The seventh chapter takes on the Cold War and how it happened and if it was necessary. I found it fascinating.

My favorite lecture was his last on what the future may hold for us as a nation and the world at large. While he didnt take on China or terrorism directly, he did show the way to a peaceful future in a global economy.

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Title: Science in the Twentieth Century: A Social-Intellectual Survey

Author: The Great Courses

Narrator: Professor Steven L. Goldman

Format: Original Recording

Length: 17 hrs and 47 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-08-13

Publisher: The Great Courses

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 140 votes

Genres: History, 20th Century

Publisher's Summary:

As the 19th century drew to a close, the age-old quest to understand the physical world appeared to be complete, except for a few minor details. In fact, Albert Michelson, the first American to win a Nobel Prize in the sciences, noted that, "It seems probable that most of the grand underlying principles have been firmly established." And he was far from alone among his peers. Scientists in 1900 had no inkling of the other mind-boggling developments that lay in wait: plate tectonics, genetic engineering, space probes, nanotechnology, big bang theory, electronic computers, nuclear weapons, artificial intelligence, and many other astounding products of the human mind. Indeed, by the end of the 20th century, nearly every 19th-century theory of natural and social phenomena would be overthrown or superseded.

This dynamic transformation has not been a matter of revolution, but of evolution, as you'll learn in this fascinating 36-lecture exploration of scientific growth filled with ideas, anecdotes, and insights. You'll see how 20th-century scientists have built on crucial 19th-century concepts such as energy, natural selection, atoms, fields, and waves to assemble a body of knowledge to stun even the most farsighted scientific thinkers of that not-too-distant past.

You'll come away with a new appreciation of how scientific knowledge expands, as Professor Goldman addresses a tremendous range of scientific and technological topics, including science and society, physics, mathematics, psychology, cosmology, telecommunications, meteorology, and archaeology.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

Members Reviews:

Ochoa

Great way to put in perspective the evolution of scientific works, and assist in acquiring an organized grasp of the most important achievements in scientific history. Professors Goldman is a serious narrator.

Another great course from Goldman

Everything I expected and more, an excellent adventure into science with the reward of wisdom given to anyone who endures ans listens to the end.

why did I go to school? this book covers everythin

this book covers what's seems to be everything related to science and humanity that is interesting and made me feel like if I could just relisten and pay perfect attention I would be the smartest guy I know

Thoroughly entertaining

A fascinating journey across the entire spectrum of sciences covering physical, biological and social discoveries, evolution and innovations. Narration is top notch and content is well presented. Thank you Professor Goldman.

Unquestionably the finest lectures ever listened to from start to completion

Never has a presenter existed to identical mosaic of knowledge, thoughts, & meaningful associations as this superbly informed and impassioned lecturer. To my surprise much new was gained, which included personal aspects found back stories that enhance his given topics. A lecturer for the veraciously interested people who naturally ponder the life they live.

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Title: Interpreting the 20th Century: The Struggle Over Democracy

Author: The Great Courses

Narrator: Professor Pamela Radcliff

Format: Original Recording

Length: 24 hrs and 24 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-08-13

Publisher: The Great Courses

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 68 votes

Genres: History, 20th Century

Publisher's Summary:

Consider the intense and rapid changes that transformed the political, social, and economic struggles of the world during the 20th century: the first flight and space flight, the Manhattan Project and the welfare state, Nietzsche and Freud, the Great Depression and inflation, moving pictures and home computers, the Cold War and terrorism - and war and peace.

These 48 comprehensive lectures examine this extraordinary history and provide a multidisciplinary understanding of how the modern world came to be and how democracy has emerged as a political ideal, although the parameters of a truly democratic world order are still being vigorously contested. You'll see how the 20th century can be read as a history of ideas, and how those ideas both influenced events and were in turn influenced by them to shape today's world.

Professor Radcliff not only distills political and economic trends from a century of world history, but she explains them with clarity, drawing on other disciplines as necessary to make key points come alive. She defines the perspective of this course as including what she calls the "Enlightenment Project" - the adoption of liberal, democratic, rationalist principles in much of the world - while emphasizing the unresolved nature of the struggle for democracy.

As you move chronologically through the century, you'll explore a range of ideas in depth, including the "crisis of meaning" unleashed by World War I, the different approaches of Fascism and Communism to organizing and mobilizing masses, and how art provided a window into the psychological forces swirling through public life. Detailed case studies also bring history's ideas alive.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

Members Reviews:

Philosophical differences aside, well worth it!

There are several warnings I would give to someone considering this investment in time. This is a course of 48 lectures delivered by a professor who is relatively monotone and does not convey warmth or enthusiasm the way most people do. I felt that I got used to the way she uses tone and I got over it. If you can't do monotone, you should consider whether this course is for you. Very long course, but commensurate with scope. Despite the length, the topics are treated at a high level. Most readers will find a percentage of lectures that they feel they know better than the professor. You may find her viewpoint in some lectures to be a bit naive, very liberal, or flat out wrong. If this puts you off and you are a conservative or libertarian, you may have difficulty finishing the course. Personally I found the perspective and the focus on "democracy" to be incredibly interesting. She is unabashedly focused on the struggle for democracy even though we find democracy to be in quite a bit of trouble recently, and our founders were not very sanguine about the future of democracy and thus designed a republic. Democracy may not fit in all places, and it may at the end of the day not be the correct system to manage the affairs of human beings, but I think most alternative anchors for a course of the 20th century would fail miserably. Like it or not most in the US believe in the living constitution as well as the Tocquevillian tumble towards equality in all things.

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Title: A History of Hitler's Empire, 2nd Edition

Author: The Great Courses

Narrator: Professor Thomas Childers

Format: Original Recording

Length: 6 hrs and 26 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-08-13

Publisher: The Great Courses

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 296 votes

Genres: History, 20th Century

Publisher's Summary:

Know thy enemy. That's what the wisdom of history teaches us. And Adolf Hitler was surely the greatest enemy ever faced by modern civilization. Over half a century later, the horror, fascination, and questions still linger:

Professor Childers has designed this gripping 12-lecture course to shed light on these and other questions that have plagued generations. You'll start by looking at the catastrophic impact World War I had on Germany, and how the war and the humiliating Treaty of Versailles crippled the Weimar Republic. From there, you'll turn to the Third Reich Nazism in power with an investigation of how Hitler and his henchmen systematically and ruthlessly broke resistance, taking over the major institutions of state power and creating a totalitarian system of terror, propaganda, and pervasive regimentation. You'll also examine Hitler's foreign policy between 1933 and 1939, and discover how and why he puzzled the world by entering into an accommodation with his deadly enemy, Stalin, on the eve of World War II. In the final lectures, you'll focus on Hitler's war against the Jews from Mein Kampf to Auschwitz, dissecting the horrifying racial ideas of the Nazis and the policies adopted to transform those ideas into reality. Finally, you'll learn how Hitler's evil empire was destroyed by Allied might.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

Members Reviews:

Forewarned is Forearmed

If you could sum up A History of Hitler's Empire, 2nd Edition in three words, what would they be?

Important, current and terrifying

What did you like best about this story?

Forewarned is forearmed. These are the last words of this lecture series and it sums up perfectly why this lecture should be listened to. In the course of 12 thirty minute lectures, Professor Thomas Childers of the University of Pennsylvania does an incredible job of explaining how the Nazi party rose to power in Germany. Beginning with the catastrophe of World War I, he guides the listener through the terrible economic conditions which confronted Germany. He then discusses how these abrupt changes left the German people looking for a strong man, someone who could not be any worse than the Social Democrats of the Weimar Republic. Unfortunately, they found the very worst.

Overall, one of the best lectures from The Great Courses series that I have listened to and would recommend to anyone who wants a deeper understanding of how the Nazis rose to power in such a cultured, sophisticated country as Germany.

What about Professor Thomas Childerss performance did you like?

I was very impressed with Professor Childers and found his manner of speaking to be incredibly easy to listen to and the entire lecture felt entirely conversational. While I wish the lecture was longer because I was enjoying it so much, I still felt like the material was covered in great detail.

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Title: Utopia and Terror in the 20th Century

Author: The Great Courses

Narrator: Professor Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius

Format: Original Recording

Length: 12 hrs and 33 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-08-13

Publisher: The Great Courses

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 179 votes

Genres: History, 20th Century

Publisher's Summary:

From the trenches of World War I to Nazi Germany to Saddam Hussein's Iraq, the 20th century was a time of unprecedented violence. Yet while such monumental violence seems senseless, it is not inexplicable. If we can understand the origins of violence, we may prevent even greater horrors in the century to come.

These 24 necessary lectures trace the violent history of the 20th century, beginning with its early roots in the American and, especially, the French revolutions. With each passing lecture, you will see how the 20th century's-violence was the result of specific historical developments that eventually combined, with explosive results.

You'll see how

The most sinister development of all, however, was the notion that utopia was not just a perfect paradise to look forward to in the afterlife. Instead, utopia could be built right now, in this life. Such 20th-century ideologies as Marxism, Nazism, Communism, and Fascism embraced this idea willingly - even enthusiastically - and used terror to implement it.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

Members Reviews:

A Great Lecture Series

Where does Utopia and Terror in the 20th Century rank among all the audiobooks youve listened to so far?

The thread that haunted my understanding of modern history is why so many utopian dreams degenerate into mass murder, aggressive suppression of human rights and war.. At last, here is a rational and well documented explanation that gets away from the petty details in individual events that weighs down the usual histories. Utopian-ism is bound to fail because its components (unreasonable promises, the making of opposition illegal and inevitable terror) at always seen as necessary and used to justify all forms of crime. This should be heard by everyone.

Informative

Professor is well spoken and unbiased. Good overview of communism, Islamist and nazism. Would recommend.

One of my favorites from the Great Courses series

I thoroughly enjoyed this lecture. It is easy to tend to listen to history from the middle ages or ancient history and forget about recent history. This lecture probably does more to help you understand the world we are currently living in than any other out there. You can't understand the present if you don't have a solid foundation of historical context to build upon. It is akin to walking into a movie that is near the end and attempting to figure out what is going on. I was never bored. This is one of the few audio books that I fully intend on listening to for a second time.

Excellent course!

What was one of the most memorable moments of Utopia and Terror in the 20th Century?

The consistency across various totalitarian regimes that I had heard about but before this course did not have much knowledge about.

Any additional comments?

This definitely increased my understanding of how totalitarian regimes come to be, and the importance of both being an active citizen as well as recognizing the dignity of each human being.

Outstanding content

Definitely worth your time! You'll probably learn things you didn't know about these totalitarian regimes.

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Title: Soldat

Subtitle: Reflections of a German Soldier, 1936-1949

Author: Siegfried Knappe, Ted Brusaw

Narrator: John Wray

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 3 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-02-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 564 votes

Genres: History, 20th Century

Publisher's Summary:

A German soldier during World War II offers an inside look at the Nazi war machine, using his wartime diaries to describe how a ruthless psychopath motivated an entire generation of ordinary Germans to carry out his monstrous schemes.

Members Reviews:

An incredible true story

A very amazing story of a one very lucky mans experiences through the entirety of WWII. This is a must read for anyone remotely interested in how the average German Soldier perceived the war. Its also a great background piece for how the East / West divide opened up during this period.

Narration was sound, but a little uninspiring. It wasnt difficult to listen to, but it could have had more inflection at times and been more dynamic.

A warning: an general interest in military issues is an asset, as the average readers eyes may glaze over in parts where units, places, and dates are brought up.

In summary, an very good piece of work.

Inside the other side

I've previously read accounts written by German soldiers who fought in WWII, but this was one of the more interesting and personal ones. As reconstructed from his diary and interviews, we learn that Siegfried Knappe was an unusually capable and dedicated soldier who managed to rise through the ranks, starting as a humble private in the pre-war years, and ending up as a general staff officer who was present at Hitler's bunker before the end. Along the way, he experienced different aspects of German military life in that era, from being a teenager in a labor/indoctrination camp (sort of a pre-boot camp to get young adults used to regimentation), to being a proud young officer in infantry school, to carrying out his duties in an artillery regiment during the invasions of France and Russia, to watching things turn dire for Germany as Hitler's insane decisions doom the army in Russia and allow the massive Soviet military to smash its way to Berlin. A grim epilogue follows as he endures several years languishing in a Soviet POW camp, albeit one of the less bad ones.

As with most of the other German accounts I've read, Knappe pleads ignorance about the extent of Nazi lies and atrocities (i.e. he knew of concentration camps, but not their murderous function), and expresses remorse for his role in enabling what initially seemed like a just war to most Germans, but crossed the line into a war of aggression and conquest. Chillingly, he observes, "would I have spend much time thinking about this if we'd won the war? Probably not." He doesn't spend a lot of time on self-recrimination, though, and talks more about the horrors of life under Communism (which seems understandable, given his POW experiences).

Readers looking for combat stories won't find more than a few here, but there were plenty of other details that interested me. I'm often curious about the technical details of how things work, and I thoroughly enjoyed the sections describing how German soldiers were trained and organized, which go against the popular stereotype of mindless stormtroopers. Sadly, although the officers were instilled with a strong sense of professionalism, it seems that many were so intent on restoring the national prestige shattered after WWI and avoiding a redo of the trenches, that it didn't dawn on them that they were being used by crazy people. At least, not until their lives were about to be thrown away.

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Title: Hunting Che

Subtitle: How a U.S. Special Forces Team Helped Capture the World's Most Famous Revolutionary

Author: Mitch Weiss, Kevin Maurer

Narrator: Robertson Dean

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 40 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-02-13

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 30 votes

Genres: History, 20th Century

Publisher's Summary:

By the mid-1960s, Che Guevera had become famous for his outspoken criticism of the United States and his support for armed Communist insurgencies. He had been one of the architects of the Cuban Revolution, and was attempting to repeat his success throughout Latin America. His guerilla tactics and talent for proselytizing made him a threat to American foreign policy - and when he turned his attention to Bolivia in 1967, the Pentagon made a decision: Che had to be eliminated.

Major Ralph "Pappy" Shelton was called upon to lead the mission to train the Bolivians. With a hand-picked team of specialists, his first task was to transform a ragtag group of peasants into a trained fighting force who could also gather intelligence. Gary Prado, a Bolivian officer, volunteered to join the newly formed Bolivian Rangers. Joined by Felix Rodriguez, a Cuban exile working for the CIA, the Americans and Bolivians searched for Che. The size of Che's group and when they would strike were unknowns, and the stakes were high. If Bolivia fell, it would validate Che's theories and throw South America into turmoil.

Hunting Che follows the exploits of Major Shelton, Felix Rodriguez, and Gary Prado - the Bolivian Ranger commander who ultimately captured him. The story begins with Che's arrival in Bolivia and follows the hunt to the dramatic confrontation and capture of the iconic leader in the southeastern village of La Higuera. With the White House and the Pentagon secretly monitoring every move, Shelton and his team changed history, and prevented a catastrophic threat from taking root in the West.

Members Reviews:

Good book

Would you listen to Hunting Che again? Why?

I found the story very interesting

What other book might you compare Hunting Che to and why?

A lot like the green berets

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

The true story of Che is great

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Title: Kill Anything That Moves

Subtitle: The Real American War in Vietnam

Author: Nick Turse

Narrator: Don Lee

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 54 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-21-13

Publisher: HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 99 votes

Genres: History, 20th Century

Publisher's Summary:

Americans have long been taught that events such as the notorious My Lai massacre were "isolated incidents" in the Vietnam War, carried out by a few "bad apples." However, as award-winning journalist and historian Nick Turse demonstrates in this pioneering investigation, violence against Vietnamese civilians was not at all exceptional. Rather, it was pervasive and systematic, the predictable consequence of official orders to "kill anything that moves."

Drawing on a decade of research into secret Pentagon files and extensive interviews with American veterans and Vietnamese survivors, Turse reveals the policies and actions that resulted in millions of innocent civilians killed and wounded. He lays out in shocking detail the workings of a military machine that made crimes all but inevitable.

Kill Anything That Moves finally brings us face-to-face with the truth of a war that haunts America to this day.

Critic Reviews:

"A powerful case.... With superb narrative skill, he spotlights a troubling question: Why, with all the evidence collected by the military at the time of the war, were atrocities not prosecuted?" (Washington Post)

"A comprehensive picture, written with mastery and dignity, of what American forces actually were doing in Vietnam. A convincing, inescapable portrait of this war - a portrait that, as an American, you do not wish to see; that, having seen, you wish you could forget, but that you should not forget." (The Nation)

"Nick Turse's explosive, groundbreaking reporting uncovers the horrifying truth." (Vanity Fair)

Contact me for any questions: [email protected]

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Title: On the Trail of the Assassins

Subtitle: One Man's Quest to Solve the Murder of President Kennedy

Author: Jim Garrison

Narrator: Mark Kincaid

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 52 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-17-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 128 votes

Genres: History, 20th Century

Publisher's Summary:

Jim Garrisons classic account of his investigation and prosecution of the murder of JFK.

Almost 50 years after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, his murder continues to haunt the American psyche and stands as a turning point in our nations history. The Warren Commission rushed out its report in 1964, but questions continue to linger: Was there a conspiracy? Was there a coup at the highest levels of government?

On March 1, 1967, New Orleans district attorney Jim Garrison shocked the world by arresting local businessman Clay Shaw for conspiracy to murder the president. His alleged co-conspirator, David Ferrie, had been found dead a few days before. Garrison charged that elements of the United States government, in particular the CIA, were behind the crime. From the beginning, his probe was virulently attacked in the media and violently denounced from Washington. His office was infiltrated and sabotaged, and witnesses disappeared and died strangely. Eventually, Shaw was acquitted after the briefest of jury deliberation and the only prosecution ever brought for the murder of President Kennedy was over.

Returning to audiences for the first time in years, On the Trail of the Assassins - the primary source material for Oliver Stones hit film JFK - is Garrisons own account of his investigations into the background of Lee Harvey Oswald and the assassination of President Kennedy, and his prosecution of Clay Shaw in the trial that followed.

Members Reviews:

Spectaculars

This book contains so much more than I ever imagined and is deserving of the highest accolades.

Outstanding as fiction. Sickening as non-fiction

If you could sum up On the Trail of the Assassins in three words, what would they be?

Poor Lee Oswald

What other book might you compare On the Trail of the Assassins to and why?

A Jack Ryan thriller, because it seemed more like fiction. Moved along fast and there was always another piece of the puzzle showing up to fit into the big picture.

What three words best describe Mark Kincaids performance?

Research names first

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I didn't laugh or cry, but it made me almost sick to think such events could happen in our country. The investigation makes the conspiracy theory of November 22, 1963, not only believable, but logical.

Any additional comments?

Mark Kincaid has a great voice, but he consistently mispronounced some names (Schlumberger, Plaquemine, Houma stood out).

Fascinating and historic

What made the experience of listening to On the Trail of the Assassins the most enjoyable?

Jim Garrison's tale of being the only person to ever bring someone to trail for the murder of President John F. Kennedy is as fascinating as it is important. Mr. Garrison presents his story in a manner that should fascinate anyone regardless of their interest in the case prior to reading this book. The way in which he (the DA of New Orleans) stumbles into the case and how the facts unfold before him and his office is gripping. In my opinion Jim Garrison is a true America hero.

What other book might you compare On the Trail of the Assassins to and why?

There are a great many excellent books on the JFK assassination. And while this is not the best, it is one of the most important.

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Title: Street Without Joy

Subtitle: The French Debacle in Indochina

Author: Bernard B. Fall

Narrator: Derek Perkins

Format: Unabridged

Length: 13 hrs and 15 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-13-13

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 163 votes

Genres: History, 20th Century

Publisher's Summary:

In this classic account of the French war in Indochina, Bernard B. Fall vividly captures the sights, sounds, and smells of the savage eight-year conflict in the jungles and mountains of Southeast Asia from 1946 to 1954. The French fought well to the last, but even with the lethal advantages of airpower, they could not stave off the Communist-led Vietnamese nationalists, who countered with a hit-and-run campaign of ambushes, booby traps, and nighttime raids. Defeat came at Dien Bien Phu, in 1954, setting the stage for American involvement and opening another tragic chapter in Vietnam's history.

Members Reviews:

In 1964 this was our Vietnam textbook

September 1964 I graduated from Infantry OCS at Fort Benning Georgia. The US involvement in Vietnam consisted of Special Forces advisors, but we were fairly certain that we would end up in Vietnam. We knew very little of how the Viet Cong or the North Vietnamese regulars operated, and this was our textbook, but I failed to pay attention. I was ready to go to war. November 1965 I was a platoon leader in the First Infantry Division, the first part of our buildup in Vietnam. Two months later I was at Walter Reed Army Hospital after encountering an anti-personnel device. Three months after that my replacement was killed in an ambush. Indeed our involvement in Vietnam was a Street Without Joy. An excellent book, and a very professional narration by Derek Perkins. Just learn from it.

will we never learn?

We are, sadly, repeating the mistakes of the Vietnam war in the Middle East - i.e. seeking a military solution to a political dilemma. Our officers in Iraq should have been reading STREET WITHOUT JOY instead of SEVEN PILLARS OF WISDOM!

The Neverending Debacle

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

It was, but I think I'll have to spend more time listening to it again, as I frequently do with histories. It's hard to keep things straight, partially because it's hard to keep a timeline in one's head as the events go from disaster to disaster. What's a flash-back? What's in order? I'm not sure.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

A better flow time-wise would be better. It's hard to keep all the place names straight and move from one event to another, unsure if they're directly connected, how they relate to each other... sometimes it's clear. Other times, not so much.

Which character as performed by Derek Perkins was your favorite?

His French accent is great so any time there's an actual conversation, he adds flavor to it quite well.

Did Street Without Joy inspire you to do anything?

It inspired me to read more about the French war in Vietnam.

Any additional comments?

Generally, this is an interesting subject and really shows how skilled, operationally, Giap was. He made mistakes, but the strategic plan was spot-on.

Great Background to Subsequent Books

If you're interested in one of the later books on Vietnam such as Sheehan's or Karnow's, this is an excellent background on the French experience with colonial Vietnam before, during, and after WWII, and how it led to the transition to American involvement.The book is a little technical, and may seem obscure, but I would recommend powering through it before one of the later books on the U.S.