Download the Popular Authors Audiobooks in History, 20th Century

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Title: Candy Bombers

Author: Andrei Cherny

Narrator: Jonathan Davis

Format: Unabridged

Length: 24 hrs and 22 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-21-09

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 199 votes

Genres: History, 20th Century

Publisher's Summary:

Acclaimed author Andrei Cherny tells the gripping saga of a rag-tag band of Americans - with limited resources and little hope for success - keeping West Berliners alive in the face of Soviet tyranny, winning the hearts and minds of former enemies, and giving the world a shining example of fundamental goodness.

©2008 Andrie Cherny; (P)2008 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic Reviews:

"[Written] with the flair of a novelist ..." (strong Kirkus Reviews)

Members Reviews:

Wonderful Story, Well-Read

Some people would give it four instead of five stars. This might be due to the detailed descriptions of the behind-the-scenes maneuvering. However, for me, it is a wonderful, get-out-yer-hankies (in spots), well-read book. After I had a run of middlin' books from Audible, this is a grand slam home run!!

More than just the Airlift

This book is a real surprise. Not only does it give a history of the Berlin Airlift, the men who dropped the candy to the children in Berlin and the men who planned and orchestrated the over 240,000 flights that saved the city from the Russian blockade. You meet the generals and civilians in charge and the others involved. It takes you to Berlin after the end of WWII and the savage and brutal treatment of the citizens of Berlin by the Russian troops. Cherny also describes the 1948 presidential election, the candidates and their campaigning, the infighting among the State Department, Joint Chiefs of Staff, James Forrestal and Truman. Jonathan Davis is a terrific reader.

Interesting HIstory

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this book. Cherny made history live by providing background to all facets of this incredible feat. He focused on several central players and provided their history and interwove this information into the greater story. I felt as if I was hearing a cliffhanger who-done-it even though I knew that the airlift happened. It was interesting to see how chance events came together to cause this bit of history. Cherny also speculates about the impact the Berlin Airlift had on the American image overseas and the USAs pre-eminence in the second half of the 20th century. Overall a great book.

Candy for the ears

This was an excellent story with facts about the end of WWII, Berlin, Truman politics and Gale Halverson. Gale was from Utah and so am I so it struck a good cord. His kindness to the sad Berlin children helped to galvanize the West Berliners against communison and changed their hearts about their US conquerers. Well narrated and worth the listen.

A Great Historical Read

This book was interesting throughout - I never tired of listening to it. It isn't just one story - it is a combination of several stories involving people, history, and and the impact of an often overlooked piece of history. So much background is provided that the reader gets an indepth and fascinating picture of the world and its political realities after WW2.

The narration is excellant and gives the book an edge that I don't think would be there in the print version.

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Title: And the Band Played On

Subtitle: Politics, People, and the AIDS Epidemic

Author: Randy Shilts

Narrator: Victor Bevine

Format: Unabridged

Length: 30 hrs and 44 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-11-09

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 422 votes

Genres: History, 20th Century

Publisher's Summary:

By the time Rock Hudson's death in 1985 alerted all America to the danger of the AIDS epidemic, the disease had spread across the nation, killing thousands of people and emerging as the greatest health crisis of the 20th century. America faced a troubling question: What happened? How was this epidemic allowed to spread so far before it was taken seriously?

In answering these questions, Shilts weaves the disparate threads into a coherent story, pinning down every evasion and contradiction at the highest levels of the medical, political, and media establishments. Shilts shows that the epidemic spread wildly because the federal government put budget ahead of the nation's welfare; health authorities placed political expediency before the public health; and scientists were often more concerned with international prestige than saving lives.

Against this backdrop, Shilts tells the heroic stories of individuals in science and politics, public health and the gay community, who struggled to alert the nation to the enormity of the danger it faced. And the Band Played On is both a tribute to these heroic people and a stinging indictment of the institutions that failed the nation so badly.

As an added bonus, when you purchase our Audible Modern Vanguard production of Randy Shilts' book, you'll also receive an exclusive Jim Atlas interview. This interview where James Atlas interviews Larry Kramer about the life and work of Randy Shilts begins as soon as the audiobook ends.

Critic Reviews:

"The most thorough, comprehensive exploration of the AIDS epidemic to date.... It is fascinating, frightening, and essential reading." (San Francisco Chronicle)

"And the Band Played On is about the kind of people we have been for the past seven years. That is its terror, and its strength." (The New York Times Book Review)

"A heroic work of journalism." (The New York Times)

Members Reviews:

The subtitle says it all!

If you could sum up And the Band Played On in three words, what would they be?

Shocking, well-told story

What was one of the most memorable moments of And the Band Played On?

The constant conflicts between truth and politics (and money) are just unbelievable--what people did to "protect" their interests while scores of people died is unthinkable, yet it happened.

Which scene was your favorite?

It's all my favorite.

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

I was constantly astounded by the infighting of the various factions that put their own interests in front of public health--and that at times the public's health was completely ignored. The very fact that the blood banks denied there could possibly be a threat was the ultimate triumph of "looking good" over public health and common sense.

Any additional comments?

I tried to read this book many years ago and never made it through even the first few chapters. Listening to it instead made it so much more accessible. Unputdownable!

I, too, had forgotten

This book is meticulously researched by a reporter who followed the entire story from beginning to end. And he pulls no punches - there is plenty of blame to go around. Politicians, gay leadership, scientists, journalists, business people, they all contributed to the crisis that was AIDS in the 1980s.

Shilts unravels the story piece by piece.

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Title: Dispatches

Author: Michael Herr

Narrator: Ray Porter

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 27 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-11-09

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 575 votes

Genres: History, 20th Century

Publisher's Summary:

One of the greatest examples of war journalism ever written, Michael Herr's clearheaded yet unsparing retellings of the day-to-day events in Vietnam take on the force of poetry, finding clarity in one of the most incomprehensible events in our modern era. A National Book Critics Circle finalist and highly acclaimed upon its publication, Dispatches still retains its resonance as America finds itself amidst another military quagmire.

©1977 Michael Herr; (P)2009 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic Reviews:

"The best book I have ever read on men and war in our time." (John le Carré)

"The best book ever to be written about the Vietnam war." (New York Times Book Review)

"Tough, profane, relentless...elegant." (Newsweek)

Members Reviews:

One of the GREAT war memoirs of ALL TIME!

I could say this is one of the best memoirs I've read. I could also say it is one of the most brilliant books on war I've ever read. It would probably be easier, however, for me to just acknowledge I haven't read many books that have the power, the poetry, the intensity, the vividness, the bathos and the pathos that Herr pushes through every single page of this amazing book. This is a book that haunts you hard while you read it and resonates both the horror of war and the surreal qualities of war and the men who fight it.

A singular piece of work

I've read dozens of books dealing with war and Dispatches stands apart from nearly all of them.

This is not meant to be an authoritative historical overview of the conflict in Vietnam. Rather it's a deeply personal account of Herr's time spent with the guys in the mud, doing the fighting, marking their time and hoping to make it home in one piece.

Plenty of books have been written from this perspective before. But Herr's jazz-like prose, keen observations and raw honesty paint a picture that's so immersive it will be hard to forget.

Put it in your shopping cart now.

Brought me closer to Vietnam Vets and the War

This was a fantastic audible! It brought me closer to the Vietnam Vets and what they experienced as they fought in it and those that laid down their lives in Vietnam. The author, Michael Herr, wrote in such a way that you felt close to his emotions and the emotions of the soldiers. With his descriptions you could visualize the images that he saw as a journalist in Vietnam.

He did an awesome job of telling his story and theirs. You could easily put yourself in his place. You could also understand how it had such ravaging effects of the soldiers.

The performance by Ray Porter was superb.

I was definitely glad that I purchased and listened to this audible.

Great read, very interesting, Thought provoking

I have listen over the last couples of months with fascination. The reading is well paced not monotone. The scientific explanations are will written and easy to understand.

I have really enjoyed this audio book and would recommend it just for the historical perspective alone. It provides a startling and sometimes grotesque picture in words on subject almost forgotten by today generations.

Makes you think before saying “just nuke them”.

Excellent Novel, Sub-par Narration.

story was excellent. Narrator had trouble coping with the stream-of-consciouness writing.

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Title: The Last Stand of Fox Company

Subtitle: A True Story of U.S. Marines in Combat

Author: Bob Drury, Tom Clavin

Narrator: Michael Prichard

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 43 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-18-09

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 491 votes

Genres: History, 20th Century

Publisher's Summary:

As the sun sets on the hill, and the temperature plunges to 30 degrees below zero, Barber's men dig in for the night. At two in the morning they are awakened by the sound - bugles, whistles, cymbals, and drumbeats - of a massive assault by thousands of enemy infantry. The attack is just the first wave of four days and five nights of nearly continuous Chinese attempts to take Fox Hill, during which Barber's beleaguered company clings to the high ground and allows the First Marine Division to battle south. Amid the relentless violence, three-quarters of Fox Company's Marines are killed, wounded, or captured. Just when it looks like the outfit will be overrun, Lieutenant Colonel Raymond Davis, a fearless Marine officer who is fighting south from Chosin, volunteers to lead a force of 500 men on a daring mission that cuts a hole in the Chinese lines and relieves the men of Fox Company.

The Last Stand of Fox Company is a fast-paced and gripping account of heroism and self-sacrifice in the face of impossible odds. The authors have conducted dozens of firsthand interviews with the battle's survivors, and they narrate the story with the imm...

Critic Reviews:

"Bob Drury and Tom Clavin have set the standard for wartime accounts on the Korean conflict.... This is a story that is almost too incredible to be true." (Dr. Charles P. Neimeyer, director of the U.S. Marine Corps History Division)

"A paean worthy of one of the most extraordinary battles in Marine Corps history.... A magnificent book." (Nathaniel Fick, New York Times bestselling author of One Bullet Away)

Members Reviews:

Outstanding story, poor narration

The number of mispronunciations was disappointing. I'm not talking about Korean names. I'm talking about the English language.

Someone should have told the narrator that "X Corps" is "Tenth Corps", not "x corps".

The story is still well worth listening to...

Good Story - Confusing Logistics

The story is good (4), but it gets confusing trying to remember all the different people and you really need a map to be able to orient yourself to the landscape.

Incredible Story, Hard to Follow

It tells the incredible story of the Marines and Sailors of Fox Company, but very difficult to follow.

Uncommon valor became a common trait.

A minute by riveting minute account of a gallant stand by an understrength marine company fighting under horrific conditions against overwhelming odds in an almost forgotten chapter in the history of modern war. Drury and Clavin have brought the men of Fox Company to life, and in the matter of fact way that extrordinary deeds are chronicalled, have made their sacrifices meaningful to those of us who could not have imagined that men could endure, let alone prevail, under those circumstances.

Michael Prichard's narration was spot on.

Reference maps a must have.

I agree the book was excellent (besides the narration errors mentioned in previous reviews). However without maps the progression of the battle and events within it are difficult to follow. I have contacted Audible.com and asked the maps that are in the book be included in the download.

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Title: The Irregulars

Subtitle: Roald Dahl and the British Spy Ring in Wartime Washington

Author: Jennet Conant

Narrator: Simon Prebble

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 36 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-09-08

Publisher: HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 432 votes

Genres: History, 20th Century

Publisher's Summary:

Among them were writers Roald Dahl, Ian Fleming, and the flamboyant Canadian industrialist turned professional saboteur William Stephenson, known by the code name "Intrepid", upon whom Fleming would later base his fictional M16 agent James Bond. Richly detailed and carefully researched, Conant's narrative uses never-before-seen wartime letters, diaries and interviews to create a fascinating, lively account of deceit, double dealing and moral ambiguity - all in the name of victory.

Critic Reviews:

"A thoroughly engrossing story, one Conant tells exceptionally well." (Publishers Weekly)

"Reads like a classic spy novel....With this excellent history of personalities and politics during World War II, Conant adds successfully to her previous books that have made vivid the war's background players. Highly recommended." (Library Journal)

"Simon Prebble, fastidiously pukka in his accent, has a fine 'top-secret' voice, shaded with condescension and understatedly urgent. Coming from him, the expression 'rumor mill' sounds especially insidious, and the deeds he describes - 'eavesdropping and peering over people's shoulders,' forgery, political subversion and general backstabbing - seem wonderfully dastardly." (Washington Post Book World)

Contact me for any questions: [email protected]

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Title: One Minute to Midnight

Subtitle: Kennedy, Khrushchev, and Castro on the Brink of Nuclear War

Author: Michael Dobbs

Narrator: Bob Walter

Format: Unabridged

Length: 16 hrs and 24 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-29-08

Publisher: Books on Tape

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 438 votes

Genres: History, 20th Century

Publisher's Summary:

Here, for the first time, are gripping accounts of Khrushchev's plan to destroy the U.S. naval base at Guantánamo; the accidental overflight of the Soviet Union by an American spy plane; the movement of Soviet nuclear warheads around Cuba during the tensest days of the crisis; the activities of CIA agents inside Cuba; and the crash landing of an American F-106 jet with a live nuclear weapon on board.

Dobbs takes us inside the White House and the Kremlin as Kennedy and Khrushchev agonize over the possibility of war. He shows how these two leaders recognized the terrifying realities of the nuclear age while Castro - never swayed by conventional political considerations - demonstrated the messianic ambition of a man selected by history for a unique mission. Dobbs brings us onto the decks of American ships patrolling Cuba; inside sweltering Soviet submarines and missile units as they ready their warheads; and onto the streets of Miami, where anti-Castro exiles plot the dictator's overthrow.

Critic Reviews:

"One Minute to Midnight is nothing less than a tour de force, a dramatic, nail-biting page-turner that is also an important work of scholarship. Michael Dobbs combines the skills of an experienced investigative journalist, a talented writer, and an intelligent historical analyst. His research is stunning. No other history of the Cuban missile crisis matches this achievement." (Martin Sherwin, co-author of American Prometheus)

Members Reviews:

On the verge of annihilation.

In October 1962, my Troop Carrier Air Force Reserve Squadron at the Air Force Reserve section (now gone) of O'Hare Field was activated because of the "Cuban Crisis." During the day my day job was to "play soldier" (the Army equivalent of a Clerk/Typist) and at night I would drive to my home on Chicago's south side. No one worried about nuclear incineration, and in due course we were deactivated and returned to our civilian careers. It is truly said that ignorance is bliss. If I had know then what I know now, after reading One Minute to Midnight, I don't think I would have slept as soundly as I did. That's why I listened to this book, and why I recommend it. Somewhat more detailed than necessary, it discusses some facts never before disclosed, and points out that the Soviets kept secret for over 40 years that they had deployed tactical nukes in Cuba, in addition to Intercontinental Missiles that targeted, among many other U.S. cities, Washington and New York! I simply never realized how close we came to Armaggedon. Worth reading if you lived through it, and for historical purposes if you didn't, but it brings home the fact that Kennedy and Khrushchev were both level-headed leaders that understood the horrors of war and were therefore able to avoid it, that Castro was willing to plunge the world into nuclear holocaust for the sake of his revolution, and that the "terrorist world" in which we now live does not seem to have the same rational inhibitions to prevent it should a similar confrontation again arise. Well worth your time, especially if your a student of 20th century American history.

Superb Audiobook and Narrator

The book and the narration are top notch. You stay riveted as you listen, or at least I did. I listen to a lot of audio books and this is in the top tier...highly recommended.

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Title: On Wings of Eagles

Author: Ken Follett

Narrator: Marcia Hyde, Larry Robinson, Ralph Williams, Joan Tuit, R. Ted Andriese

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 13 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-13-08

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 566 votes

Genres: History, 20th Century

Publisher's Summary:

When two of his American employees were held hostage in a heavily guarded prison fortress in Iran, one man took matters into his own hands: American businessman H. Ross Perot. His team consisted of a group of volunteers from the executive ranks of his corporation, hand-picked and trained by a retired Green Beret officer. To free the imprisoned Americans, they would face incalculable odds on a mission that only true heroes would have dared.

©1983 Ken Follett; (P)1984 Brilliance Audio

Critic Reviews:

"A marvelous, rare, terrific read...as exciting as a novel." (USA Today)

"Superb....Ken Follett's fans may be reluctant to see him return to fiction." (The New York Times Book Review)

Members Reviews:

Was the narrator in a hurry?

Did they give this guy a deadline? He spoke so fast if you were distracted for just a few seconds you missed a lot. I slowed the speed down for my iPod, and some chapters were tolerable. Then he used a normal speaking speed, I had to change back. Next chapter he was rushing again. I got tired of dealing with it so I never finished listening for more than a couple of hours. I think this would have been a great book if not for the narration.

Good story terrible audio editing

The story was very good. One of those stories where you know the ending going in, but still enjoy the ride.

The audio editing on the other hand was awful. The narrator's voice would change significantly mid-sentence. It was obvious the recordings were done on different days and no attempt was made to seamlessly stitch the recordings together. Also the speed kept changing. The narrator would read fast, then slow, then fast again. The pitch of his voice changed accordingly, and can someone explain why, after 13 chapters Colonel Bullworth suddenly starts speaking with a heavy Boston accent??

There were several passages that Mr. Follett must have gotten straight from Perot - they were soooo self serving and mushsy, he was almost a God!

Would have given it a higher rating if the audio editing was done better. All-in-all, worth the listen.

What the hell is that?

This was a very interesting story that was RUINED by multiple narrators. If they had used multiple people for individual characters that would have been fine, but there were 5 or 6 different narrators used throughout and they would change at odd times.

Read the book.

on wings of fast paced eagles

I just found the narrators a bit too fast paced, not that I couldn't understand (as I believe my english is sort of ok with speed reading or listening) but it was simply a bit unconfortable to listen to. Pace gives audio books all its

meaning and a pleasant or unpleaseant experience.

Couldn't finish it...

Listen to a sample first. I think the narrator was a friggin cyborg. Absolutely painful to listen to. I listened to an hour of it and had to stop because I think my brain started to bleed out. I wanted to die. Dont bother.

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Title: Agent Zigzag

Subtitle: A True Story of Nazi Espionage, Love, and Betrayal

Author: Ben MacIntyre

Narrator: John Lee

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 54 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-26-07

Publisher: Books on Tape

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 841 votes

Genres: History, 20th Century

Publisher's Summary:

In 1941, after training as a German spy in occupied France, Chapman was parachuted into Britain with a revolver, a wireless, and a cyanide pill, with orders from the Abwehr to blow up an airplane factory. Instead, he contacted MI5, the British Secret Service. For the next four years, Chapman worked as a double agent, a lone British spy at the heart of the German Secret Service who at one time volunteered to assassinate Hitler for his countrymen.

Crisscrossing Europe under different names, all the while weaving plans, spreading disinformation, and, miraculously, keeping his stories straight under intense interrogation, he even managed to gain some profit and seduce beautiful women along the way.

The Nazis feted Chapman as a hero and awarded him the Iron Cross. In Britain, he was pardoned for his crimes, becoming the only wartime agent to be thus rewarded. Both countries provided for the mother of his child and his mistress.

Sixty years after the end of the war, and 10 years after Chapman's death, MI5 has now declassified all of Chapman's files, releasing more than 1,800 pages of top secret material and allowing the full story of Agent Zigzag to be told for the first time.

A gripping story of loyalty, love, and treachery, Agent Zigzag offers a unique glimpse into the psychology of espionage, with its thin and shifting line between fidelity and betrayal.

Critic Reviews:

"[An] intriguing and balanced biography." (Publishers Weekly)

Members Reviews:

Intrigue and True

I found this book as I so loved John Lee's reading. Lee, does a superb job. His tone is rich, full of a multitude of vocal inflections that carries the imagination deeply into this historical adventure. And like a great actor - he never shines so brightly on the material that his 'acting' takes precedence over the reading.

This is a true story about a very large character. Everything in this account comes full circle - and in a very poignant way. Without giving anything away I am going to mention one person. Cary Grant. You will not believe how he fits into this well told story.

real name:scott stambler

What a great character

Eddie Chapman is a real live spy in this amazing non-fiction story that "reads" like a novel. He is a larger than life gentleman criminal who discovers that he is a loyal British subject who was born to be a double agent. Wonderfully narrated by John Lee (one of the best in my opinion), Eddie cons the Germans who are only too happy to send him back to England to spy for them and he then wastes no time convincing the Brits that he can be an effective double. You can't make this stuff up but the amazing thing is that its all true, and the contributions Eddie Chapman made to the allied war effort are extraordinary. We root for Eddie the whole time and he clearly has nine lives. This is great movie material--I just hope Tom Cruise doesn't get the role.

A great audiobook

Agent Zigag is a riveting and informative audiobook; I looked forward to my long commute, just so I could listen to the story.

The author spins a delightful narrative, recounting numerous real life exploits of a WWII spy. The story contains a wonderful balance of history, intrigue, romance and action.

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Title: The Forgotten 500

Author: Gregory A. Freeman

Narrator: Patrick Lawlor

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 40 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-21-07

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 1020 votes

Genres: History, 20th Century

Publisher's Summary:

During a bombing campaign, hundreds of American airmen were shot down in Nazi-occupied Yugoslavia. Local Serbian villagers risked their own lives to give refuge to the soldiers, and for months the airmen lived in hiding, waiting for rescue.

In 1944, Operation Halyard was born. The risks were incredible. The starving Americans in Yugoslavia had to construct a landing strip: without tools, without alerting the Germans, and without endangering the villagers. And the rescue planes had to make it through enemy airspace and back: without getting shot down themselves.

Classified for over half a century for political reasons, the full account of this unforgettable story of loyalty, self-sacrifice, and bravery is now being told for the first time. The Forgotten 500 is the breathtaking, behind-the-scenes look at the greatest escape of World War II.

Members Reviews:

Must Read for WWII Fans

Wow --- what an exciting/excellent story about a little-know rescue of American airmen behind enemy lines during World War II --- was so informative to hear about the aircraft they flew, the training, the missions, the dangers, and some of their personal lives, especially the parts about Yugoslavian-Americans.

The book gets slightly bogged down in the middle with political history --- sounds like a text book but dont let that deter you --- was a fascinating, extremely interesting story that I could not stop listening to --- I was sorry when it ended --- highly recommended.

I felt so lucky to have selected this one.

an amazing tale

This is really two tales in one.. the amazing rescue of allied bombercrews who crashed in Yugoslavia during the second world way. There isalso a second story about communist plant5s in the OSS, MI5 and how they manipulated the British and American governments to hand Yugoslavia to Tito and his followers.

Both are worth listening too tolearn something asbout a little known portion of the war.

Pleasant Surprise

Well, after over a year of listening to audible, I finally decided to write a review... As another review mentioned, this is two stories in one. The secondary story, discussing the situation between Tito and Milosevic, and the American handling of Milosevic is truly a story in itself. I have always been an "American History" buff, but now I find myself looking for more on this episode in world history. This book is a great listen, the narration is above average, and the story(s) grab your attention right from the start.

The greatest generation, again!

Wow, this is another example of why this was the greatest generation. This book was non-stop action that script writers could only hope to come up with.

Kudos to Patrice Lawlor in his narration. I also enjoyed him in another worthy read/listen, The Colony: The Harrowing True Story of the Exiles of Molokai. He is quickly becoming another of my favorite readers.

This is the story of downed pilots in Yugoslavia and their life with the Yugoslav peasants as they helped to hide these airmen from the Germans. Simultaneously, the story of the internal struggle for power in Yugoslavia between Tito and Mihailovich was played out along with the Allies analysis of which of these two was their greatest ally.

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Title: The Coldest Winter

Subtitle: America and the Korean War

Author: David Halberstam

Narrator: Edward Herrmann

Format: Abridged

Length: 13 hrs and 53 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-19-07

Publisher: Hyperion AudioBooks

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 1007 votes

Genres: History, 20th Century

Publisher's Summary:

Up until now, the Korean War has been the black hole of modern American history. The Coldest Winter changes that. Halberstam gives us a masterful narrative of the political decisions and miscalculations on both sides. He charts the disastrous path that led to the massive entry of Chinese forces near the Yalu, and that caught Douglas MacArthur and his soldiers by surprise. He provides astonishingly vivid and nuanced portraits of all the major figures: Eisenhower, Truman, Acheson, Kim, and Mao, and Generals MacArthur, Almond, and Ridgway. At the same time, Halberstam provides us with his trademark highly evocative narrative journalism, chronicling the crucial battles with reportage of the highest order.

At the heart of this audiobook are the individual stories of the soldiers on the front lines who were left to deal with the consequences of the dangerous misjudgments and competing agendas of powerful men. We meet them, follow them, and see some of the most dreadful battles in history through their eyes. As ever, Halberstam was concerned with the extraordinary courage and resolve of people asked to bear an extraordinary burden.

Critic Reviews:

"Stirring....In a grand gesture of reclamation and remembrance, Mr. Halberstam has brought the war back home." (The New York Times)

"Alive with the voices of the men who fought, Halberstam's telling is a virtuoso work of history." (Publishers Weekly)

Members Reviews:

Almost as good as The Best and the Brightest

Halberstam's The Best and the Brightest has been judged to be one of the best books on Vietnam ever written, and he comes close to that standard with his Korean War book. Alternating between gripping battle scenes (based on interviews with particpants done by Halberstam) and analysis of the politics of the White House, of Congress, and of the military figures, the book races along like a fiction thriller. Here is Gen. Macarthur in all his billiance and in all his egotistical mania....the combination of which led to his downfall. Here is practical, common sense, stalwart Harry Truman....threading his way among generals who were out of touch with the ground forces, a Congress suddenly beguiled by Joe McCarthy's witch hunt, Joe Stalin, who wanted to cause the US some discomfort in Asia and who did not mind if the US caused his Chinese Communist allies some discomfort too, Mao Tse Tung, ready to show the imperialist West that its time in Asia was finished, Kim Il Sung, an over-confident war monger determined to unite Korea under his power, and an American public who saw this sad war as being the wrong war, at the wrong time and in the wrong place.

The quality of the audio production is excellent. The narrator's voice is clear, his pacing is varied to suit the needs of the text, and his emphasis is well-placed.

Thanks to Halberstam, Korea may no longer be "the forgotten war."

Great book, great reader

The Coldest Winter is one of the better war history books I've read or heard.