Discover the New Releases Audiobooks in History, Military

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Title: Insurgent Mexico

Author: John Reed

Narrator: Frank Muller

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 38 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-16-99

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 18 votes

Genres: History, Military

Publisher's Summary:

"We could see them now, hundreds of little black figures riding through the chaparral. A spent bullet droned overhead, then one unspent, and then a whole flock. 'Come on, Meester! Let's go!' We began to run...." The material for this remarkable history came from journalist and poet John Reed's experience as a war correspondent during the Mexican Revolution. First published in 1914, the gripping Insurgent Mexico earned Reed everlasting fame as a reporter and left behind a vivid portrait of a people, place, and time. It is read in its entirety by gifted narrator Frank Muller.

Editorial Reviews:

American journalist John Reed's Insurgent Mexico gives a rough-and-tumble look at the Mexican Revolution of 1914. Reed isn't some outsider Gringo looking in; he gets on the road with Pancho Villa himself. Reed embeds himself in the heart of the action and is lucky to come out alive to tell the tale. Frank Muller's performance is dramatic. He relishes every word with passion, embracing Reed's vigor. Muller easily handles Spanish words that cross his path. Those listeners who want to see a war from the inside will certainly enjoy this collaboration.

Critic Reviews:

"Undoubtedly the best reporting that's ever been done." (Walter Lippmann)

Members Reviews:

Bad recording

It sounds like this would be a great historical book; however, the recording is really hard to hear. I tried to put it on CD, but they came out poorly. I have written about this before. I am surprised that it no longer is online. I think it is important for listeners to know that the recording is poor. You can get it only in format 2, and that format is a poor recording even with good speakers and enhanced media programs. I hope those who wish to purchase this book will listen to the recording though I found the recording online better than when it is downloaded in the highest format being 2. Poor, poor, recordeing of a book that really seems worthy of a read or in our case, a listen.

dec 2010 download

I have my download sound quality preference set on "4". I took a chance and bought this. I had no trouble with the sound. The book was well reviewed by Walter Lippman I noticed. That's was all I needed to know. I took a chance because of the bad reviews about the sound quality and it turned out well.

Horrible audio

Horrible audio, I gave it up because I couldn't hear it; really bad sound.

Good historical writing of the Mexican Revolution

We're following the Mexican Revolution through the eyes of American Journalist, John Reed. He did a great job covering the war and had the opportunity of following important figures, such as Pancho Villa. It's a book worth listening to.

Insurgent Mexico Book Review

The storyline was a very informative one. It provided a great level of detailed information, which made me feel like I was there experiencing the situation first-hand. The narrator could have done a better job pronouncing the different Spanish names of people and places. The mispronunciation of words detracts from the meaning and flow of the story (at times). This is an excellent book nonetheless.

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Title: Froissart's Chronicles

Subtitle: Selections from The Great Wars of England and France

Author: Jean Froissart

Narrator: John Horton

Format: Unabridged

Length: 3 hrs

Language: English

Release date: 12-16-99

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 11 votes

Genres: History, Military

Publisher's Summary:

The first great war correspondent of the Middle Ages, Jean Froissart chronicled events during the period of English-French rivalry known as the Hundred Years War. Drawing on personal experience and far-ranging travel, Froissart takes you to the front lines of war for interviews with the combatants in such historic struggles as the Siege of Calais (1347) and the Battle of Poitiers (1356), as well the birth and death of England's King Richard II. Froissart also provides a revealing look into the political intrigue behind the castle walls.

(P)1990 by Recorded Books, Inc.

Editorial Reviews:

French writer Jean Froissart was one of the earliest war correspondents. In this audiobook, he details the Hundred Years' War between the French and the English in three hours. His work has proven pivotal to our modern understanding of this 14th-century bloody rivalry. John Horton's performance is quite Shakespearean. His deep alto voice captures the ambitious tone of this fierce battle history while his expert pacing brings the listener right into the heat of the moment. History enthusiasts will certainly enjoy this short but important audiobook.

Members Reviews:

Detailed Battle History

Fascinating detail of battles. Most memorable is the way combatants were provisioned and the number of fatalities in short periods of time using medieval weapons in close combat.

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Title: Crossing the Line

Subtitle: A Bluejacket's World War II Odyssey

Author: Alvin Kernan

Narrator: Ted Stoddard

Format: Abridged

Length: 6 hrs

Language: English

Release date: 12-16-99

Publisher: Naval Institute Press

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 30 votes

Genres: History, Military

Publisher's Summary:

From Pearl Harbor to Midway to Tokyo Bay, Alvin Kernan's career in the U.S. Navy spanned the entire war in the Pacific. Kernan joined the U.S. Navy in March 1941 at the age of 17, and his war came to an end when he went ashore at Tokyo Bay in 1945 and saw the devastation of the atomic bombs. In between, he witnessed and participated in some of the most significant events in naval history. A gifted storyteller, Kernan gives a candid account of his experiences, providing shrewd observations about the culture and ideology of an important era in naval history.

A Naval Institute Press Audio Book (P)1997 by the Naval Institute Press; From the Book Crossing the Line: A Bluejacket's World War II Odyssey by Alvin Kernan ©1994 by the United States Naval Institute

Critic Reviews:

"One of the most arresting naval autobiographies." (John Keegan)

"The best war narratives tell you not only what happened but how it felt, and not only the great events but the ordinary ones. Crossing the Line is like that." (Samuel Hynes)

Members Reviews:

Good, But I Prefer Silent Running

This account of submarine life during WWII has an amazing scope in that the author was there for many momentous events. If you enjoy submarines and WWII, this is a good listen. However, by all means listen to Silent Running first. It is written more as an adventure WWII submarine story and is wonderful.

The narration for this book is OK, but not my favorite. Listen to the sample. It gets better, but that will give you a flavor.

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Title: Fromelles and Pozières

Subtitle: In the Trenches of Hell

Author: Peter FitzSimons

Narrator: Richard Aspel

Format: Unabridged

Length: 27 hrs and 19 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-02-15

Publisher: Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 11 votes

Genres: History, Military

Publisher's Summary:

On 19 July 1916, 7,000 Australian soldiers - in the first major action of the AIF on the Western Front - attacked entrenched German positions at Fromelles, in Northern France. By the next day, no fewer than 5,500 were wounded, and just under 1,900 were dead - a bloodbath that the Australian War Memorial describes as 'the worst 24 hours in Australia's entire history'.

Just days later, three Australian divisions attacked German positions at nearby Pozières, and over the next six weeks they suffered another 23,000 casualties.

Of that bitter battle, the great Australian war correspondent Charles Bean would write, 'The field of Pozières is more consecrated by Australian fighting and more hallowed by Australian blood than any field which has ever existed....'

Yet the sad truth is that nearly a century on from those battles, Australians know only a fraction of what occurred. This book brings the battles back to life and puts the listener in the moment, illustrating both the heroism displayed and the insanity of the British plan. With his extraordinary vigour and commitment to research, Peter FitzSimons shows why this is a story about which all Australians can be proud. And angry.

Members Reviews:

Peter FitzSimons is no historian

I was given this book for Christmas. I didn't want to read it, so I had it read to me by Richard Aspel who does a good job but is rather thick with the Australian accents at times.

Peter FitzSimons tells a good story and as a journalist has an excellent column in the Sunday newspaper. He tells history like a yarn in the pub. His research at times is a little shallow and other times he finds information to back up his story he is telling.

My biggest gripes about this book is the 'Pommy bashing' that Australians like to do against 'the brass'. I am sure Australians think that the First World War was won by the Anzacs and a regiment of Scots. Mr FitzSimons skims over some of the Australians failings. Fromelle and Poziéres were and extension of the Somme Battle and the Australians were very inexperienced and poorly led at the senior level of their corps. These 'battles' bloodied the Anzacs and as with most battles in the First World War, were costly and for little gain but it did lay the ground work for the reputation that the Anzacs would gain in later exploits of that war. Overall I would say that this book is a story and not to be rated as academically history.

Tragic yet Powerful

Once again Pete Fitzsimons and his team deliver a gripping narrative that rips at heartstrings as well as it gives you a sense of man's humanity, humility and need for reason when faced with the unexplainable.

Personal stories combined with grand strategy and an ending with a legacy that was only unveiled within the last decade.

Thanks for bringing these "cobbers" and the "criminals" to life!

incredible account. .. not to be forgotten.

I finished this book last night and, well what can i say. Do i recommend it? I can't say you would enjoy it, but it is a story every Australian should know. You will experience sorrow, anger, disgust, pride with the occasional moment of joy amidst all the misery. It is tale of amazing courage and yet haunting in its detail. Fitzsimon beautifully crafts a historic account full of humanity with characters that bring home the truth of the matter.

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Title: Jungle of Snakes

Subtitle: A Century of Counterinsurgency Warfare from the Philippines to Iraq

Author: James R. Arnold

Narrator: Mark Ashby

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 33 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-26-13

Publisher: Audible Studios for Bloomsbury

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 18 votes

Genres: History, Military

Publisher's Summary:

A gripping history of a new kind of warfare, with sobering lessons for Americas future.

The end of the Cold War promised a new era of international peace. But instead, violence has proliferated across the globe, not in the form of a superpower arms race or a clash of armies, but in bitter local conflicts marked by terrorism, insurgency, and guerrilla warfare. Former Central Intelligence Agency director James Woolsey likened the post-Cold-War world to "a jungle full of snakes". The emergence of this new, potentially never-ending struggle has forced our military to reevaluate strategies or risk losing hearts, minds, and soldiers the world over.

James Arnold delivers a gripping narrative of a century of counterinsurgent warfare, from the Philippine War to present-day Iraq, analyzing wars won and lost: the British in Malaya, the French in Algeria, and the United S tates in Vietnam. Arnold explains the tug-of-war for civilian support and illustrates the high stakes of any counterinsurgency effort. The epilogue examines the occupation of Iraq, where America, to its cost, ignored the lessons of previous conflicts.

A veteran military historian, Arnold combines storytelling ability with strategic insight. Jungle of Snakes will be essential reading for those who want to understand the ongoing series of struggles that the Pentagon calls "the Long War".

Members Reviews:

Some Lessons

This work is an excellent set of case studies on counterinsurgency from the 20th century. While this book focuses on many aspects of the rights and wrongs different organizations implemented in their varying approaches to countering asymmetric forces, it is more history than criticism. For a more scientific approach, I would suggest David Kilcullen's Counterinsurgency.

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Title: The Greatest Battles in History: The Battle of El Alamein

Author: Charles River Editors

Narrator: Colin Fluxman

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 19 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-29-15

Publisher: Charles River Editors

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: History, Military

Publisher's Summary:

"The desert was quivering with heat. The gun detachments and the platoons squatted in their pits and trenches, the sweat running in rivers down their dust-caked faces. There was a terrible stench. The flies swarmed in black clouds upon the dead bodies and excreta and tormented the wounded. The place was strewn with burning tanks and carriers, wrecked guns and vehicles, and over all drifted the smoke and the dust from bursting high explosives and from the blasts of guns." - Cecil Ernest Lucas-Phillips

"It may almost be said, 'Before Alamein we never had a victory. After Alamein we never had a defeat.'" - Winston Churchill

The United States began 1942 determined to avenge Pearl Harbor, but the Allies, now including the Soviet Union by necessity, did not agree on war strategy. In 1941, both the Germans and British had moved armies into North Africa, where Italy had already tried and failed to reach the Suez Canal. The British sought American help in North Africa, where British General Bernard Montgomery was fighting the legendary "Desert Fox", General Erwin Rommel. At the same time, Stalin was desperate for Allied action on the European continent that could free up the pressure on the besieged Soviets. Roosevelt eventually sided with Churchill and decided to land American forces on North Africa to assist the British against Rommel, much to Stalin's chagrin.

With the Axis forces trying to push through Egypt towards the Suez Canal and the British Mandate of Palestine, American forces landed to their west in North Africa. This ultimately compelled Rommel to try to break through before the Allies could build up and overwhelm them with superior numbers.

Members Reviews:

Good overview

This book is a good introduction to this important WW II battle. The narrative is straightforward and free of superfluous detail and fancy prose. The battle is described in clear concise prose augmented by excellent maps and combat photographs. The author provides context and perspective that underscore the critical importance of this battle.

Although I would prefer more detail regarding the personalities and strategies involved, this book is a fine overview of an important WW II turning point.

Good brief read

I enjoyed this short but informative work on the Battle of El Alamein. The book did a good job of lining out the essential facts, developments, and turning point of the battle without a lot of fluff. The photos were good and of high quality. You won't find a lot of character development or sub-plots, but as a work of factual reporting, I give the book 5 stars.

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Title: Weather and Warfare

Author: Robert Child

Narrator: Derek Perkins

Format: Unabridged

Length: 21 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-05-13

Publisher: Rob Child and Associates

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: History, Military

Publisher's Summary:

Weather and Warfare dramatically retraces the meteorological forces during battlefield engagements that doomed or saved civilizations. In 1588 more than half of the Spanish Armada, on its way around northern Britain, was destroyed by storms in retreat back to Spain. Napoleon's attack on Russia was stopped cold by winter weather, as was Hitler's siege of Leningrad. In WWI, it was all quiet on the western front during mud season. The miracle at Dunkirk took place under cover of heavy fog, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was launched under cover of Pacific storms and the D-day invasion of Normandy was launched based on the most critical weather forecast in history.

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Title: Captives in Blue

Subtitle: The Civil War Prisons of the Confederacy

Author: Roger Pickenpaugh

Narrator: Jack Chekijian

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 47 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-21-16

Publisher: University Press Audiobooks

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 7 votes

Genres: History, Military

Publisher's Summary:

In June of 1861, only a few weeks after the first shots at Fort Sumter ignited the Civil War, Union prisoners of war began to arrive in Southern prisons. One hundred and fifty years later, Civil War prisons and the way prisoners of war were treated remain contentious topics. Partisans of each side continue to vilify the other for POW maltreatment.

In Captives in Blue, Pickenpaugh tackles issues such as the ways the Confederate Army contended with the growing prison population, the variations in the policies and practices in the different Confederate prison camps, the effects these policies and practices had on Union prisoners, and the logistics of prisoner exchanges. Digging further into prison policy and practices, Pickenpaugh explores conditions that arose from conscious government policy decisions and conditions that were the product of local officials or unique local situations. One issue unique to Captives in Blue is the way Confederate prisons and policies dealt with African American Union soldiers. Black soldiers held captive in Confederate prisons faced uncertain fates; many former slaves were returned to their former owners, while others were tortured in the camps.

Drawing on prisoner diaries, Pickenpaugh provides compelling first-person accounts of life in prison camps often overlooked by scholars in the field.

Critic Reviews:

"Captives in Blue is an excellent book that more thoroughly details life in Confederate-run prisons than anything currently available. I think it will stand as the starting place for all future studies of Southern prisoner of war facilities for a long time." (James M. Gillispie, author of Andersonvilles of the North)

Members Reviews:

Captives in blue

Any additional comments?

This book gives us a bird eye view what happened during the civil war. I have to pause several times to absorb the knowledge I've gotten from this book

Neither side was prepared for the volume of POWs

Very well documented thesis addressing the problems of both Union POWs and Confederate management of prisons. Not just by mismanagement or deliberate cruelty were prisoners afflicted, but by unpreparedness for the housing, feeding, sanitation, and medical care. And the costs were totally unplanned. The bureaucratic mess surrounding prisoner exchanges is boggling. More than a history lesson, it becomes a humanity lesson.

Good thing Narrator Jack is on task to keep us from expiring from the tediousness of this excruciatingly precise and dismal recounting.

Captives in Blue

This is a well written book about how troops were treated in the prisons during the civil war.Jack Chekijian is the perfect narrator for something like this.Very interesting read.I was provided this book free by the author, narrator or publisher.

Informative and well presented.

Civil War history buffs will likely enjoy this collection of information all in one place. The author has attempted to ferret out the truth to captured soldier prison conditions, and has brought together information from a variety of sources in a cohesive manual. The narrator easily navigates tough words and has the perfect voice for this type of book.

A Part of American History We Should Never Forget

"Captives in Blue" was truly an eye-opening listen. Oftentimes when we think of POW's we don't always consider the captives from the Civil War. The treatment of these men was horrific.

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Title: The Somme

Author: Peter Hart

Narrator: Tim Pigott-Smith

Format: Abridged

Length: 6 hrs and 30 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-21-06

Publisher: Orion Publishing Group Limited

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 16 votes

Genres: History, Military

Publisher's Summary:

The Somme has remained a byword for the futility of war ever since. In this major new history of the war, Peter Hart describes how the battle looked from the point of view of those who fought it. Using never-heard-before interviews taken from the Imperial War Museum oral archives this will be a unique audio full of passion, joy, and heart rending stories.

Critic Reviews:

"[Hart] has produced a remarkably even-handed account....and the first-person accounts he has unearthed are rich in vivid images." (Sunday Times)

Members Reviews:

The Somme

This facinating account of the Battle of the Somme had me totally absorbed from the first moment. Although Tim Piggott-Smith is an inspired choice as narrator it is, as both Jason and Jonathan point out in their reviews, hearing the actual voices of those who took part in the conflict that makes this a 5 Star recommendation.

Although, as Jonathan also points out, accounts of the numerous battles can lead to some confusion, I found that an internet search for a map of the Somme battlefield helped me greatly understand the (painfully) slow advance the British and Commonwealth forces achieved during the four month campaign. Highly recommended.

The Somme

This is a 'must have' for anyone even slightly interested in learning more about this time. It links commentary with actual archive interviews and is certainly enough to make any listener stop, think and begin to appreciate how lucky (and how thankful to the brave) you are to be about now rather than then.

Although some of the commentary appears much the same, relating to battle upon battle upon battle, it does go some way to illustrating what happened day after day and it desbribes vividly the futility of the situation.

Perhaps a morbid subject for some but I enjoyed listening very much and would highly recommend this title.

The Somme

This is a must audiobook for anybody who has a interest in World War 1. The detail is great with personal accounts from all soldiers' who fought in the great war from conscripts to top military brass and also from both sides but the best of all is to hear the actual tales from the soldiers' themselves in their own voice which gives it it's authenticity and a connection from the past that we should all never forget.

Makes you think

I'd heard of the "Battle of The Somme" through various sources, but never quite understood what it was all about. I now have a much clearer understanding of this part of the First World War. Hearing the eye witness accounts (narrated by the actual people who were there) really brings the topic to life. It removes the "just a textbook" feel to this very important and sadening period of history. Any time you forget what Remembrance Day is all about, listen to this and you'll be thoroughly reminded of what these soldiers had to endure to ensure our freedom & liberty.

Utterly Brilliant

Combines deep research with a balanced respect for all combatants. Not only uses appropriate voice actors for regional/international participants but recordings of veterans interviews. Poignant and effective

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Title: Fly

Author: Michael Veitch

Narrator: Michael Veitch

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 12 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-01-08

Publisher: Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 74 votes

Genres: History, Military

Publisher's Summary:

Michael Veitch's life-long obsession with the aircraft of the Second World War led him to conclude that every single person who flew, or flew in them, has at least one extraordinary story to tell. With most of these veterans in their 80's, he knew that it was a matter of urgency to find them now, before their personal stories disappear forever. So, over the course of a year, Veitch interviewed over 50 former aircrew across Australia, many of whom had never spoken about their experiences before, even to their families. The result was Flak - a collection of vivid, unforgettable stories from RAAF veterans about their experiences of combat in World War II - and Fly is the second instalment of stories.

From bomber pilots to fighter aces, from rear gunners to bomb aimers, from stories of death and fear to tales of humour and comradeship, Michael has helped unearth the extraordinary stories of ordinary men living and fighting in extraordinary times.

Editorial Reviews:

A unique collection of stories from World War II airmen, ably narrated by Australian actor and broadcaster Michael Veitch, who collected them. Most of the octogenarian airmen here - pilots, bombers, and runners alike - are Australian or British, but their experiences run the gamut of emotions experienced during war, from terror to comedy, mourning to joy. Military history aficionados will greatly appreciate this collection of rare material, and marvel anew at the sacrifices made during these unforgettable battles.

Members Reviews:

Excellent book from RAF and RAAF point of view

Any additional comments?

I am very much a WWII aviation enthusiast and read a lot on the subject. This book contains tales from RAF and RAAF pilots and crew who flew in Lancasters, Sterlings, Blenheims, Beauforts, Sunderlands, Fireflies, etc. This material is rare to find elsewhere. In addition, Mr. Veitch is a marvelous writer and narrator. I highly value both the subject matter and the masterful style in which it is presented.

If you are a WWII aviation enthusiast, this is definitely a book for you.

Reviewers often focus on there being comments negative toward Americans. As an American myself, I wish the impression were different. But I keep in mind that WWII was fought by young servicemen, many full of bravado, and it was not uncommon for those of one nation to have some rivalry toward or frictions with those of another -- such was even sometimes the case between one branch and another or even between one squadron and another of the same nation's forces.

Great flying Narratives.

Would you consider the audio edition of Fly to be better than the print version?

This is read by the author, in his Australian accent, about RAAF and RAF flyers.

Any additional comments?

Great story's of incredible men of WWII.

Invaluable Stories of Brave Men

Criticism of this book is unwarranted. The author searched from one introduction to the next to find the airmen of WWII willing to tell their story. Sure, most of those he spoke to were from the RAAF or the RAF. That is more a result of a geography than anything else - they live in Australia.

It is important to note that he did include the stories of German pilots he was able to interview. Based on his wise handling of that material, I see no reason why he would not have included the stories of Russian, Canadian or South African air crew if that had been possible.