Discover the New Releases Audiobooks in History, Military

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Title: Boy Soldiers of the American Revolution

Author: Caroline Cox

Narrator: Traber Burns

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 42 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-18-16

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: History, Military

Publisher's Summary:

Between 1819 and 1845, as veterans of the Revolutionary War were filing applications to receive pensions for their service, the government was surprised to learn that many of the soldiers were not men but boys, many of whom were under the age of 16 and some even as young as nine. In Boy Soldiers of the American Revolution, Caroline Cox reconstructs the lives and stories of this young subset of early American soldiers, focusing on how these boys came to join the army and what they actually did in service. Giving us a rich and unique glimpse into colonial childhood, Cox traces the evolution of youth in American culture in the late 18th century, as the accepted age for children to participate meaningfully in society - not only in the military - was rising dramatically.

Drawing creatively on sources such as diaries, letters, and memoirs, Caroline Cox offers a vivid account of what life was like for these boys both on and off the battlefield, telling the story of a generation of soldiers caught between old and new notions of boyhood.

Members Reviews:

Vivid account of Boy Soldiers

The author Carolyn Cox died on July 11, 2014 at the age of 59. Her mentor the famous University of California Berkley historian Professor Robert C. Middlekauf proceeded to see the book was published. Cox was an award winning Professor of History at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California.

Coxs scholarship shines thought the book. Cox noted between 1819 and 1845 veterans of the Revolutionary War were applying for government pensions for their war service. It was a surprise that many of the soldiers were boys at the time of their service. Cox states she called boys those below the age of sixteen as that was the minimum age for militia service. The author points out that those sixteen and above could be drafted but they could hire a substitute or have a family member replace them. Cox states that frequently the replacement was a young boy below the age of sixteen.

I have been reading biographies lately and I found it refreshing to read a scholarly book aimed at a specific topic. The book is well written and researched. Cox explored the pension application from the Revolutionary War then she searched for more information about the boys. Cox reconstructed their lives with the use of diaries, letters, memoirs and archived documents. The author also discussed the treatment of boys in the military by the British, French and Germany. Cox painted a picture of what life was like in the late 18th century. Traber Burns does a good job narrating the book.

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Title: War of 1812, Mexican War, Spanish-American War, Korean War

Subtitle: American Wars: World Events over Time Collection

Author: Eugene Lieber

Narrator: Eugene Lieber

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 22 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-22-16

Publisher: IAB Inc

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: History, Military

Publisher's Summary:

War of 1812: Selected theme: What is the surprise ending of the disastrous War of 1812 which lets the US ignore its lessons that come back to haunt the US in later generations?

Mexican War: Selected theme: What are the roles of Texas and slavery in the South that underlie the Mexican War of 1836?

Spanish-American War: Selected theme: During Cuba's revolt against Spain in the late 1880s and early 1890s, what is the US ultimatum to Spain that demonstrates that US intervention is not based on moral grounds?

Korean War: Selected theme: What is behind the decision to push north of the 38th parallel, leading to the disastrous entry of the Chinese, and why is it unfair to blame Gen. Douglas MacArthur?

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Title: The Heart of Hell

Subtitle: The Untold Story of Courage and Sacrifice in the Shadow of Iwo Jima

Author: Mitch Weiss

Narrator: Joe Barrett

Format: Unabridged

Length: 13 hrs and 53 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-01-16

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 13 votes

Genres: History, Military

Publisher's Summary:

The Battle of Iwo Jima, a major event in the Pacific Theater of World War II - and one of the bloodiest in United States history - began on February 19, 1945. But what happened two days earlier has largely been a footnote - until now....

On February 17, Landing Craft Infantry 449 was among a dozen gunboats helping to prepare the area for their invasion two days later. US military leaders thought that they had weakened Japanese forces in the area. However, from the towering slopes of Mount Suribachi, Japanese forces opened fire, forcing the US commanders to recalculate battlefield plans. They shelled and bombed the newly discovered enemy positions. It was a move that saved countless lives two days later, when tens of thousands of marines stormed the beach.

The Heart of Hell is the untold story of the crew of Landing Craft Infantry 449. Based on 130 exclusive interviews with sailors who survived the battle, the families of the men killed in the fight, and more than 1,500 letters the sailors mailed to loved ones during their long months at sea, this is a story of duty, brotherhood, love, and courage.

Members Reviews:

Important History, but Not a Compelling Story

First, let me say that what happened to these sailors during the Battle of Iwo Jima was horrific. I am not discounting their tragedy one iota.

However, this story is essentially a summary of family and love letters that document the feelings, fears, and emotions of the men of Landing Craft Infantry 449 as they prepared for the Iwo Jima invasion. Their actual time at "battle stations" was about nine minutes. So, essentially, twelve of the fourteen hours of this audiobook is a recitation of what is contained in those letters sent home and those sent to the sailors of Landing Craft Infantry 449.

I listened because I respect and honor the work these men did in supporting UD Teams, but as a recapitulation of the Battle for Iwo Jima, this book is not an important work. It is a history that binds together human dramas outside the battle zone (other than the nine minutes of terror).

Listen to this book if you want to know the intimacies of about a dozen men. If you want a book that documents Iwo Jima as a strategic target and the men who fought to take that island I suggest, "Flags of Our Fathers," by James Bradley and Ron Powers.

Fantastic Book !!!

Fantastic book very well written and very riveting !! The book flows very well and keeps you excited. Knowledge of US Marines and IwoJima is beyond GREAT . Highly recommend !!!

Heroes all of them

I am amazed each time I read of these heroes of WWII. How they gave their all to win the war. My heart aches for both the dead and the wounded. They are heroes, all of them! All gave some, some gave all!

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Title: The History of the Royal Navy

Author: Go Entertain

Narrator: J.T. McDaniel

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 23 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-29-16

Publisher: Go Entertainment Group Ltd

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: History, Military

Publisher's Summary:

This wonderfully illustrative publication provides a comprehensive and informative history of the Royal Navy. From the first standing navy created to repel Viking invasions during the reign of King Alfred and England's famous victory over the Spanish Armada in 1588, to the D-Day landings at Normandy during WWII and the Navy's role in the 21st century, this is a gripping account of the warfare force that became the most powerful navy in the world.

Members Reviews:

boring

lot of unnecessary bull. Boring

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Title: Hostage of Paradox

Subtitle: A Qualmish Disclosure

Author: John Rixey Moore

Narrator: Dan Orders

Format: Unabridged

Length: 25 hrs and 4 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-23-16

Publisher: Bettie Youngs Book Publishers Co., Inc.

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 7 votes

Genres: History, Military

Publisher's Summary:

Few people then or now know about the clandestine war that the CIA ran in Vietnam, using the Green Berets for secret operations throughout Southeast Asia. This was not the Vietnam War of the newsreels - the body counts, rice paddy footage, and men smoking cigarettes on the sandbag bunkers. This was a shadow directive of deep-penetration interdiction, reconnaissance, and assassination missions conducted by a select few Special Forces teams, usually consisting of only two Americans and a handful of Chinese mercenaries called Nungs. These specialized units deployed quietly from forward operations bases to prowl through agendas that, for security reasons, were seldom completely understood by the men themselves.

Hostage of Paradox is a firsthand account by one of these elite team leaders. Moore is a highly decorated former Green Beret sergeant whose operations led him and a few Chinese, with whom he could barely communicate by hand signals alone, through a labyrinth of excruciatingly close calls and multiple woundings, miles deep in the jungles of enemy-controlled wilderness. His descriptions of these little-known missions crackle with fearful immediacy and the vivid imagery that only someone who has lived the experience can summon. To listen to his words is to be transported to the shadows of a small, murky corner of military history.

Members Reviews:

An interesting read

Would you listen to Hostage of Paradox again? Why?

No, I don't reread books

Who was your favorite character and why?

It's not the character, it's the story

What about Dan Orderss performance did you like?

He made it through a long book

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

No. It kept me reading.

Any additional comments?

Good presentation of the late 60's and early 70's, military life and the effects of the Vietnam war on Americans.

This Guy Is A Documented Fraud

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

Anyone who'd like to read the overly verbose fictional/fraudulent account of a "Special Forces" soldier in Vietnam.

What could John Rixey Moore have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Not be a fraud.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

The narrator actually read/performed very well. It's just a shame that almost every word that he read was bullshit.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Trying not to go on a rant, so here's the short version. To say that he's guilty of embellishment is an understatement. He never graduated Ranger School. He only served 5 months total in SE Asia. He was awarded 1 Purple Heart & 1 Bronze Star, not the many other decorations including a DSC, that he claims. Basically 90%+ of this book is bunk. I've purchased over 40 audible titles and this is my first review. I was so disgusted by this mans lies that I felt I had to post a review. Please research this man and his book. Then do as I've done and contact Audible.com and ask them to remove this title. This book is a slap in the face to all the Special Forces Soldiers who served in SE Asia as well as before and beyond.

Any additional comments?

Trying not to go on a rant, so here's the short version. To say that he's guilty of embellishment is an understatement. He never graduated Ranger School.

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Title: Crossing the Deadly Ground

Subtitle: United States Army Tactics, 1865-1899

Author: Perry D. Jamieson

Narrator: Roger Wood

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 44 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-09-16

Publisher: University Press Audiobooks

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: History, Military

Publisher's Summary:

Weapons improved rapidly after the Civil War, raising difficult questions about the battle tactics employed by the United States Army. The most fundamental problem was the dominance of the tactical defensive, when defenders protected by fieldworks could deliver deadly fire from rifles and artillery against attackers advancing in close-ordered lines. The vulnerability of these offensive forces as they crossed the so-called "deadly ground" in front of defensive positions was even greater with the improvement of armaments after the Civil War.

Critic Reviews:

"No other study approaches this subject so expertly." (Journal of Southern History)

"An excellent history of the period, one frequently neglected in the literature of the military history field." (Academic Library Book Review)

"An informative and stimulating work that should serve as the definitive word on this subject for some time to come." (Journal of Military History)

Members Reviews:

US Army enter the world of modern combat

Jamieson, et al. have done a very good job of trying to come to grips with the one of the hottest topics in military histroy - the way that armies in the late 19th Century attempted to cope with technological innovation and newer, more destructive weapons. Additionally they cover that most peculiarly American of all military campaigns, the Indian Wars, with an intelligence and incisiveness that I have not seen anywhere else - forget about the glorious charges of the Saturday matinee! My only gripe with this book is that it relies too heavily on letting the factual material speak for itself. A greater degree on analysis would have made the book longer, but it would have made it better too. Overall, it is a welcome addition to the growing literature on the revolution in military affairs which was taking place at the time, and it serves as a reminder at our own 'fin de siecle', about the continuing need for new ideas in military tactics.

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Title: The First World War, 1914-1918

Subtitle: A Global Conflict

Author: Go Entertain, Alan Wakefield

Narrator: Bob Barton

Format: Unabridged

Length: 3 hrs and 23 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-05-16

Publisher: Go Entertainment Group Ltd

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 7 votes

Genres: History, Military

Publisher's Summary:

This history of the First World War charts the conflict from the diplomatic crisis of July 1914 to the defeat of Germany in November 1918. Key events on all battlefronts and at sea are covered to illustrate the scale of this truly global war. This history also shows how the First World War shaped the modern world, from the Russian Revolution and rise of the USA to conflict in the Balkans and the Middle East.

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Title: Heroes Beneath the Waves

Subtitle: True Submarine Stories of the Twentieth Century

Author: Mary Nida Smith

Narrator: Paul Christy

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 16 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-20-16

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 5 votes

Genres: History, Military

Publisher's Summary:

The unbelievable stories of the heroic men who sailed under the sea.

In Heroes Beneath the Waves, many brave men who rode submarines to great depths and across the oceans into unknown territory share their experiences, fears, and thoughts. They allow us to travel back in time through their memories. Trained for years to keep silent - for "loose lips sink ships" - many still believe what they know to be classified and refuse to disclose even the minutest of recollections. Others, however, want to leave a legacy of reminiscences for people to learn and live by - to know that freedom is not free.

Some stories will never be told. Held within the secret confines of their souls, these deep-sea veterans block them out for self-preservation. Yet there are others who will never escape their own minds; they relive their underwater experiences over and over with eyes open or shut.

Heroes Beneath the Waves is about teenage boys who left farms, small towns, and inner cities to defend the United States and democracy worldwide. Signing up for United States Navy submarine duty was an adventure of a lifetime during the early 1940s. Dreams of torpedoing Japanese and German ships and subs consumed their thoughts. Those who returned home as young men were older and wiser. Heroes Beneath the Waves was written to honor these men - gallant heroes - who served and are serving today on submarines.

Members Reviews:

Reading Straight from Wikipedia is not a book!

Would you try another book from Mary Nida Smith and/or Paul Christy?

Your kidding. Literally, they did not write anything. This entire book is straight from web pages.

Has Heroes Beneath the Waves turned you off from other books in this genre?

I've read them all, and this one is bad. I have a very complete library of first edition hardbacks of every first hand account of US WWII submarines. This book does not belong in this library.

How could the performance have been better?

The narration was not very good, either.

What character would you cut from Heroes Beneath the Waves?

There are no characters, just Wikipedia pages.

Any additional comments?

Is this the future of research and writing? Get "The Bravest Man" to know what a real book is.

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Title: War Poetry

Author: Wilfred Owen, Sigfried Sassoon, Rudyard Kipling

Narrator: Phillip J. Mather

Format: Unabridged

Length: 35 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-13-16

Publisher: Spoken Realms

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: History, Military

Publisher's Summary:

Seventeen iconic poems from World War One, including: Wilfred Owen's "Dulce et Deorum Est"; "In Flanders Fields" by John McRae; "Counter Attack" by Siegfried Sassoon; Rupert Brook's "The Soldier"; and many more that bring the horrors of the Great War vividly to life through the eyes of those living them.

Members Reviews:

Powerful Historical Record in Poetic Form

I came across a poem by Owen, "Dulce et Decorum Est," and was so impressed by it that I looked up the author. I found he'd written many poems about the First World War - a war in which sadly he was killed just before its end. That led me to read this collection of his poetry.

To be honest, I found some of his poems confusing or difficult to follow. However, others were powerful presentations of the horrors of war. More than a book of poetry, this is an historical record of the experiences of the young men of England in "The Great War". It's a view of the War you don't find in history books, which tend to focus on campaigns and battles and strategy without much insight into the personal lives and thoughts of those who experienced the War on the ground.

Owen's poems are sobering reminders that behind the glory and weapons and strategies of war are individuals suffering and dying. One of the most powerful is "Disabled" about a young man who lies about his age to enlist in order to impress a girl and comes home legless and missing an arm. As with many of his poems, the enthusiasm and bravado of the enlistee is contrasted with the 'reality check' he receives when war is experienced. Real war, it turns out, is not what's portrayed on the enlistment poster.

Another of the best is "The Parable Of The Old Man and The Young". Here Owen takes the story of Abraham's near sacrifice of Isaac from Genesis chapter 22 and casts Abraham as the "Old Man" of Europe's leaders and Isaac as the "Young man" of her youth. Given the opportunity to stop the sacrifice of the young with a substitute of, not a ram, but their pride, they refuse to sacrifice their pride and stop the slaughter.

I recommend this book to anyone interested in the history of the First World War or poetry in general. I warn you it's not an uplifting inspirational read but it is also not depressing and somber just to be so. It's an important historical record and carries within it an important reminder for all of us living this side of the "War to end all wars."

Second Best Poet of World War I?

I confess to being no expert on poetry. Wilfred Owen is billed as the best poet of WWI, and I really appreciated several of his poems, "Soldier's Dream" being one of the best, but I did not really understand the majority of his poems, due to century-old British references I did not understand, or analogies I could not follow.

I personally recommend Siegfried Sassoon's poems to paint an exceptional picture of the war. Oddly enough, niether poet was included in the enormous "A Treasury of War Poetry British and American Poems, etc". I expect neither was politically correct at the time.

I feel bad about criticizing this young poet, due likely to my own ignorance and lack of understanding, since he did not survive the war he documented.

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Title: OSS Against the Reich

Subtitle: World War Two Diaries

Author: David K. E. Bruce, Nelson D. Lankford

Narrator: Charles Henderson Norman

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 31 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-21-15

Publisher: University Press Audiobooks

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: History, Military

Publisher's Summary:

OSS Against the Reich presents the previously unpublished World War II diaries of Colonel David K.E. Bruce, London branch chief of America's first secret intelligence agency, as he observed the war against Hitler. The entries include eyewitness accounts of D-Day, the rocket attacks on England, and the liberation of Paris.

As a top deputy of William J. "Wild Bill" Donovan, founder of the Office of Strategic Services, Bruce kept his diary sporadically in 1942 and made daily entries from the invasion of Normandy until the Battle of the Bulge. Bruce had served in World War I and, as Andrew Mellon's son-in-law, moved easily in the world of corporate and museum boardrooms and New York society. However, World War II gave him a more serious and satisfying purpose in life; the experience of running the OSS's most important overseas branch confirmed his lifelong interest in foreign service. After the war, in partnership with his second wife, Evangeline, Bruce headed the Marshall Plan in France and was ambassador to Paris, Bonn, and London. He further served as head of negotiations at the Paris peace talks on Vietnam, first American emissary to China and ambassador to NATO.

Critic Reviews:

"The clandestine work of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) in World War II is increasingly well known... Bruce was chief of the London office of OSS, and after the war held several distinguished diplomatic assignments. The diary entries in this book cover much of the time he spent as London chief. Specialists may find the entries particularly interesting for the many influential contacts he records..." (Library Journal)

Members Reviews:

An Interesting Read (Listen)

The book started off a bit slow for me, having the first 15 minutes dedicated mostly to descriptions of dining experiences. After that, I enjoyed listening to the entries. This was an interesting book told from a unique perspective. I am glad to have read it and it has sparked me to read more about WWII and reference different points during the war with entries from this book. (As an additional note, I found listening at 1.25 speed was better for me.)

This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of Audiobook Blast."

An interesting listen, but....

Well, I now know what Colonel Bruce had for breakfast, who he ate dinner with and how he traveled around Europe. The beginning of the book seems to be nothing more than that. There are a couple of very interesting sections, I particularly enjoyed his view on D-Day and the liberation of Paris, but they were unfortunately let down by issues with the narration.

When I listen to an Audiobook, a great narrator enhances it and disappears into the book, a good narrator you wouldn't notice. Unfortunately, I wouldn't classify Charles Henderson Norman as a good narrator. His performance is often delivered in a very stilted and monotone manner. At time's, it's difficult to tell when one sentence ends and another begins because his delivery seems very rushed.