Discover the Best Sellers Audiobooks in History, 20th Century

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Title: Walking Point

Subtitle: An Infantryman's Untold Story

Author: Michael H. Cunningham

Narrator: Kirby Heyborne

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 32 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-22-16

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 35 votes

Genres: History, 20th Century

Publisher's Summary:

Que Son Valley is actually a large area of hills and valleys just to the west of Da Nang, Viet Nam. During the 1960s, units from the US Marines and US Army engaged the 2nd North Vietnamese Division in heavy and close combat. Our mission was to keep the enemy from capturing the cities of Da Nang, Tam Ky, and Chu Lai and to pacify the area. We did prevent the enemy from capturing these vital cities, but the area was far from pacified.

Many young, brave Americans were killed or seriously wounded in these hills and valleys in the belief they were helping the Vietnamese obtain freedom and peace. Although our altruistic beliefs might have gone astray, it was my honor serving with these fine men and women. I wrote this book in honor of them and to keep their memories alive.

Critic Reviews:

"The author does an admirable job of telling his story...for readers interested in learning what life was like for a grunt during the Vietnam War." (John Podlaski, author of Cherries: A Vietnam War Novel)

Members Reviews:

one of the very best of VNW.

one of the best of hardship stories imaginable in the VNW. what pure hell he and his best buddies went through. I picked out and was stationed in Germany but totally totally knew how lucky I was. I cannot imagine being a infantry guy in Nam. pure hell. Please listen to this book.....you will appreciate the very least of what you appreciate, let alone how great your life is. I cannot get enough of listening to the hard life our troops went through in that useless war. Love and respect every one of them. so glad I did not have to experience such a nightmare.

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Why would you choose someone so soft and delicate to narrate this subject matter. Didn't even show enough respect for the situation related to learn some of the proper pronunciations.

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Title: The Frozen Chosen

Subtitle: The 1st Marine Division and the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir

Author: Thomas McKelvey Cleaver

Narrator: Norman Dietz

Format: Unabridged

Length: 15 hrs and 38 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-22-16

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 13 votes

Genres: History, 20th Century

Publisher's Summary:

The Frozen Chosen is an account of the breakout from the Chosin Reservoir in North Korea by the First Marine Division from November to December 1950, following the intervention of Red China in the Korean War. Fought during the worst blizzard in a century, it is considered by the US Marine Corps to be the Corps' finest hour. Fourteen Medals of Honor, a record for any American battle, and 85 Navy Crosses attest to the intensity of the battle.

Based on first-person interviews from surviving veterans who came to be known as the Frozen Chosen, this is the incredible story of heroism and bravery in the face of overwhelming odds, as a handful of marines fought desperately against wave after wave of Chinese forces. Sometimes forced into desperate hand-to-hand fighting in intense cold, cut off from reinforcements, and with dwindling supplies and ammunition, the fighting retreat from Chosin marked one of the darkest moments for Western forces in Korea but would go on to resonate with generations of marines as a symbol of the Marine Corps' dogged determination, fighting skill, and never-say-die attitude on the battlefield.

Members Reviews:

Fascinating story, very bad narration

I downloaded this book on the recommendation of a fellow coworker who just recently left the US Marines due to injuries from his service in Iraq and whose grandfather was part of the battle at Chosin. I also had relatives that served during the Korean War so it sounded like it would be a great way to learn about this period in history since I'm also an avid reader of Civil War and WWII (Pacific) histories. Unfortunately, this book is nothing but a recitation of units involved combined with dates of engagements. It is, at times, so mind numbingly boring as to be almost painful. Compounding this is the monotone and staccato delivery of the narrator. I intend to finish the book but I sincerely doubt that it will be one I read again.

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Title: Dreams of Flight

Subtitle: General Aviation in the United States

Author: Michael H. Bednarek, Janet R. Daly Bednarek

Narrator: Jim Seitz

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 25 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-28-16

Publisher: University Press Audiobooks

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 7 votes

Genres: History, 20th Century

Publisher's Summary:

General aviation encompasses all the ways aircraft are used beyond commercial and military flying: private flights, barnstormers, cropdusters, and so on. This history examines the many airplanes used in general aviation, from early Wright and Curtiss aircraft to the Piper Cub and the Lear Jet. The authors trace the careers of birdmen, birdwomen, barnstormers, and others who shaped general aviation - from Clyde Cessna and the Stinson family of San Antonio to Olive Ann Beech and Paul Poberezny of Milwaukee. They explain how the development of engines influenced the development of aircraft, from the E-107 that powered the 1929 Aeronca C-2, the first affordable personal aircraft, to the Continental A-40 that powered the Piper Cub, and the Pratt and Whitney PT-6 turboprop used on many aircraft after World War II.

In addition, the authors chart the boom and bust cycle of general aviation manufacturers, the rising costs and increased regulations that have accompanied a decline in pilots, the creation of an influential general aviation lobby in Washington, and the growing popularity of "type" clubs, created to maintain aircraft whose average age is 28 years.

This book provides listeners with a sense of the scope and richness of the history of general aviation in the United States. An epilogue examining the consequences of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, provides a cautionary note.

The book is published by Texas A&M University Press.

Members Reviews:

Very Informative

Lots of great information but pay attention because they jump around a lot in time.

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Title: Les Parisiennes

Subtitle: How the Women of Paris Lived, Loved, and Died Under Nazi Occupation

Author: Anne Sebba

Narrator: Polly Stone

Format: Unabridged

Length: 16 hrs and 58 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-18-16

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 46 votes

Genres: History, 20th Century

Publisher's Summary:

New York Times best-selling author Anne Sebba explores a devastating period in Paris' history and tells the stories of how women survived - or didn't - during the Nazi occupation.

Paris in the 1940s was a place of fear, power, aggression, courage, deprivation, and secrets. During the occupation, the swastika flew from the Eiffel Tower and danger lurked on every corner. While Parisian men were either fighting at the front or captured and forced to work in German factories, the women of Paris were left behind, where they would come face-to-face with the German conquerors on a daily basis, as waitresses, shop assistants, or wives and mothers increasingly desperate to find food to feed their families as hunger became part of everyday life.

When the Nazis and the puppet Vichy regime began rounding up Jews to ship east to concentration camps, the full horror of the war was brought home, and the choice between collaboration and resistance became unavoidable. Sebba focuses on the role of women, many of whom faced life and death decisions every day. After the war ended, there would be a fierce settling of accounts between those who made peace with or, worse, helped the occupiers, and those who fought the Nazis in any way they could.

This program includes an interview with the author and her editor. The audiobook is read by Polly Stone, narrator of The Nightingale and Sarah's Key. In a starred Library Journal review of The Nightingale, Stone was applauded for her "impeccable narration that brings...wartime France to life with a distinctive and memorable set of voices that will keep listeners coming back for more."

Members Reviews:

An Excellent Historical Perspective

At least for me, this provided a unique story about World War Two. It was told from the POV of French women and their fight to survive the conflict. Sebba covered as many perspectives as she could, telling the stories of collaborators, resistance fighters, Jewish women and other Parisiennes who we just trying to come out alive. Most of their stories were new to me.

And that is the one issue I had with the book. Sebba told the stories of dozens of real French women. As an American who has a fairly good general knowledge of World War Two, I had actually heard of only the 3 or 4 of the women included in the story, Collette, Chanel, Odette and the Rothschilds. I simply could not keep track of all of the women's names, much less their stories, as she jumped from one woman to the next. There were times when she was speaking of one woman's experience, that I thought had already died.

However, for this type of history book, I think this is to be expected. It has just made me commit to reading it again soon. Hopefully with a second or third reading, these amazing women will sort themselves out in my head.

I thought the narration was great. I highly recommend this book.

Packed with information

This book is very informative. It is a compilation of many people's lives at the time. Some are long some are snippets. Some very interesting and some boring. The book bounces around a lot so it isn't like a novel. It is informational. I learned a lot about Paris at that time.

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Title: Ike's Gamble

Subtitle: America's Rise to Dominance in the Middle East

Author: Michael Doran

Narrator: Casey Jones

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 3 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-11-16

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 51 votes

Genres: History, 20th Century

Publisher's Summary:

This major retelling of the Suez Crisis of 1956 - one of the most important events in the history of US policy in the Middle East - shows how President Eisenhower came to realize that Israel, not Egypt, is America's strongest regional ally.

In 1956 President Nasser of Egypt moved to take possession of the Suez Canal, thereby bringing the Middle East to the brink of war. The British and the French, who operated the canal, joined with Israel in a plan to retake it by force. Despite the special relationship between England and America, Dwight Eisenhower intervened to stop the invasion.

In Ike's Gamble, Michael Doran shows how Nasser played the US, invoking America's opposition to European colonialism to drive a wedge between Eisenhower and two British Prime Ministers, Winston Churchill and Anthony Eden. Meanwhile, in his quest to make himself the strongman of the Arab world, Nasser was making weapons deals with the USSR and destabilizing other Arab countries that the US had been courting. The Suez Crisis was his crowning triumph. In time, Eisenhower would conclude that Nasser had duped him, that the Arab countries were too fractious to anchor America's interests in the Middle East, and that the US should turn instead to Israel.

Affording deep insight into Eisenhower and his foreign policy, this fascinating and provocative history provides a rich new understanding of how the US became the power broker in the Middle East.

Members Reviews:

Tightly Argued

Doran attempts to make this history relevant to today. He opens with A new administration has come to power convinced that its predecessor has made a hash of Middle East Policy: the new teams big idea: a bold diplomatic overture to the regions leading Muslin State.

The book covers the period from 1951 to 1961 and is about Dwight Eisenhower and Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt. Eisenhower tried wooing Nasser the first four years of his presidency. Nasser then grabbed the Canal in 1956 and aligned himself with the USSR. Doran states that in 1965 Eisenhower stated I never should have pressured Israel to evacuate The Sinai.

The book is well written and meticulously researched. The author states this research included newly released information from Russia. The author relied heavily on meeting reports, journals, diaries and memoirs of the key people involved. Doran admits he is providing a revisionist history in order to make his key point. Doran provides a background history then present Ikes course of action and then analyzes the results. His in-depth analysis makes for interesting reading. The book covers a complex situation but is highly readable. Doran was the Middle East Advisor to the White House under the Bush Administration.

Casey Jones does a good job narrating the book. Jones is an award-winning audiobook narrator.

Eisenhower's evolution on the Middle East

captivating account takes listeners through the details of the 1956 Suez Crisis and along the way challenges the received wisdom about the events and their meanings.. this is not only a challenge to historians, but also to policymakers whose view of history shapes current events.

Amazing backstory

What interesting details on the background of all that led to the Suez crisis.

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Title: Pearl Harbor

Subtitle: From Infamy to Greatness

Author: Craig Nelson

Narrator: George Guidall

Format: Unabridged

Length: 18 hrs and 55 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-20-16

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 112 votes

Genres: History, 20th Century

Publisher's Summary:

Published in time for the 75th anniversary, a gripping and definitive account of the event that changed 20th-century America - Pearl Harbor - based on years of research and new information uncovered by a New York Times best-selling author.

The America we live in today was born not on July 4, 1776, but on December 7, 1941, when almost 400 Japanese planes attacked the US Pacific Fleet, killing 2,400 men and sinking or damaging 16 ships. In Pearl Harbor: From Infamy to Greatness, Craig Nelson follows, moment by moment, the sailors, soldiers, pilots, admirals, generals, emperors, and presidents, all starting with a pre-polio assistant secretary of the navy, Franklin D. Roosevelt, attending the laying of the keel of the USS Arizona at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, against the backdrop of the imperial, military, and civilian leaders of Japan lurching into ultranationalist fascism, all culminating in an insanely daring scheme to shock the Allies with a technologically revolutionary mission in one of the boldest military stories ever told - one with consequences that continue to echo in our lives today.

Besides the little-understood history of how and why Japan attacked America, we can hear the abandoned record player endlessly repeating "Sunrise Serenade" as the Japanese bombs hit the deck of the California; we feel terror as navy wives, helped by their Japanese maids, upturn couches for cover and hide with their children in caves from a rumored invasion; and we understand the mix of frustration and triumph as a lone American teenager shoots down a Japanese bomber. Backed by a research team's five years of efforts with archives and interviews, producing nearly a million pages of documents, as well as a thorough reexamination of the original evidence produced by federal investigators, this definitive history provides a blow-by-blow account from both the Japanese and American perspectives and is a historical drama on the greatest scale. Nelson delivers all the terror, chaos, violence, tragedy, and heroism of the attack in stunning detail and offers surprising conclusions about the tragedy's unforeseen and resonant consequences.

Members Reviews:

Worst recording ever from audible

I have downloaded dozens of books from audible. Undoubtedly, this is the absolute worst recording I've ever listened too. Bad audio, glitches, varying speed. I deserve my money back on this one. I was interested in the subject matter or I never would have made it to the end. Terrible.

Outstanding!

Outstanding, even-handed account of Pearl Harbor. The author provides a detailed analysis of what went wrong at Pearl Harbor and does so in a fascinating, engaging way. The narrator is among the best there is.

Amazing Research To A Story We All Thought We New

Many of the facts about the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor we already know or thought we did. Nelson brings new facts into what happened in the months leading up to Pearl Harbor and tells us a story in context of what really happened on that terrible Sunday. morning. The incompetence of the US Army and Navy leaders and the warnings they ignored will leave you angry. As always George Guidall does a great job with the narration.

Good Book Ruined by Horrible Narration and Quality

It's hard to get past the very bad narration and horrendous audio quality of this audio book, despite the well told story of the events leading to Pearl Harbor.

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Title: World War 2: Stories of the Schutzstaffel

Subtitle: True Accounts of Hitler's Personal Bodyguards

Author: Cyrus J. Zachary

Narrator: Darren Stephens

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 24 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-08-16

Publisher: Cyrus J. Zachary

Ratings: 2.5 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: History, 20th Century

Publisher's Summary:

The instigator and the mastermind behind the Holocaust, Adolf Hitler of Germany, was at the forefront of the Second World War and ruined millions of lives, throwing the entire European continent into chaos. Not only was he hated by the whole world, even some of his own military commanders didn't like him.

Most leaders around the world rely on one, maybe two bodyguards to keep them safe. Even the President of the United States today has only one or two teams of security personnel; while there may be many men and women who take turns to protect their leader, the numbers are not as big as you would expect.

We will look at the origins of a number of bodies, such as the Sturmabteilung or the SA, the Schutzstaffel (the SS) and the many other sub-sections of the SS such as the FBK, the LSSAH, etc., all of which were tasked with protecting Hitler.

From the background, we will move on to individual accounts of men who served on these teams - they were Hitler's personal bodyguards and some stayed with him until the very end.

Humanity's depraved nature came to the fore with these men; despite having a master who was truly mad and ravenous for blood, they served him loyally.

Was it because they were also as depraved as he was? Or were they afraid for their lives and did what they had to, to survive?

Members Reviews:

Simple, but Compelling Stories

An easy to read and understand description of various security detachments employed by Hitler and Nazi Germany. Though simple summaries, they are nonetheless compelling reading for those with limited subject matter expertise. The parts I found distracting and often annoying were the author's tendency towards wordiness - needless to say (then don't say it) and for those who don't know (what about those of us who do know?). Maybe the author will fix these in his next revision/update.

and it provides a useful overview of the organization and activities of Germany's comparatively ...

This book is very interesting to read, and it provides a useful overview of the organization and activities of Germany's comparatively small band of Special Forces units. Thanks for the well documented book. I was able to learn more new information especially from the side of the Germans. And even after all the books â Iâve read on WWII, this book did not bore me. Great read! When I read this book surprising for me there is given in-depth coverage of every moment which I enjoyed a lot. Because I am a great lover of historical stories. There is a detailed information given about German forces. The author has done a good job. He has used appropriate words in this book. I guess we should read these type of historical and informative books in our spare time for be informative. I really like it.

This book is not very well written. The author ...

This book is not very well written. The author is often repetitive. If he were not so repetitive the book would be still shorter than it is.

Good Read!

My curiosity about Adolf Hitler and his bodyguard made me read this book, and iâm so glad I did. This book is full of information and the author really did a great and intense research to produce this book. âHe was very normalâ not like what is writtenâ he was a wonderful bossâ by Rochus Misch, one of Hitlerâs bodyguard.

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Title: The Fall of Berlin 1945

Author: Antony Beevor

Narrator: Sean Barrett

Format: Unabridged

Length: 17 hrs and 31 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-22-16

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 261 votes

Genres: History, 20th Century

Publisher's Summary:

The Red Army had much to avenge when it finally reached the frontiers of the Third Reich in January 1945. Frenzied by their terrible experiences with Wehrmacht and SS brutality, they wreaked havoc - tanks crushing refugee columns, mass rape, pillage, and unimaginable destruction. Hundreds of thousands of women and children froze to death or were massacred; more than seven million fled westward from the fury of the Red Army. It was the most terrifying example of fire and sword ever known.

Antony Beevor has reconstructed the experiences of those millions caught up in the nightmare of the Third Reich's final collapse. The Fall of Berlin is a terrible story of pride, stupidity, fanaticism, revenge, and savagery, yet it is also one of astonishing endurance, self-sacrifice, and survival against all odds.

Critic Reviews:

"A tale drenched in drama and blood, heroism and cowardice, loyalty and betrayal." (Jonathan Yardley,

The Washington Post)

Members Reviews:

Engrossing

This is a very detailed account of the fall of Berlin and Nazi Germany in 1945. The book follows the allied invasion of the Fatherland, but the focus is on the Soviet army and its puppet master, Josef Stalin. The German army and population paid a very steep price for their nation's aggressive and utterly brutal invasions and the murders of millions. While the Soviet army was exacting revenge on the Germans, Stalin was busy purging his own people while the war was still very much in progress. It is a fascinating and thoroughly researched book that I highly recommend to anyone with an interest in WW2. The narration is quite first-rate as well.

Another great one by Beevor

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

If you are a history buff, this is one for your library. As usual, Mr. Beevor includes not just the history of the battles, but the effect on the civilians and their lives. It is wonderfully inclusive and a job to listen to as the narration is beautiful. I am looking forward to more listens by this narrator.

Great book

I've read (well listened) a ton of books on WWII and whatever is available for the last days of Berlin, and there's a few books on the issue. So with that said I'll say up front there isn't anything new in this book for me - but it's put together well and it's always great to have a refresher. I say that because if you know the basics of WWII and want to add some depth on the final weeks and days before VE day, this is a great place to start. If you know the last days of Hitler in detail, again you probably won't learn much, but this is still a very good take on the events and as I said for myself, it's a great refresher.

Some other notes. I generally prefer a narrative take on history and at the beginning of this book it was anything but that - BUT as the book moved along and the focus narrowed, the book got much more interesting and compelling.

The reader does a very good job, probably closer to a 4.4 as opposed to 5, but generally if you give someone a 4 other reviewers will think he must have not been that good - and that's not at all the case.

Overall if you read the description and it sounds interesting then you should very much enjoy this book.

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Title: Code Warriors

Subtitle: NSA's Codebreakers and the Secret Intelligence War Against the Soviet Union

Author: Stephen Budiansky

Narrator: Mark Deakins

Format: Unabridged

Length: 14 hrs and 35 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-14-16

Publisher: Random House Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 114 votes

Genres: History, 20th Century

Publisher's Summary:

A sweeping, in-depth history of NSA, whose famous "cult of silence" has left the agency shrouded in mystery for decades.

The National Security Agency was born out of the legendary codebreaking programs of World War II that cracked the famed Enigma machine and other German and Japanese codes, thereby turning the tide of Allied victory. In the postwar years, as the United States developed a new enemy in the Soviet Union, our intelligence community found itself targeting not soldiers on the battlefield, but suspected spies, foreign leaders, and even American citizens. Throughout the second half of the 20th century, NSA played a vital, often fraught and controversial role in the major events of the Cold War, from the Korean War to the Cuban Missile Crisis to Vietnam and beyond.

In Code Warriors, Stephen Budiansky - a longtime expert in cryptology - tells the fascinating story of how NSA came to be, from its roots in World War II through the fall of the Berlin Wall. Along the way, he guides us through the fascinating challenges faced by cryptanalysts, and how they broke some of the most complicated codes of the 20th century. With access to new documents, Budiansky shows where the agency succeeded and failed during the Cold War, but his account also offers crucial perspective for assessing NSA today in the wake of the Edward Snowden revelations. Budiansky shows how NSA's obsession with recording every bit of data and decoding every signal is far from a new development; throughout its history the depth and breadth of the agency's reach has resulted in both remarkable successes and destructive failures.

Featuring a series of appendixes that explain the technical details of Soviet codes and how they were broken, this is a rich and riveting history of the underbelly of the Cold War, and an essential and timely read for all who seek to understand the origins of the modern NSA.

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

Critic Reviews:

"The dysfunctions and overreach of the total surveillance state were present at its birth, according to this engrossing history of the National Security Administration. Journalist Budiansky traces the development of American signals intelligence...[and] is lucid in describing the science and art of breaking complex ciphers, which helped drive advances in electronics and computing.... Budiansky leavens the history and technology with colorful profiles of crytographers and spies; the results is a lively account of how today's information controversies emerged." (Publishers Weekly)

Members Reviews:

Did Vladimir Putin Steal the American Election?

The Cold War started at the end of World War II and nominally ended on December 26, 1991, when the Soviet Union officially dissolved. I was Army enlisted from 1982-1986, during Ronald Reagan's first term, when he was getting ready to tell Mikhail Gorbachev to "tear down this wall." Basic training was a mix of chain of command and military protocol reinforced by push-ups; pride in learning how to fire an M-16A1 really well and delight at being able to use a Light Anti-Tank Weapon and Claymore mine, even just once; physical training followed by utter physical exhaustion; and training film after film about the evils of the Soviet Bloc.

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Title: A Macat Analysis of Christopher R. Browning's Ordinary Men

Author: James Chappel, Tom Stammers

Narrator: Macat.com

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 36 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-08-16

Publisher: Macat International Limited.

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 7 votes

Genres: History, 20th Century

Publisher's Summary:

Ordinary Men is one of the most influential works on the Holocaust. Before US historian Browning's 1992 book, most Holocaust scholarship focused either on the experience of the victims or on the Nazi political ideology driving the slaughter. Browning investigates the stories of some who carried out acts of extreme violence, those who literally had blood on their hands. Who were they? What were their backgrounds? And how could they end up committing such unspeakable acts?

Browning focuses on one unexceptional regiment of German reservists, Police Battalion 101, carefully reconstructing the men's personalities. While their orders to kill appalled them at first, Browning shows how a combination of reluctance to challenge authority and peer pressure enabled them to face their gruesome task. These men were not driven by ideology. Rather than being moral monsters, Browning insists they were simply "ordinary men."

While some have criticized Browning's relentless focus on the individual, Ordinary Men is nonetheless an essential work for anybody who wants to understand the Holocaust.

Contact me for any questions: [email protected]