Discover the Best Sellers Audiobooks in History, European

Discover the Best Sellers Audiobooks in History, European

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Discover the Best Sellers Audiobooks in History, European episodes

  • The French Revolution Audiobook by Leo Gershoy
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    Title: The French Revolution
    Subtitle: 1789 - 1799
    Author: Leo Gershoy
    Narrator: Charlton Griffin
    Format: Unabridged
    Length: 3 hrs and 30 mins
    Language: English
    Release date: 07-01-05
    Publisher: Audio Connoisseur
    Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 41 votes
    Genres: History, European
    Publisher's Summary:
    With this condensed volume, listeners will more easily be able to put the French Revolution into greater perspective and gain real insight into its causes and devastating effects. Learn what role famous men like Robespierre, Danton, and Marat played in these momentous events. Discover how the young Napoleon Bonaparte came to the aid of the revolutionaries...and then betrayed them. The French Revolution was one of the most important events in European history. Like a searing thunderbolt, it separates Medieval Europe from Modern Europe. And after more than 200 years, the revolution continues to affect us today.
    Members Reviews:
    A good overview
    This presents a good overview of the revolution. However, I was really expecting some more details as to what type of men were running the revolution. This seamed more like a summary of all the events in chronological order. Yes it was informative in a way, but I finished the book feeling like I really wanted to know more about the men behind the revolution instead of the typical events that surrounded it.
    Really Disappointing
    I should have known that an "unabridged" study of the French Revolution that was only 3+ hours wouldn't be worth the time it took to download and listen to. Can I request Simon Schama's "Citizens" (unabridged, of course)?
    very bad
    I was surprised at how bad this book was. The author just narrates history in stunted way, not making a serious effort to interpret or draw connections between events. But perhaps I was so bored by the tedious writing style that I didn't notice anything more.
    The narration is ponderous and pretentious.
    Ponderous
    History in sloooow motion. Pretentious reading weighs down a great subject.
    Pompous and unenlightening
    This audiobook combines a 50,000-foot view of the French Revolution with the worst, most pompous, unbearable narration I've heard yet (made even worse by the melodramatic music soundtrack).
    The book teaches the reader astonishingly little about the various actors involved in the revolution or their motivations. Instead it describes the events in terms so overbroad (the peasants did this; the nobility did that) as to reduce this period to a "Risk" game between faceless factions of 18th century French society. Worse, it offers so little real insight that it fulfills virtually none of the best purpose of studying such a bloody period: to avoid repeating it.
    I give it a "2" because there certainly are many books on the market that are worse. But as a learning experience, this rates a zero.
    3 hr 30 min
  • Prisoner of the Vatican Audiobook by David I. Kertzer
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    Title: Prisoner of the Vatican
    Subtitle: The Popes' Secret Plot to Capture Rome from the New Italian State
    Author: David I. Kertzer
    Narrator: Alan Sklar
    Format: Unabridged
    Length: 13 hrs and 46 mins
    Language: English
    Release date: 04-22-05
    Publisher: Tantor Audio
    Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 52 votes
    Genres: History, European
    Publisher's Summary:
    Kertzer brings to light an untold drama played out among fascinating characters: Pope Pius IX, the most important pontiff in modern history; King Victor Emmanuel, working behind the backs of his own ministers; the dashing national hero Garibaldi; France's ill-starred Napoleon III, and many more. During this time, Italy was besieged from within and without, and Church history changed forever when the pope was declared infallible for the first time.
    Prisoner of the Vatican looks deep into the workings of the Church in its final bid to regain the pope's temporal power. Kertzer sweeps readers along with riveting, revelatory panache. No one who reads his new book will ever think of Italy, or the Vatican, in quite the same way again.
    Critic Reviews:
    "Populated with a colorful cast of authentic historical figures, this fascinating slice of papal and Italian history will intrigue and enlighten both scholars and the merely curious." (Booklist) "Kertzer, given access to newly opened Vatican archives, tells a first-rate tale of the political intrigues and corrupt characters of a newly emerging nation, offers history writing at its best, and provides insight into a little-known chapter in religious and political history." (Publishers Weekly)
    Members Reviews:
    A Slice of Italian History
    I enjoyed this book because it was not like reading a text book, it was interesting! Non-fiction can be tedious to read (dry) at times, so generally I take what I can from them and dont worry about the parts my brain doesn't want to absorb no matter how interesting it may be. In this case, I feel like I absorbed much more than I discarded.
    I've been to Italy quite a few times, so I really enjoyed putting Umberto Emmanuelle Cavour Garibaldi XX September into context. I've seen the names and dates in a zillion piazzas and monuments and street names and metro stops, so its nice to learn a little more about them. Well see how much I retained next time I am in Italy! Will I think: I know that name! but why? or will I turn my husband and bore him with all the details I leaned?
    I was dissapointed that the Lateran Treaty was just a blip in the epilogue, I think that ties in rather significantly with this slice of Italian history so I'm surprised the author didn't elaborate a bit more.
    Excellent book, odd publisher's summary
    The book describes the history of Rome in the 19th century when the independent papal state of Rome was seized during the formation of the new Italian national state. The story is not about "The Popes' Secret Plot to Capture Rome from the New Italian State" as the publisher (or probably a semi-literate summer intern at the publishing house, who never read the book) thought to summarize this book, but more about the difficulties of the papal state and its souvereign, the pope, after Italian, national forces had seized it. The history is very well researched and explained, and the author holds a healthy distance towards its main characters and uses only original sources. I do recommend this book for people that are interested in catholic, papal, Italian or European history. Very well read.
    History at its Worst
    This is easily one of the most poorly researched "popular" works of history and certainly is a scholarly joke.
    13 hr 46 min
  • Paris Reborn Audiobook by Stephane Kirkland
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    Title: Paris Reborn
    Subtitle: Napoléon III, Baron Haussmann, and the Quest to Build a Modern City
    Author: Stephane Kirkland
    Narrator: Robert Blumenfeld
    Format: Unabridged
    Length: 8 hrs and 53 mins
    Language: English
    Release date: 10-01-13
    Publisher: Audible Studios
    Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 41 votes
    Genres: History, European
    Publisher's Summary:
    Stephane Kirkland gives an engrossing account of Napoleon III, Baron Haussmann, and one of the greatest transformations of a major city in modern history.
    Traditionally known as a dirty, congested, and dangerous city, 19th Century Paris was transformed in an extraordinary period from 1848 to 1870, when the government launched a huge campaign to build streets, squares, parks, churches, and public buildings. The Louvre Palace was expanded, Notre-Dame Cathedral was restored and the French masterpiece of the Second Empire, the Opra Garnier, was built. A very large part of what we see when we visit Paris today originates from this short span of twenty-two years.
    The vision for the new Nineteenth Century Paris belonged to Napoleon III, who had led a long and difficult climb to absolute power. But his plans faltered until he brought in a civil servant, Georges-Eugne Haussmann, to take charge of the implementation. Heedless of controversy, at tremendous cost, Haussmann pressed ahead with the giant undertaking until, in 1870, his political enemies brought him down, just months before the collapse of the whole regime brought about the end of an era.
    Paris Reborn is a must-read for anyone who ever wondered how Paris, the city universally admired as a standard of urban beauty, became what it is.
    Members Reviews:
    Why Paris looks the way it does today
    This was an interesting book but not the easiest of books to listen to unless you had a map of Paris in front of you most of the time. I know Paris quite well but even I was sometimes confused and was grateful that Google Maps were there at my fingertips.
    It certainly showed that Napoleon III and Baron Haussmann didn't lack balls, as to make the boulevards that Paris is now so famous for, they had to carve up medieval and historic central Paris to put in the much needed thoroughfares and to make Paris into a modern city. Really only a despot and a single minded administrator could do it and thank God they did. This is the story about how they did it.
    I enjoyed it but the narrator wasn't the best - he had a strange accent (English clearly wasn't his first language), he paused in the middle of sentences, but his pronunciation of the French names of people, areas and roads were a delight to hear akin to music.
    Recommended to those that are interested in Paris, Urban Planning and understanding French History from 1848 - 1870.
    Outstanding
    Great history of the development of Paris under Napoleon III. thoroughly enjoyed our from start to finish.
    How Paris became a special, beautiful city
    This well written book has helped me finally understand how Paris got the special ordered, but also grand and charming, look that it has. The urban planning project called "les grandes traveaux" gets rooted in its historical, political contest, with focus on the Second Empire of Napolean III and his Prefect for Paris, Baron Haussmann. Having heard this book well read, I am now able to better understand the layout of boulevards and placement of iconic structures. I recommend this book for tourists like me, who want to enrich their time in Paris, as well as for others who approach its material from more abstract directions.
    Awesome book, needs visuals
    I loved this book, but it does necessitate the ability to visualize Paris.
    8 hr 53 min
  • A Short History of England Audiobook by Simon Jenkins
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    Title: A Short History of England
    Author: Simon Jenkins
    Narrator: Simon Jenkins
    Format: Unabridged
    Length: 9 hrs and 34 mins
    Language: English
    Release date: 05-01-13
    Publisher: Audible Studios
    Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 3 votes
    Genres: History, European
    Publisher's Summary:
    Which battle was fought 'For England, Harry and St George'? Who demanded to be painted 'warts and all'? What - and when - was the Battle of the Bulge?
    In A Short History of England, best-selling author Simon Jenkins answers all these questions - and many more - as he tells the tumultuous story of a fascinating nation. From the invaders of the Dark Ages to today's coalition, via the Tudors, the Stuarts and two world wars, Jenkins weaves together a gripping narrative with all the most important and interesting dates in his own inimitable style.
    Until now there has been no short history of England covering all significant events, themes and individuals: this bestselling book, published in association with the National Trust, will be the standard work for years to come.
    Members Reviews:
    Pleasant and easy read
    Whether you know English history or not, this is a fair and pleasant read. Its a very conventional treatment of our history following the usual royal epochs and monarchical themes. But Simon Jenkins is an excellent writer with a flair for amusing and telling detail. So this book does add something new. And if you like the authors spoken voice you will enjoy this book too.
    First Class
    I bought this book on the strength of the subject and the author -I would read a menu if this man published one. The author in my opinion is the wisest man in England. We are not related in any way.
    Best concise history of England I have read and I now have a much clearer understanding of my country's long history. The delivery is five star and no hesitation in granting five stars.
    A mixed bag of interest and disappointment
    Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
    Yes, it has a wide sweep and offers a good introduction to a vast subject.It is especially useful for a non-Brit, with an interest in history, but with limited access to the panoply of the ages.
    What three words best describe Simon Jenkinss performance?
    Captivating, erudite, engaging
    Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
    No, I smiled though.
    Any additional comments?
    Unfortunately it tends to be a Kings and Queens account, when I really would have liked more on society and the social fabric that constitutes the entities that are today Great Britain.
    Dry and very disappointing
    I was looking forward to hearing this book as I am a big fan of Simon Jenkins's columns. And while it was no mean feat to compress so much into one volume, I found the whole gallop through history unsatisfactory. It was almost like a stone bouncing endlessly across the surface, virtually ignoring the exciting and fascinating stuff just beneath the surface.
    And Jenkins's almost unwavering monotone did not help at all!!
    A little dry...
    The introduction and epilogue were particularly insightful with some very interesting commentary. However, the main bulk of the book, although well written, was in my opinion a little dry. It felt very much at times like a 'history book'. Whilst the narration was good, the book may have benefited from being read a little slower, with more expression.
    9 hr 34 min
  • Our Times Audiobook by A. N. Wilson
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    Title: Our Times
    Subtitle: The Age of Elizabeth II
    Author: A. N. Wilson
    Narrator: Ralph Cosham
    Format: Unabridged
    Length: 18 hrs and 24 mins
    Language: English
    Release date: 01-11-10
    Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.
    Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 8 votes
    Genres: History, European
    Publisher's Summary:
    When Queen Elizabeth II was crowned in 1953, there were many who proclaimed that a new Elizabethan Age had begun. Few could have any inkling, however, of the stupendous changes that were going to take place, in Britain and around the world. The collapse of British power in the world and the near-evaporation of its wealth were established facts, but few people had even begun to understand them.
    In the third book in A. N. Wilson's acclaimed histories, Our Times follows the beginnings of modern Britain from the 1950s with the Suez crisis, immigration, the Angry Young Men, and Harold Macmillan, to the 1960s and changes in attitudes towards divorce and homosexuality, the rise of satire, and the boom in pop music and fashion. It continutes through the 1970s, with Vietnam and the Cold War looming large and the Labour government that ushered in the Winter of Discontent, to the Thatcher government of the '80s and the collapse of the Soviet Union, which signalled the end of a political era in Britain, up to the current period of, according to Wilson, unprecedented peace and prosperity.
    Critic Reviews:
    "No review can do justice to the richness, liveliness and sheer fun of this book. Wilson has written one of the books of the year." (
    Guardian)"A very funny, extremely opinionated, always provocative and often thoughtful read....Wilson is endlessly entertaining." (Dominic Sandbrook,
    Observer)
    Members Reviews:
    Sardonic, Witty, Fascinating
    I could hardly bear to put this book down. A.N. Wilson is unsurpassed in his ability to turn a fine phrase or craft a devious witticism, and here he provides a worthy successor to his The Victorians and After The Victorians. This volume begins with the accession of Elizabeth II in 1952, but it rarely mentions the monarch herself, concentrating instead on the multitudinous changes which have marked her reign, making Britain a much more prosperous place to live while causing the country to lose its special character or "Britishness." Wilson never seems quite able to define exactly what it is that the British have lost, anymore than anyone else can, but he does succeed in making the point that something that made Britain special is gone, and that the country, while richer and freer than it was in 1952, is the worse for the loss.
    The book runs roughly chronologically through the Queen's six decades as Head of State. Wilson delights in bursting bubbles and serrating reputations, as when he labels Churchill's last years as PM a national embarrassment. He freely tosses around terms like "second rate" and "ineffectual", providing evidence with some barbed anecdotes that are wickedly fun to read. His chief target is the so-called "chattering classes", self-appointed elites who presumed they formed the Establishment in its various phases. Some of his heroes are a bit unexpected: he has kind words for Margaret Thatcher and the Prince of Wales. One of his most interesting chapters comes towards the end: "The Return of God," an examination of the interplay of faith and science.
    Wilson ends his book with a chapter on the increasingly hapless Gordon Brown, which is particularly appropriate since it helps set the stage for the approaching General Election. I'm an American and an anglophile of many years standing.
    18 hr 24 min
  • Shakespeare's Local: Six Centuries of History, One Pub Audiobook by Pete Brown
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    Title: Shakespeare's Local: Six Centuries of History, One Pub
    Author: Pete Brown
    Narrator: Cameron Stewart
    Format: Unabridged
    Length: 10 hrs and 44 mins
    Language: English
    Release date: 02-01-13
    Publisher: Audible Studios
    Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 29 votes
    Genres: History, European
    Publisher's Summary:
    Welcome to the George Inn near London Bridge: a cosy, wood-panelled, galleried coaching house a few minutes' walk from the Thames. Consider this: who else has made this their local over the last 600 years? Chaucer and his fellow pilgrims almost certainly drank in the George on their way to Canterbury. Shakespeare may have popped in from the nearby Globe, and we know that Dickens definitely did. Mail carriers changed their horses here, while sailors drank here before sailing.
    The pub, as Pete Brown points out, is the 'primordial cell of British life' and in the George he has found the perfect case study. All life is here, from murderers, highwaymen and ladies of the night to gossiping pedlars and hard-working clerks. So sit back and enjoy a tour through six centuries of history, through the stories of everyone that ever drank in one pub.
    Members Reviews:
    Facinating Social History of a Pub's & People
    Would you listen to Shakespeare's Local: Six Centuries of History, One Pub again? Why?
    I've thoroughly enjoyed previous works by Pete Brown, and though I do appreciate Architecture, I did not expect to find a story about a building to be as compelling as was Shakespeare's Local. I do, without a doubt, love a good pint, so when the time comes to travel to the UK, The George will certainly rank high on my short list of landmarks to visit.
    What other book might you compare Shakespeare's Local: Six Centuries of History, One Pub to and why?
    Pete Brown writes with a distinctive style, so to compare, I'd have to say Hops and Glory! by none other than Pete Brown. Tales of interesting people (don't be surprised when Dickens shows up) that weave through compelling histories (the fortunate and the less than) and always with a tasty thread that binds (beer).
    Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
    I certainly laughed. Many times. I winced a bit too but never cried.
    Any additional comments?
    Thanks again to Pete Brown for surprising me in a most entertaining way. And thanks also, to Cameron Stewart for a reading that does the story justice!
    Read if you're going to London or just came back
    I generally like specific histories like this but this one fell flat. Two major problems: first, Shakespeare is hardly a focus of the book, he's barely mentioned; second, I haven't been to London in more than a decade, so I don't really know where he's talking about most of the time.
    The story would have worked better for me if he had connected the information to more familiar books, plays or histories that someone one this side of the pond would know. Or I'm an unlettered fool who doesn't know her Dickens well enough to care about the references Brown makes to his books. I would have been more comfortable with more connection to Shakespeare, Chaucer and Austen.
    10 hr 44 min
  • The Jesuits Audiobook by Charles River Editors
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    Title: The Jesuits
    Subtitle: The History and Legacy of the Catholic Church's Society of Jesus
    Author: Charles River Editors
    Narrator: Scott Clem
    Format: Unabridged
    Length: 1 hr and 16 mins
    Language: English
    Release date: 02-10-17
    Publisher: Charles River Editors
    Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 1 votes
    Genres: History, European
    Publisher's Summary:
    The Middle Ages remains one of the most defining eras of human civilization. It is an era characterized by illustrious monarchs, valiant knights in shining armor, and magnificent Gothic architecture. It is also an era characterized by fervent friction, brutish barbarism, frequent famines, pestilent plagues, and of course, death. Some say the mortality rate in medieval times was like no other; with about a third of all children dying before the age of five, it was nearly miraculous for one to live past their 40s.
    As a result, medieval people spent their entire lives preparing for the inevitability of death and the afterlife, hoping to one day make their way into the kingdom of heaven. The Catholic Church did little to alleviate the fear of hell, a common theme in the sermons delivered by stern priests across Europe. The only surefire way into heaven, they preached, was for one to pledge their undying love and support to God, with extra points available for the sums and contributions one was willing to gift to the church.
    Of all of the important Catholic men and women who have been venerated over the last 2,000 years, one of the faith's most popular and influential men also lived one of the most unique lives. Like Roman Emperor Constantine the Great, St. Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556) found God about as far away from church as possible; it was during military service that he underwent a remarkable conversion. A Spanish knight who hailed from a noble Basque family, Ignatius seemed destined for military glory until he was badly wounded in 1521 during the Battle of Pamplona. While convalescing, Ignatius began reading De Vita Christi by Ludolph of Saxony, after which he began a tireless career in service of the Catholic Church.
    After spending several years studying the faith, Ignatius formed the Society of Jesus in 1539, and as its Superior General, he sent followers as missionaries across Europe to create schools, colleges, and seminaries. On September 27, 1540, Pope Paul issued a Papal Bull recognizing the church's newest religious order not as the Company of Jesus but as the Society of Jesus.
    The one thing that is clear is that neither Pope Paul, nor Ignatius, ever intended for members of the order to be known as the Jesuits. This term was initially given to them by their critics and was a derogatory term applied to those who spent too much time, in the opinion of those coining the phrase, speaking of Jesus in their conversations. It was only years later that the term became a popular and acceptable nickname for the Society of Jesus, and the Jesuits remain active across the world nearly 500 years later.
    Members Reviews:
    Solid background and history of St. Ignatius and his inspirational work
    âGo, set the world on fire!â was St. Ignatius of Loyolaâs motto. That was the driving force behind the founder of one of Catholicismâs most vibrant, intellectual and dedicated missionary order. This book gives us a brief historical perspectiveâthe Dark Ages, the Enlightenment and the Reformation. During that time the Society of Jesus was founded in 1539. And within a few centuries had an influential presence in Europe and North and South America. in missions, schools and charity.
    Early in his Christian life, St.
    1 hr 16 min
  • A Macat Analysis of Natalie Zemon Davis's The Return of Martin Guerre Audiobook by Joseph Tendler
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    Title: A Macat Analysis of Natalie Zemon Davis's The Return of Martin Guerre
    Author: Joseph Tendler
    Narrator: Macat.com
    Format: Unabridged
    Length: 1 hr and 47 mins
    Language: English
    Release date: 06-08-16
    Publisher: Macat International Limited.
    Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 2 votes
    Genres: History, European
    Publisher's Summary:
    The bizarre story of Martin Guerre - a peasant who disappears from a small village in 16th-century France and whose place is taken by an imposter - has captivated historians for centuries.
    In her 1983 book, Natalie Zemon Davis, a historian with a special interest in gender studies, examines the role of Martin Guerre's wife Bertrande in their fraudulent marriage. Davis argues that Bertrande plays a key part in the deceit and readily goes along with it. Her book helped spur a shift in the way historians viewed past events generally, and the role of women in a period where documentary evidence was lacking. She daringly used her imagination to reinterpret the story, and some scholars criticized her for "filling in the gaps." But Davis was unrepentant about mixing literary techniques with historical research.
    The book became a best-seller and inspired other historians to chronicle the lives of people ignored by traditional history books.
    1 hr 47 min
  • Firestorm Audiobook by Marshall De Bruhl
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    Title: Firestorm
    Subtitle: Allied Airpower and the Destruction of Dresden
    Author: Marshall De Bruhl
    Narrator: Michael Prichard
    Format: Unabridged
    Length: 13 hrs and 1 min
    Language: English
    Release date: 01-12-07
    Publisher: Tantor Audio
    Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 64 votes
    Genres: History, European
    Publisher's Summary:
    In Firestorm, Marshall De Bruhl re-creates the drama and horror of the Dresden bombing and offers the most cogent appraisal yet of the tactics, weapons, strategy, and rationale for the controversial attack. Using new research and contemporary reports, as well as eyewitness stories of the devastation, De Bruhl directly addresses many long-unresolved questions relating to the bombing: Why did the strike occur when the Allies' victory was seemingly so imminent? Was choosing a city choked with German refugees a punitive decision, intended to humiliate a nation? What, if any, strategic importance did Dresden have? How much did the desire to send a "message" to Imperial Japan, or the advancing Soviet armies, factor into the decision to firebomb the city?
    Editorial Reviews:
    For hundreds of years Dresden, Germany, was a bastion of civilization and culture. Because it was also the center of an extensive railway system and weapons-production facilities, Allied bombers burned the city near the end of WWII, causing a firestorm of destruction and controversy. Michael Prichard's pleasant and resonant voice leads listeners through a well-researched documentary of flight, politics, and technology. He sometimes uses deft pauses to punctuate the quotes, and at other times a theatrical portrayal of the speaker. Prichard handles the abundant German with ease and the sadness of death with sobering respect. While the book on paper might be dull, Prichard's touch brings a welcome luster.
    Critic Reviews:
    "De Bruhl [is] quite good at analyzing the tactics that transformed Dresden into an inferno.' (San Francisco Chronicle)
    Members Reviews:
    Thorough, interesting discussion
    This book sets forth how the Allies, in response to German air-war atrocities, and in response to widespread British desire of for revenge in the wake of the Blitz, proceeded inexorably toward committing their own air-war atrocities. Carpet bombing, or "morale bombing", is traced from its beginning stages through the fire bombing of Dresden a short time before the end of hostilities. I would have enjoyed some more information on to what extent the huge bombing effort against Germany succeeded in slowing industrial production. I would also have liked a more organized statement of what the historical arguments against bombing Dresden have been.
    All in all, this is a fine book.
    Not what I expected but very good
    I expected to learn more about the bombing of Dresden. I did, but I also learned the history of bombing, from two Italian pilots dropping grenades on Turks in 1909 to February 14, 1945. Aerial bombing was intended to save lives by making obsolete the massive armies of World War One. A few bombers would fly from a home base, destroy an enemy oil refinery, power station, or ball bearing factory, and return home safely. War with a minimum of casualties. What went wrong with this good intention is the story of this book.
    A tragic story of wanton destruction.
    What did you love best about Firestorm?
    What was best about the story was the Historical detail. It was very interesting to learn about the history and evolution to air power.
    Any additional comments?
    If I could find one criticism it would be that more time was spent on the history of air power and very little on the actual events that surrounded the bombing of Dresden.
    13 hr 1 min
  • Richard III and the Ultimate Game for the Throne Audiobook by C. Derbyshire
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    Title: Richard III and the Ultimate Game for the Throne
    Author: C. Derbyshire
    Narrator: Daniel Penz
    Format: Unabridged
    Length: 1 hr and 4 mins
    Language: English
    Release date: 01-23-15
    Publisher: Burton Crown Limited
    Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 18 votes
    Genres: History, European
    Publisher's Summary:
    This is no mythical kingdom. This is England.
    This is not fiction, but complete fact. Don't they say that the truth is stranger than fiction?
    This was the 15th century and in this green and pleasant land, numerous players took their chances in the ultimate game. The prize was the throne of England.
    The game was harsh and it was brutal.
    Rival families went to war, leaving cousins dead on the battlefield. Brother fought brother as power corrupted and twisted men's souls. Families were imprisoned and executed. Men were dragged from holy places and murdered where they stood. Advisers schemed and swapped sides. King murdered king in the Tower of London.
    And it finally ended with a glorious battle charge to either absolute victory or certain death.
    This was the Wars of the Roses.
    For 30 years a brutal and bloody civil war ravished the country. The two rival royal houses, York and Lancaster, fought for control and for the crown. During this period the throne changed hands seven times. Two kings were murdered in the Tower. Princes of the realm were executed in cold blood. The period includes immortal figures from history, Henry VI, Edward IV, The Princes in the Tower, Margaret Beaufort, Henry Tudor, Elizabeth of York, and the Kingmaker himself: Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick.
    But there was one figure that lived through the entire war. One figure that was central to the conflict. One figure that still divides opinion today.
    Richard III.
    This is his story and the game that he played for the throne of England.
    Members Reviews:
    Great voice
    This was an interesting summary of a life of a king. The reader has a great voice too.
    great for a drive
    I loved it i do wish it was longer of a story but was purfect for my drive to work and home! I was given this book for honest review and to be honest the narrator made the book better!
    too short
    not enough detail or fact on any aspect, and barely a taster on the highlights. what is presented is interesting ...just frustratingly brief.
    1 hr 4 min

About Discover the Best Sellers Audiobooks in History, European

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