Download the Popular Authors Audiobooks in History, 20th Century

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Title: The Gestapo

Subtitle: A History of Horror

Author: Jacques Delarue, Mervyn Savill (translator)

Narrator: Eric Brooks

Format: Unabridged

Length: 19 hrs and 56 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-18-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 139 votes

Genres: History, 20th Century

Publisher's Summary:

A history of Nazi Germany's secret police written by one of their victims, with a new introduction by the author.

From 1933 to 1945, the Gestapo was Nazi Germany's chief instrument of counter-espionage, political suppression, and terror. Jacques Delarue, a saboteur arrested by the Nazis in occupied France, chronicles how the land of Beethoven elevated sadism to a fine art. The Gestapo: A History of Horror draws upon Delarue's interviews with ex-Gestapo agents to deliver a multi-layered history of the force whose work included killing student resisters, establishing Aryan eugenic unions, and implementing the Final Solution. This is a probing look at the Gestapo and the fanatics and megalomaniacs who made it such a successful and heinous organization: Barbie, Eichmann, Himmler, Heydrich, Mller. The Gestapo's notorious reign led to the murder of millions. The Gestapo is an important documentation of what they did and how they did it.

Editorial Reviews:

The Gestapo: A History of Horror is a thoroughly researched and ultimately terrifying in-depth study of the inner workings of history's most ruthless and deadly secret police. Jacques Delarue, former member of the French resistance, combines firsthand accounts from his own run-ins with the Gestapo with information from countless interviews and primary documents. The Gestapo: A History of Horror is excellently performed by Eric Brooks whose clear and methodical narration conveys the weight of one of history's greatest tragedies.

Members Reviews:

Interesting Information but....

Where does The Gestapo rank among all the audiobooks youve listened to so far?

It was okay but hard to stay interested because of the narrator but not the worst I have heard.

Any additional comments?

I love WW2 and the stories of the Allies and the Axis and this one had really good info but not they best. I still recommend it....at least once.

Once read never fogotten!!

Where does The Gestapo rank among all the audiobooks youve listened to so far?

This is a great book.

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Title: The Nuremberg Trial

Author: Ann Tusa, John Tusa

Narrator: Ralph Cosham

Format: Unabridged

Length: 25 hrs and 51 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-15-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 300 votes

Genres: History, 20th Century

Publisher's Summary:

Here is a gripping account of the major postwar trial of the Nazi hierarchy in World War II. The Nuremberg Trial brilliantly recreates the trial proceedings and offers a reasoned, often profound examination of the processes that created international law. From the whimpering of Kaltenbrunner and Ribbentrop on the stand to the icy coolness of Goering, each participant is vividly drawn.

Editorial Reviews:

Courtroom dramas have always consumed the public's attention. There is a certain high-stakes drama that takes place in the halls of justice.Ann and John Tusa have collaborated to capture those emotions in their historical study of The Nuremberg Trial. The Nuremberg Trial isn't some bland textbook; the Tusas' personable narration delivers to listeners the countless personal stories at the heart of one of history's most infamous court battles. A deft performance by Ralph Cosham only serves to accentuate the care Ann and John Tusa have taken in relaying the facts of Nuremberg with humanity and insight.

Critic Reviews:

Fascinating The Tusas book is one of the best accounts I have read. (The New York Times)

Members Reviews:

A really interesting listen

Ralph Cosham did a good job reading and did not intrude on the content

I found I needed to go back and read or listen again to other books to learn 'who is who'. And then do a Wikipedia search on the Trial and the Defendents.

(Shirer's Berlin Diary and Rise and Fall did convey the gut wrenching reactions of the time.)

Most interesting were the motivations of Judges and Lawyers involved compared to the Governments and politicians.

And to my thinking, a person only needs a genuine interest in the Second World War to find this book valuable.

Good because its so detailed

What other book might you compare The Nuremberg Trial to and why?

I listened to this book immediately after my 2nd trip through William L. Shirer's Rise and Fall of the Third Reich. It was a very good complement, picking up the story of the Nazis that survived the war. But make no mistake, while Shirer's book is a reasonably thorough history of German politics from 1920-1945 at roughly 57 hours, this book is packed with a huge amount of detail, clocking in at almost 26 hours and covering the events of barely a year.

Try reading at 1.25 speed.

Any additional comments?

I really enjoyed this read of the trials of the century. It was a little slow at points for those who aren't too familiar with lawyer jargon but the sections dealing with the courtroom and the prosecuted was by far the best parts and kept the book flowing fairly well.

Detailed and rewarding listen for history buffs

When I look for books on Audible, I check the reviews first, especially the negative ones. Usually those will highlight things which are immediate deal breakers. So let me start with the negatives first:

------

CONS

1) There's a level of background knowledge needed for this book.

The authors provide a sufficient summary of World War II, which of course sets the stage for the Nuremberg Trials. However, I feel that some questions may go unanswered if someone doesn't understand why the Soviet Union was hellbent on summary execution of the defendants, for example.

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Title: Malcolm X: The Last Speeches

Author: Malcolm X

Narrator: Malcolm X

Format: Original Recording

Length: 1 hr and 39 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-18-13

Publisher: BN Publishing

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 293 votes

Genres: History, 20th Century

Publisher's Summary:

"Any kind of movement for freedom of Black people based solely within the confines of America is absolutely doomed to fail."

Speeches and interviews from the last two years of Malcolm X's life.

Members Reviews:

loved hearing Malcolm's speeches!

great to hear the legend and prophet Malcolm x, it's crazy to know some of the things he was talking about today like the bias press, police brutality, systematic white supremacy, are still things we have to deal with today (50+ years later), even with a half-black president! !!

Impeccable

His speeches are so for this present time! I've recommend this to friends and family.

Heavily Edited

Watered down and edited. More sound bites then speeches. The speeches after Malcolm left the Nation are the longest and clearest speeches.

Chronologically sporadic

Good to hear Malik give several speeches, but being out of order hurts understanding his growth and power.

Would have liked context for the speeches

I can certainly see why many white Americans feared the rhetoric of brother Malcolm. I don't think his history was accurate on many points, and neither was what was generally understood about our own past correct either. You can see some moderation in his speech. The audio version of this collection lacks any attribution of time or place. Sometimes you can infer from information provided in the speech itself. His post Haj period was so short that I've always been curious to see where that fertile mind might have taken him.

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Title: Where Wizards Stay Up Late

Subtitle: The Origins of the Internet

Author: Matthew Lyon, Katie Hafner

Narrator: Mark Douglas Nelson

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 19 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-20-12

Publisher: Katie Hafner

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 346 votes

Genres: History, 20th Century

Publisher's Summary:

Twenty-five years ago, it didn't exist. Today, 20 million people worldwide are surfing the Net. Where Wizards Stay Up Late is the exciting story of the pioneers responsible for creating the most talked about, most influential, and most far-reaching communications breakthrough since the invention of the telephone.

In the 1960s, when computers where regarded as mere giant calculators, J.C.R. Licklider at MIT saw them as the ultimate communications devices. With Defense Department funds, he and a band of visionary computer whizzes began work on a nationwide, interlocking network of computers. Taking listeners behind the scenes, Where Wizards Stay Up Late captures the hard work, genius, and happy accidents of their daring, stunningly successful venture.

Members Reviews:

Absolutely fascinating and we'll researched

Not only a gripping read, but beautifully researched, and organized. Having lived through most of the advances covered in this book, I still learned a lot. I don't see this often enough where the authors covered the why of each advance and the missteps, rather than simply reporting the technical milestones. I've listened to this book three times so far.

Hardcore, old school, geek

Get your geek on with this deep look at the origins of what is now the Internet. If you what to examine networking history, is a great audiobook. Loved it!

Love From a Techie

This book will appeal to technically versed people who are interested not only in the history of the internet but also in the inner-workings of networks and how the various protocols of the internet (TCP, TCP/IP, FTP, SMTP, etc) came into existence.

Soundtrack to a coma.

Compared to a few other computer-history books I've bought recently, Especially Hackers by Steven Levy, and When Computing Got Personal by Matthew Nicholson, this book reads like an extended Wikipedia page. Extraordinarily lifeless and flat.

Requred reading, shouldn't be read by MDN

Would you consider the audio edition of Where Wizards Stay Up Late to be better than the print version?

Not with this narrator

What did you like best about this story?

The history of one of the most important technologies of the last 60 years

How did the narrator detract from the book?

He has a monotone voice and almost no vocal range. It's like listening to my accountant uncle read a book I really want to read for myself.

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Title: World War One: History in an Hour

Author: Rupert Colley

Narrator: Jonathan Keeble

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 23 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-02-12

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 305 votes

Genres: History, 20th Century

Publisher's Summary:

History for busy people. Listen to a concise history of World War One in just one hour. World War One brought with it the worlds first experience of Total War, involving all of the worlds great powers, polarized between the Triple Entente, led by Britain, France and Russia, and the Central Powers, dominated by Germany, Italy and Austria-Hungary. Around nine million men lost their lives in a conflict that introduced the horrors of trench warfare, machine guns, and toxic gas attacks.

World War One: History In an Hour gives you a clear overview of the road to war, the major turning points and battles, and the key leaders involved, as well as the lasting impact the Great War had on almost every country in the world. World War One: History In an Hour is essential listening for all history lovers.

Critic Reviews:

"If the past is a foreign country, History in an Hour is like a high-class tour operator, offering delightfully enjoyable short breaks in the rich and diverse continent of our shared past" (Dominic Sandbrook)

"The practice of History is ever-evolving, and the History In An Hour idea brings it back up to date for the digital age." (Andrew Roberts, Bookseller)

"This is genius." (MacWorld.com)

Members Reviews:

Concise review

This provides a good overview of the major events of WWI.

Obviously, one can not go into detail in an hour when covering such an important and well documented chapter of world history. The author does a good job of progressing from event to event without editorializing or engaging in "what if?" questions.

It is a nice refresher of the major players and events from the war to end all wars.

Good introduction or refresher

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

It is an hour well spent brushing up on the basic timelines of WW1. There are a few interesting back stories of the main events and it covers it well. It would be a good introduction to the story of the Great War and is well told.

However it is not meant to be a thorough book - it brushes over most of the main points. I have a bookshelf of WW1 books and this skims the surface but it is worth a read especially if you don't know much about the war.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Archduke Franz Ferdinand???!

The best overview of world war 1

In the time taken by this audio book, it couldnt have covered the subject better. It gave the causes of the conflict, how the war went in different theatres, how the allies finally won and how the ground was prepared for the second world war.

world war 1

This was an astounding expose of what actually took place in Europe. Short history, but right to the point.

A perfect WWI primer

It's Memorial Day weekend here in the USA and I wanted to refresh my understanding of the five years of war leading up to Armistice Day. Beautifully read and not at all controversial. Very well-produced and performed. And only an hour.

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Title: The Second World War

Author: Antony Beevor

Narrator: Sean Barrett

Format: Unabridged

Length: 39 hrs and 18 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-20-12

Publisher: Hachette Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 593 votes

Genres: History, 20th Century

Publisher's Summary:

Over the past two decades, Antony Beevor has established himself as one of the world's premier historians of World War II. His multi-award winning books have included Stalingrad and The Fall of Berlin 1945. Now, in his newest and most ambitious book, he turns his focus to one of the bloodiest and most tragic events of the 20th century, The Second World War.

In this searing narrative, which takes us from Hitler's invasion of Poland on September 1st, 1939 to V-J day on August 14th, 1945, and the war's aftermath, Beevor describes the conflict and its global reach - one that included every major power. The result is a dramatic and breathtaking single-volume history that provides a remarkably intimate account of the war that, more than any other, still commands attention and an audience.

Thrillingly written and brilliantly researched, Beevor's grand and provocative account is destined to become the definitive work on this complex, tragic, and endlessly fascinating period in world history. It confirms once more that he is a military historian of the first rank.

Members Reviews:

It Fills in Gaps I Didn't Know Existed

I've been reading histories of WWII and watching the documentaries for forty years or so. (If I count the High School books about WWII fighter battles it's more like 50 years.) I'd recently gone back and listened to ???The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich,??? a book I hadn't read since 1970. I thought that I had a pretty good handle on the major events. Yet, time and again Beevor was able to illuminate some aspect of the events that I had either never considered or had never heard about. His skillful blending of macro historical details with first-hand accounts from soldiers' letters home made listening to the book a riveting experience. If you are interested in the history of this global conflict, it is definitely worth the two credits.

Covers everything and loaded with facts

Every major step of the war is covered in detail with its significance to the overall outcome of the war. The author speaks with historical authority and corrects many misconceptions that I had about the war. The book is choke full of facts but the most pleasant part is for every major battle the author finds a diary or a letter from a low level participant and personalizes the engagement through the participants eyes.

After having listened to this book, I can't even imagine listening to any other book about the second WW. He covers the material that well at both the big picture and the personnel level.

Wide ranging history of World War II

I bought this history of the Second World War because I had previously read Mr. Beevors book on D-Day and thought it was both well written and thorough and this book is no different. It covers all of World War II including those theaters like Burma and China which are often ignored because they do not seem to have played a central role in the conflict. He logically follows the events of the war in chronological order and this often has chapters switching around the globe to follow what is happening. Some, like me, will need a map to follow events in places where their knowledge of the geography is skimpy.

Mr. Beevor covers events thoroughly with descriptions of the battles often describing attempts to take little known but important hill positions or road junctions.

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Title: The Battle of Midway (Pivotal Moments in American History)

Author: Craig L. Symonds

Narrator: James Lurie

Format: Unabridged

Length: 14 hrs and 52 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-22-12

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 667 votes

Genres: History, 20th Century

Publisher's Summary:

There are few moments in American history in which the course of events tipped so suddenly and so dramatically as at the Battle of Midway. At dawn of June 4, 1942, a rampaging Japanese navy ruled the Pacific. By sunset, their vaunted carrier force (the Kido Butai) had been sunk, and their grip on the Pacific had been loosened forever.

In this absolutely riveting account of a key moment in the history of World War II, one of America's leading naval historians, Craig L. Symonds, paints an unforgettable portrait of ingenuity, courage, and sacrifice. Symonds begins with the arrival of Admiral Chester A. Nimitz at Pearl Harbor after the devastating Japanese attack and describes the key events leading to the climactic battle, including both Coral Sea - the first battle in history against opposing carrier forces - and Jimmy Doolittle's daring raid of Tokyo. He focuses throughout on the people involved, offering telling portraits of Admirals Nimitz, Halsey, Spruance, and numerous other Americans, as well as the leading Japanese figures, including the poker-loving Admiral Yamamoto. Indeed, Symonds sheds much light on the aspects of Japanese culture - such as their single-minded devotion to combat, which led to poorly armored planes and inadequate fire-safety measures on their ships - that contributed to their defeat.

The author's account of the battle itself is masterful, weaving together the many disparate threads of attack - attacks which failed in the early going - that ultimately created a five-minute window in which three of the four Japanese carriers were mortally wounded, changing the course of the Pacific war in an eye-blink.

Symonds is the first historian to argue that the victory at Midway was not simply a matter of luck, pointing out that Nimitz had equal forces, superior intelligence, and the element of surprise. Nimitz had a strong hand, Symonds concludes, and he rightly expected to win.

Members Reviews:

You may knock US down, but you can't knock US out

Would you listen to The Battle of Midway (Pivotal Moments in American History) again? Why?

Absolutely. I had already planned on doing that when I was still listening. There is simply too much information to fully absorb at one time. I've studied Midway in the past and each time I learn more about how close we were to the edge, but how those who fought there never felt defeated.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Not a character because this is non-fiction, but my most heroic person, individually, would be Lt. Commander John C. Waldron of VT-8. A real life leader and hero.

Which scene was your favorite?

None. This was a horrible, but necessary event in history.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Yes the story of all of the torpedo squadrons and their attacks, but in particular the attack by squadron eight (VT-8) from the U.S.S. Hornet; this piece of history get's me every time. Here were 15 aircraft each carrying three young men in the prime of life. They didn't want to be there and they didn't want to die. Despite that and knowing full well they were outgunned, without fighter air cover, without dive bomber help for a coordinated attack, and flying slow obsolete aircraft; they went in on their attack runs. They knew the odds were heavily against them, but they brought the planes down low, slow and straight and pressed forward their attack. Each in turn.

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Title: Season of the Witch

Subtitle: Enchantment, Terror, and Deliverance in the City of Love

Author: David Talbot

Narrator: Arthur Morey

Format: Unabridged

Length: 17 hrs

Language: English

Release date: 05-08-12

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 582 votes

Genres: History, 20th Century

Publisher's Summary:

Audie Award Nominee, History, 2013

Season of the Witch is the first book to fully capture the dark magic of San Francisco in this breathtaking period, when the city radically changed itself - and then revolutionized the world. The cool gray city of love was the epicenter of the 1960s cultural revolution. But by the early 1970s, San Franciscos ecstatic experiment came crashing down from its starry heights. The city was rocked by savage murder sprees, mysterious terror campaigns, political assassinations, street riots, and finally a terrifying sexual epidemic. No other city endured so many calamities in such a short time span.

David Talbot takes us deep into the riveting story of his citys ascent, decline, and heroic recovery. He draws intimate portraits of San Franciscos legendary demons and saviors: Charles Manson, Patty Hearst and the Symbionese Liberation Army, Jerry Garcia, Janis Joplin, Bill Graham, Herb Caen, the Cockettes, Harvey Milk, Jim Jones and the Peoples Temple, Joe Montana and the Super Bowl 49ers. He reveals how the city emerged from the trials of this period with a new brand of San Francisco values, including gay marriage, medical marijuana, immigration sanctuary, universal health care, recycling, renewable energy, consumer safety, and a living wage mandate. Considered radical when they were first introduced, these ideas have become the bedrock of decent society in many parts of the country, and exemplify the ways that the city now inspires us toward a live-and-let-live tolerance, a shared sense of humanity, and an openness to change.

As a new generation of activists and dreamers seeks its own path to a more enlightened future, Season of the Witch - with its epic tale of the wild and bloody birth of San Francisco values - offers both inspiration and cautionary wisdom.

Members Reviews:

A Great Book...

to read before this one is Robert Graysmith's Black Fire, which details San Francisco's history up to around the point Season Of The Witch takes over, giving one a complete and comprehensive view of the city and its fiery, tumultuous, literary, and always idiosyncratic history. Talbot's book is an ambitious work, and another critic might complain that it runs in a lot of different directions. But I liked the structure (or occasional lack thereof), as it gives the feeling of San Francisco, a city going everywhere at once and never sure where anything is ever going to end up. My own experience of the city was in 1999 when I spent three of the most interesting days of my life interacting with the homeless and haunted, "making eye contact" in places where it was highly suggested that one not do so. San Francisco is a rich and rewarding experience from the top on down, and Talbot's compelling account of the city's history and development gives one the feel of the personality of one of the most fascinating places on earth.

Gripping, important history - well told

I *ate* this up - which is not to say it was an easy book to get through. The Bay Area in the 1970s is fascinating, but spooky and disturbing - very violent. Talbot did a great job, very well written book. I loved the accounts of the Diggers and Good Earth Collective, and enjoyed the tales of Hibiscus and the Cockettes. He did a great job with the AIDS crisis.

I couldn't buy the whole 49ers thing.

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Title: Losing Ground

Subtitle: American Social Policy, 1950 - 1980

Author: Charles Murray

Narrator: Robert Morris

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 26 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-27-12

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 81 votes

Genres: History, 20th Century

Publisher's Summary:

Beginning in the 1950s, America entered a period of unprecedented social reform. This remarkable book demonstrates how the social programs of the 1960s and 70s had the unintended and perverse effect of slowing and even reversing earlier progress in reducing poverty, crime, ignorance, and discrimination. Using widely understood and accepted data, it conclusively demonstrates that the amalgam of reforms from 1965 to 1970 actually made matters worse.

Why? Charles Murrays tough-minded answers to this question will please neither radical liberals nor radical conservatives. He offers no easy solutions, but by forcing us to face fundamental intellectual and moral problems about whom we want to help and how, Losing Ground marks an important first step in rethinking social policy.

Charles Murray is the W. H. Brady Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. He first came to national attention in 1984 with Losing Ground. He received a bachelors degree in history from Harvard and a doctorate in political science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He lives with his wife in Burkittsville, Maryland.

Critic Reviews:

"Without bile and without rhetoric it lays out a stark truth that must be faced." (

Business Week)

"A great book." (

Wall Street Journal)

A remarkable book. Future discussions of social policy cannot proceed without taking the arguments and evidence of this book into account. (James S. Coleman, University of Chicago)

Members Reviews:

A real eye-popper

What did you love best about Losing Ground?

What a great book. I enjoyed the pace of the narration, not too fast or slow, understandable. About the book: Having lived through the events depicted, I found myself feeling as though I was tied down, watching a small child crawl slowly to the edge of a cliff, helpless to save him. I'm now listening to his book "Coming Apart".

Interesting material poorly read

If you don't like statistics this book isn't for you. That said, "Losing Ground" is a very compelling sociology book and a great argument against big government programs that make liberals feel good but do little to improve the plight of the poor and under-privileged. However, as an audiobook it falls short. Mostly because it lacks the graphs making it difficult to digest the data being analysed, but also due to distractions in the performance. Robert Morris reads this books as though he is completely bored with it. At times he shows inflection but overall it is a flat read.

Mr. Morris' read, however, is quite tolerable compared to his sound engineer. Throughout the book we can hear the engineer answering the phone or conversing with visitors and perhaps giving Morris cues. At some points I could understand some of what he was saying, especially when he answers the phone (no ring just, "hello"). He is never silent for more than a few minutes, I think I timed a 30 minute stretch where his voice was not heard.

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Title: Wine and War

Subtitle: The French, the Nazis, and the Battle for France's Greatest Treasure

Author: Petie Kladstrup, Donald Kladstrup

Narrator: Todd McLaren

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 22 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-27-12

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 171 votes

Genres: History, 20th Century

Publisher's Summary:

In 1940, France fell to the Nazis and almost immediately the German army began a campaign of pillaging one of the assets the French hold most dear: their wine. Like others in the French Resistance, winemakers mobilized to oppose their occupiers, but the tale of their extraordinary efforts has remained largely unknown - until now.

This is the thrilling and harrowing story of the French wine producers who undertook ingenious, daring measures to save their cherished crops and bottles as the Germans closed in on them. Wine and War illuminates a compelling, little-known chapter of history, and stands as a tribute to those extraordinary individuals who waged a battle that, in a very real way, saved the spirit of France.

Members Reviews:

Good story, terrible performance

The book is a collection of interesting, moving stories about people from various wine regions of France during the German occupation. The performance is so theatrical it nearly ruins the book.

The text is a collection of essentially unrelated stories covering 1939-46 France. There are some recurring characters, but mostly the stories are self contained and told at a very personal level. There is some reflection about the war in general and the currents of history, but the focus of the book is on individuals. The stories are funny, passionate, sad and inspirational. The writing is very good and all major regions get a nod.

The performance is terrible. The reader affects an outrageous French or German accent (think Monty Python accents) every time a character speaks--even though they are all speaking in English. He even has some English and American accents later in the book. When you have a German arguing with a Frenchman the rapidly switching accents require tremendous effort to follow and I felt it contributed nothing to the text. Add in some over-acting and his Hitler is almost unbearable.

Most history books mention that France quickly fell and then was liberated several years later but the time in between is rarely examined. The authors do a good job of describing the daily uncertainty and moral ambiguities of living and working in an occupied country. They do not appear to have a bias and manage to portray some of the occupying Germans as complicated characters, not caricatures.

I enjoyed the text but almost couldn't finish the book because of the overly dramatic performance.

In Vino Veritas

This is a vino-centric history of WWII. It is told in an anecdotal style that is quite entertaining if at times somewhat disjointed. The broader scope of the war and the global impact it had on the formation of the modern world are beyond the scope of this lighthearted work. This book relates the triumph of the human spirit over adversity and does it in an engaging feel-good manner. For me it was a nice departure from the usual WWII histories I delve into. Much of the book revolves around the ways the French wine makers managed to preserve some of their best vintages from the hands of their Nazi occupiers. At times it has a Hogans Heroes vibe to it with the French underground seeming to run circles around the oblivious German overlords.