Discover the New Releases Audiobooks in History, Military

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Title: Restoring Valor

Subtitle: One Couples Mission to Expose Fraudulent War Heroes and to Protect Americas Military Awards System

Author: Doug Michael Sterner, Pam Sterner, Michael Mink

Narrator: Joe Geoffrey

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 43 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-14-14

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: History, Military

Publisher's Summary:

Stolen valor occurs when a person lies about receiving military decorations that he or she has in fact never earned. It has become a major societal problem that has been discussed numerous times in the news and, most recently, by the US Supreme Court. According to The New York Times, the Department of Veterans Affairs paid disability benefits to more than six hundred people falsely claiming to have been POWs in the Vietnam and Persian Gulf wars. The number of stolen valor cases reported to the FBI has tripled in the last decade. In fact, more imposters lie about earning high military declarations for battlefield bravery than the actual number of real-life hero recipients. These imposters trade on tales and the trappings of military valor to secure privileges such as career advancements and even unearned veterans benefits.

Because officially recognized valor is a calling card of trust and courage, many of these imposters steal it to invade the lives of people and institutions, for personal gain and often with criminal results. In Restoring Valor, Doug Sterner provides riveting case studies of the stolen valor imposters hes investigated and exposed, and the serious crimes including murder theyve committed. He chronicles the evolution of stolen valor from the inception of the republic to today. Sterner demonstrates why the federal law he and his wife Pam helped to enact, called the Stolen Valor Act, is necessary.

Members Reviews:

Real People Who Made a Difference

Doug and Pam Sterner are "regular folks". They are not rich or particularly politically connected. But there is nothing "regular" about their dedication to our American heroes. They are humble, amazingly loyal patriots. But they do more than talk the talk. They walk the walk.

A Bronze Star recipient for his service during the Vietnam war, Doug watched incredulously as fakes and phonies claimed military successes they never earned. It was too much. He decided to debunk these pretenders. Using public records, he began the enormous project of setting up a detailed database of those who had received our nation's highest awards for meritorious military service. His database verified the individuals name, branch of the service, rank, award received and listed the full description of the actions prompting that award. Gradually, he was able to contest those who dishonestly claimed to be heroes. Politicians, governmental officials, and private citizens began turning to him with questions -- and he was able to debunk or confirm that an individual was in fact a true hero or was, unfortunately, gaming the system for his own aggrandizement. Pam, a student during part of the time Doug was generating the database, began writing a paper on the topic of those who claimed awards they had never really earned. Her work was so significant that the paper became the starting point for what ultimately became the Stolen Valor Act.

Pam and Doug urged politicians and governmental officials to author and/or support the Act. They met with Congressional representatives and appeared before Congressional committees. They debunked case after case of fraudulent claims of heroism.

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Title: Stories From the Secret War

Subtitle: CIA Special Ops in Laos

Author: Terrence M. Burke

Narrator: Michael Pearl

Format: Unabridged

Length: 3 hrs and 52 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-19-13

Publisher: Brook Forest Voices

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 15 votes

Genres: History, Military

Publisher's Summary:

In 1962, the International Geneva Accords declared Laos to be neutral and generally restricted from foreign interference and foreign troops. Thus began the CIA's secret war in Laos, led by a handful of CIA paramilitary officers in the mountains of Laos against North Vietnamese and Lao Communist forces. One of those secret warriors, CIA Silver Star recipient Terrence Burke, gives a vivid account of primitive guerrilla warfare that eventually led to an attempt by the North Vietnamese to capture him. Burke's stories of that war are of gritty and often deadly hit and run tactics against the North Vietnamese, attempted rescues of downed pilots, and daily survival far from American support.

Members Reviews:

Self Aggrandizement

Would you try another book from Terrence M. Burke and/or Michael Pearl?

Absolutely not.

What could Terrence M. Burke have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Terrence served in the CIA's Directorate of Support, Office of Security. His book is full of self aggrandizing anecdotes and does not cover either the history of the war in Laos or the history of the CIA's involvement in the war in Laos. He loves to talk about himself and his abilities.

What about Michael Pearls performance did you like?

I thought Michael did a great job with the material he had to work with.

You didnt love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

There are several unintentionally enlightening factoids and anecdotes in the book but it requires a pre-existing understanding of the Agency and it's history.

Any additional comments?

Terrance M. Burke went on to become Deputy Administrator of the DEA from 89 to 91. He has regularly appeared on TV and clearly loves sharing his "expertise" with others.

Entertaining, easy to listen

Doesn't go into much depth about the political or world events surrounding the Secret War, but gives impressive first person accounts of some war stories

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Title: The Origins of World War II

Subtitle: 3rd Edition

Author: Keith Eubank

Narrator: Joe Geoffrey

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 47 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-19-13

Publisher: Gildan Media, LLC

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 8 votes

Genres: History, Military

Publisher's Summary:

More than 60 years have passed since the outbreak of the most catastrophic conflict the world has known: 30 million people dead and unbelievable devastation.

In the third edition of this popular volume, Keith Eubank seeks answers to the questions that have plagued us: Why, after the ghastly ordeal of World War I did Western powers undervalue the threat from Hitler? Why was there so much reluctance on the part of Britain and France to confront Germany? Why had Germany been permitted to rearm and to occupy independent nations without a struggle? What was the policy of appeasement? Why did the appeasers fail to perceive Hitler's intentions?

In addition to a re-examination of these questions and an effort to dispel the enduring myths surrounding the history of this era, Keith Eubank has enhanced this new edition by including an analysis of the motivations and actions of central figures such as Neville Chamberlain and Joseph Stalin as well as a re-assessment of Soviet policies in the light of recent research that reveals their leaders as far less altruistic than some have imagined. With an expanded conclusion, an updated bibliographic essay, this audiobook remains an excellent brief overview of the period between 1918 and 1939.

Contact me for any questions: [email protected]

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Title: Into the Desert

Subtitle: Reflections on the Gulf War

Author: Jeffrey A. Engel (editor)

Narrator: Corey Snow

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 51 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-17-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Genres: History, Military

Publisher's Summary:

In the decade following the first Gulf War, most observers regarded it as an exemplary effort by the international community to lawfully and forcefully hold a regional aggressor in check. Interpretations have changed with the times. The Gulf War led to the stationing of US troops in Saudi Arabia, an important contributing cause of the 9/11 attacks. The war also led to a long obsession with Saddam Hussein that culminated in a second, far longer, American-led war with Iraq.

In Into the Desert, historian Jeffrey Engel has gathered an all-star cast of contributors to reevaluate the first Gulf War: Michael Gordon of the New York Times; Sir Lawrence Freedman, former foreign policy advisor to Tony Blair; American Ambassador to Iraq and Afghanistan Ryan Crocker; Middle East specialist Shibley Telhami; and Richard Haass, President of the Council on Foreign Relations. Engel and his contributors examine the war's origins, the war itself, its impact within the Arab world, and its long-term impact on military affairs and international relations. All told, Into the Desert offers an astute reassessment of one of the most momentous events in the last quarter century.

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Title: Glorious War

Subtitle: The Civil War Adventures of George Armstrong Custer

Author: Thom Hatch

Narrator: James C. Lewis

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 36 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-10-13

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 11 votes

Genres: History, Military

Publisher's Summary:

Glorious War, the thrilling and definitive biography of George Armstrong Custer's Civil War years, is nothing short of a heart-pounding cavalry charge through the battlefield heroics that thrust the gallant young officer into the national spotlight in the midst of the country's darkest hours. From West Point to the daring actions that propelled him to the rank of general at age twenty-three to his unlikely romance with Libbie Bacon, Custer's exploits are the stuff of legend.

Always leading his men from the front with a personal courage seldom seen before or since, he was a key part of nearly every major engagement in the east. Not only did Custer capture the first battle flag taken by the Union and receive the white flag of surrender at Appomattox, but his field generalship at Gettysburg against Confederate cavalry General Jeb Stuart had historic implications in changing the course of that pivotal battle.

For decades, historians have looked at Custer strictly through the lens of his death on the frontier, casting him as a failure. While some may say that the events that took place at the Little Bighorn are illustrative of America's bloody westward expansion, they have in the process unjustly eclipsed Custer's otherwise extraordinarily life and outstanding career and fall far short of encompassing his incredible service to his country.

This biography of thundering cannons, pounding hooves, and stunning successes tells the true story of the origins of one of history's most dynamic and misunderstood figures. Award-winning historian Thom Hatch reexamines Custer's early career to rebalance the scales and show why Custer's epic fall could never have happened without the spectacular rise that made him an American legend.

Critic Reviews:

"A lively and very readable account of the early career of George Armstrong Custer." (Larry McMurtry, author of

Custer)

Members Reviews:

Painful

What did you like best about Glorious War? What did you like least?

The Civil War record of GAC deserves the telling, and this book is an aid, although riven with prose whose purpleness out-flashes John Pelham's flying artillery at dusk. Plenty of tactical and operational information which does much to elucidate Custer's "Rock Star" status which arose during the conflict and which haunted and drove him for the rest of his life.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of James C. Lewis?

Almost anyone. Mister Lewis clearly knows next to nothing about the subject matter, and throughout, his serial mispronunciations are one of the less endearing features of his oddly paced, strangely emphasized and occasionally sing-song narration. In combination with the sometimes melodramatic prose, it often comes across as nearer to parody than history.

Great Custer Book

Thom Hath writes a great detailed book on Sister's Civil War exploits that shows as a true warrior, oustanding leader that inspired had men to achieve great results for th Union Calvary. His units engagement of JEB Stuart a Gettysburg was boring shirt of sheer courage. Great in n this historical view of Genal Custer.

Worst Civil War History

This book wasnt for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

I think an 11 year old who knows nothing about the Civil War might enjoy this book.

What was most disappointing about Thom Hatchs story?

He is a poor story teller.

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Title: For Honour's Sake

Subtitle: The War of 1812 and the Brokering of an Uneasy Peace

Author: Mark Zuehlke

Narrator: Brian Holsopple

Format: Unabridged

Length: 16 hrs and 32 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-19-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 8 votes

Genres: History, Military

Publisher's Summary:

In the tradition of Margaret MacMillans Paris 1919 comes a new consideration of Canadas most famous war and the Treaty of Ghent that unsatisfactorily concluded it, from one of this countrys premier military historians.

In the Canadian imagination, the War of 1812 looms large. It was a war in which British and Indian troops prevailed in almost all of the battles, in which the Americans were unable to hold any of the land they fought for, in which a young woman named Laura Secord raced over the Niagara peninsula to warn of American plans for attack (though how she knew has never been discovered), and in which Canadian troops burned down the White House.

Competing American claims insist to this day that, in fact, it was they who were triumphant. But where does the truth lie? Somewhere in the middle, as is revealed in this major new reconsideration from one of Canadas master historians. Drawing on never-before-seen archival material, Zuehlke paints a vibrant picture of the wars major battles, vividly re-creating life in the trenches, the horrifying day-to-day maneuvering on land and sea, and the dramatic negotiations in the Flemish city of Ghent that brought the war to an unsatisfactory end for both sides.

By focusing on the fraught dispute in which British and American diplomats quarrelled as much amongst themselves as with their adversaries, Zuehlke conjures the compromises and backroom deals that yielded conventions resonating in relations between the United States and Canada to this very day.

Members Reviews:

âWar! huh yeah. What is it good for?"

The title of this review is based on lyrics of one of the most famous anti-Vietnam War protest songs, âWarâ from 1969 by Edwin Starr. While the question âWar, what is it good for?â could, arguably, be used on most wars ever fought, this seemed to me to be particularly apt for the War of 1812. For, after several years of bitter conflict, what were after all the results: A status quo ante bellum (a Latin phrase meaning: "the state existing before the war") with no boundary changes.

âFor honourâs sakeâ is an exceptional account of this conflict written by Mark Zuehlke, one of Canadaâs premier military historians and the author of a popular series on the role Canadians played in World War II, which has garnered critical praise.

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Title: The Double V

Subtitle: How Wars, Protest, and Harry Truman Desegregated America's Military

Author: Rawn James Jr.

Narrator: Rob Cleveland

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 45 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-31-13

Publisher: Audible Studios for Bloomsbury

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 6 votes

Genres: History, Military

Publisher's Summary:

Executive Order 9981, issued by President Harry Truman on July 26, 1948, desegregated all branches of the United States military by decree. EO 9981 is often portrayed as a heroic and unexpected move by Truman. But in reality, Truman's history-making order was the culmination of more than 150 years of legal, political, and moral struggle.

Beginning with the Revolutionary War, African Americans had used military service to do their patriotic duty and to advance the cause of civil rights. The fight for a desegregated military was truly a long war-decades of protest and labor highlighted by bravery on the fields of France, in the skies over Germany, and in the face of deep-seated racism on the military bases at home. Today, the military is one of the most truly diverse institutions in America.

In The Double V, Rawn James, Jr. the son and grandson of African American veterans, expertly narrates the remarkable history of how the struggle for equality in the military helped give rise to their fight for equality in civilian society. Taking the reader from Crispus Attucks to President Barack Obama, The Double V illuminates the African American military tradition as a metaphor for their unique and dynamic role in American history.

Members Reviews:

Great Historical Chronology

Mr. James has done a fine job of creating an historical chronology of the events affecting the desegregation of the nation. His presentation was concise without the use of expansive background, making it easy to follow and a n easy read.

For anyone with out knowledge of the historical facts presented by Mr. James this is a great history lesson. The parallels made between the changes in the military and other segments of society are well balanced and factual.

This writing is aboiut real life in North America - the United States of America.

This book should be made required reading as a part of every history class.

The Power of History Without Revisionism.

I give this a 5-Star rating because it presents history as it was, not as revisionists would like the Nation to believe it was. I speak this from personal experiences (I was a Korean vet), experiences of some late relatives who were WWII vets, and siblings who preceded me by several years in the military. The historical events here can also be corroborated by the works of such noted and respected historians as David McCullough, author of "Truman" and David M. Kennedy, author of "Freedom From Fear: The American People in Depression and War, 1929-1945." When people talk about "the good old times," they need to understand history as it was; not what the dicta of current political correctness would have us believe. This book tells it like it was, in words as hard as cannon balls.

Excellent book

I enjoyed learning more history on the integration of the Military. I served 20 years in the Navy and am proud of those who fought the real war for me and my family members to serve without worrying about having bodily harm done to us just for wanting to serve our country. Well somewhat, my Dad had a few close calls. I am 53 yrs of age now and had no idea that America had to have an anti lynching law. Wow, what an ugly history we had/have when it comes to black people. For those who think that the gay fight is the same as the black fight read this book and you will find that it IS NOT TRUE.

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Title: Savage Will

Subtitle: The Daring Escape of Americans Trapped Behind Nazi Lines

Author: Timothy M. Gay

Narrator: Derek Shetterly

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 5 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-03-13

Publisher: Gildan Media, LLC

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 7 votes

Genres: History, Military

Publisher's Summary:

Savage Will brings to life a remarkable story of perseverance, heroism, and survival: the true tale of the American medics and nurses who endured two months in Nazi-occupied Albania - and the fearless citizens and Allied intelligence officers who risked all to save them. On a cold morning in war-ravaged Sicily in 1943, men and women of the 807th Medical Air Evacuation Squadron boarded a routine flight to the Italian mainland to care for wounded soldiers. En route, their plane became lost in storm clouds looming over the Adriatic Sea, drifted hundreds of miles off course, and crash-landed in remote mountainous Albania. Stranded without proper winter clothing or weapons, the Americans were trapped hundreds blizzard-plagued miles from Allied lines in a country torn apart by rival bands of pro- and anti-German guerrillas.

What followed is the most thrilling untold story of World War II - a saga that would ensnare a cast of hundreds, from President Roosevelt and top Allied intelligence officials to a host of brave Albanian Resistance fighters, the British and U.S. Mediterranean air forces, and the gritty officers sent behind enemy lines to rescue them: a dashing English lieutenant and a tenacious American captain. Hunted by German soldiers, the American castaways were forced to rely on what one survivor called their "savage will" to elude their enemy and ultimately find their way to freedom. Savage Will is a testament to a generation who defied all odds.

Critic Reviews:

Savage Will is a wonderfully entertaining and moving story of survival, heroism, and escape, one of the best to emerge from World War II. (Alex Kershaw, New York Times best-selling author of The Liberator)

Contact me for any questions: [email protected]

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Title: Inside CentCom

Subtitle: The Unvarnished Truth About the Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq

Author: Michael DeLong, Noah Lukeman, Tony Zinni

Narrator: Paul Christy

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 20 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-17-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 6 votes

Genres: History, Military

Publisher's Summary:

General Mike DeLong deputy commander of the U.S. Central Command during the Afghanistan and Iraq wars was second only to General Tommy Franks in the war on terror. At the centre of discussions between President Bush, Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz, and Tommy Franks, General DeLong offers the frankest and most authoritative look inside the wars - how the US prepared for battle, how they fought, how two regimes were loppled-and what's happening now. Shows where Bob Woodward, Richard Clarke and others got it wrong. Reveals disagreements between Franks, Rumsfeld, DeLong and Wolfwitz.

Editorial Reviews:

Inside CentCom is brief and rudimentary recounting of Marine Lt. General Micheal DeLong's service as Tommy Franks' deputy at the United States Central Command, from 2000 until his retirement in 2003. This memoir works to paint a candid plainspoken account of the choices, and policies of the US military during that time, with a focus on the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq.

Narrator Paul Christy does a great job of elevating the heavy content of this audiobook, and giving a personality to this military examination. He also manages to give emphasis to various failures and successes from the invasion years in the long Iraq and Afghan wars.

Members Reviews:

Succint Book Full of facts

Michael DeLong, a retired U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen, has written a book that is brief but very informative. If you are looking for a book that reports on the United States war on terrorism and is not a lengthy tome, this is the book. I base my premise after having read AMERICAN SOLDIER by General Tommy Franks, THE HUNT FOR BIN LADEN BY Robin Moore, THE 9/11 COMMISSION REPORT, and THE IRAQ WAR by John Keegan. I have also read several books by Bernard Lewis, probably the Western world's foremost scholar on the Middle East.

First off, after reading this material, I would say that the mainstream media in this country has done a great disservice to the American public by not reporting much of this information. One can hang any label on the reasons why but basically, one has to dig to find the real story.

Take weapons of mass destruction. Gen. DeLong describes how, in the 48 hour grace period given Iraqui leadership by President Bush, people and material fled Iraq for Syria and other locations. He confirms the fact that both the king of Jordan and the president of Egypt as well as every intelligence operation in the world believed Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. Gen. Franks also reported this in his book. John Keegan notes in THE IRAQ WAR that David Kay, the leader of the Iraq Survey Group, after make their report to the Senate Armed Services Committee in January, 2004, told British media that he had evidence of the transfer by Iraq of WMD to Syrian territory. Christopher Hitchens, writing in VANITY FAIR magazine during the early stages of the war, reported that trains were leaving Iraq in the middle of the night and not being stopped at the Iraqui border by customs. The unofficial word was that the trains were transporting weapons of mass destruction out of Iraq. One was hard-pressed to get this information from the mainstream media. Gen. DeLong, in a presentation on C-Span2 BookTv, was asked why the Bush administration did not publicize this information.

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Title: A Brief History of the Spy

Subtitle: Brief Histories

Author: Paul Simpson

Narrator: Roger Davis

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 53 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-17-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: History, Military

Publisher's Summary:

From the end of the Second World War to the present day, the world has changed immeasurably. The art of spying has changed too, as spies have reacted to changing threats.

Here you will find the fascinating stories of real-life spies, both famous and obscure, from either side of the Iron Curtain, along with previously secret details of War on Terror operations. Detailed stories of individual spies are set in the context of the development of the major espionage agencies, interspersed with anecdotes of gadgets, trickery, honeytraps and assassinations worthy of any fictional spy. A closing section examines the developing New Cold War, as Russia and the West confront each other once again.

Paul Simpson is the author or co-author of over a dozen non-fiction books including an acclaimed round-up of conspiracy theories. He has edited and contributed to numerous international entertainment magazines and currently oversees news and reviews website SciFiBulletin.com