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Title: In Broad Daylight

Subtitle: The Secret Procedures Behind the Holocaust by Bullets

Author: Patrick Desbois

Narrator: Stefan Rudnicki

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 39 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-23-18

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: History, 20th Century

Publisher's Summary:

In The Holocaust by Bullets, Father Patrick Desbois documented for the first time the murder of 1.5 million Jews in Ukraine during World War II, based on wartime documents, interviews with locals, and the application of modern forensic practices on long-hidden gravesites. Nearly a decade of further work by his team, drawing on interviews with 5,000 neighbors of the Jews, has resulted in stunning new findings about the extent and nature of the genocide.

The mass killings took place across the Eastern Front, in seven countries formerly part of the Soviet Union invaded by Nazi Germany. They followed a secret template, or repeatable script, that included a timetable and involved local inhabitants in the mechanics of death to ensure complicity, whether it was to cook for the killers; to clear, dig, and cover the graves; to witness their Jewish neighbors being marched off; or to take part in the slaughter.

Narrating in lucid, powerful prose that has the immediacy of a crime report, Father Desbois assembles a chilling account of how, concretely, these events took place in village after village, from the selection of the date to the twenty-four-hour period in which the mass murders unfolded. Today, such groups as ISIS put into practice the Nazis' lessons on making genocide efficient.

Members Reviews:

Wow! From Silence to Hair-Raising Details

Father Patrick Desbois brings to life the silence behind so many witnesses to the Holocaust through the search for the details of how the murders were accomplished in the eastern Europe countries where people were rounded up to be shot. Each of the work details seem to be identified and explained in the words of witnesses, whether they were recently interviewed or deposed in records from the time and only now examined. The author masterfully leads the listener/reader on the journey to examine how, when, where, and importantly the who was involved in the smaller yet overall crime. Excellent weaving of the rural setting in France, which some people might relate to other countries, with the rural setting of the eastern European countries of WWII and now. This is a fascinating book that was just released in audio format and I really could not put it aside for more than a few minutes without being drawn back to it. Haunting. Highly recommending this book since it has applications in understanding current events. Do not wait to read this book!

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Title: Hippie Food

Subtitle: How Back-to-the-Landers, Longhairs, and Revolutionaries Changed the Way We Eat

Author: Jonathan Kauffman

Narrator: George Newbern

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 13 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-23-18

Publisher: Harper Audio

Genres: History, 20th Century

Publisher's Summary:

An enlightening narrative history - an entertaining fusion of Tom Wolfe and Michael Pollan - that traces the colorful origins of once unconventional foods and the diverse fringe movements, charismatic gurus, and counterculture elements that brought them to the mainstream and created a distinctly American cuisine.

Food writer Jonathan Kauffman journeys back more than half a century - to the 1960s and 1970s - to tell the story of how a coterie of unusual men and women embraced an alternative lifestyle that would ultimately change how modern Americans eat. Impeccably researched, Hippie Food chronicles how the longhairs, revolutionaries, and back-to-the-landers rejected the square establishment of President Richard Nixon's America and turned to a more idealistic and wholesome communal way of life and food.

From the mystical rock-and-roll cult known as the Source Family and its legendary vegetarian restaurant in Hollywood to the Diggers' brown bread in the Summer of Love to the rise of the co-op and the origins of the organic food craze, Kauffman reveals how today's quotidian whole-foods staples - including sprouts, tofu, yogurt, brown rice, and whole-grain bread - were introduced and eventually became part of our diets. From coast to coast, through Oregon, Texas, Tennessee, Minnesota, Michigan, Massachusetts, and Vermont, Kauffman tracks hippie food's journey from niche oddity to a cuisine that hit every corner of this country.

A slick mix of gonzo playfulness, evocative detail, skillful pacing, and elegant writing, Hippie Food is a lively, engaging, and informative listen that deepens our understanding of our culture and our lives today.

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Title: Showdown at Waggoner Ranch

Author: Gary Cartwright

Narrator: Bruce DuBose

Format: Unabridged

Length: 51 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-09-18

Publisher: Random House Audio

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: History, 20th Century

Publisher's Summary:

In partnership with Texas Monthly, Gary Cartwright's "Showdown at Waggoner Ranch" is now available as an audio download, where the length and timeliness of a podcast meets the high-quality production of a full-length audio program.

"Showdown at Waggoner Ranch" is the saga of Texas's second-largest ranch and its shambles of an inheritance left by W.T. Waggoner to his descendants. It is a history of a sliver of Texas's elite, how they made their money and how they, often scandalously, spent their time. Simultaneously, it is a nod to the cowboy lifestyle that stands at risk should the feud of the Waggoner inheritance actually put the fate of the ranch at risk.

With a rollicking cast of characters - Native American chiefs, Teddy Rooosevelt, an eight-time divorcee, the best and richest of East Coast society - Gary Cartwright offers a rich exploration into the creation of an empire and its imminent downfall.

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Title: The Russian Revolution of 1917

Subtitle: The History of the Russian Empires Collapse and the Establishment of the Soviet Union

Author: Charles River Editors

Narrator: Bill Hare

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 55 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-04-18

Publisher: Charles River Editors

Genres: History, 20th Century

Publisher's Summary:

The 17th century was marked by multiple pro-democratic revolutions exploding in both hemispheres. In Europe and its neighbors to the east, border-changing wars were fought incessantly. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the underlying premises of political, governmental and social structures within several European and Asian states were shaken to the core after centuries of royalty and one-family rule. By the onset of World War I, royal families began to experience a long, slow decline, with some quietly fading into the status of national symbols and others experiencing political overthrow. Some were horrified by the suddenness of a changing public, while others barely noticed.

In the ensuing chaos brought about by the Great War, the last ruling family in Russia suffered the most brutal form of regime change at the hands of the Bolsheviks following a revolution in 1917, as the public outcry for individual equality mirrored the violence of the French Revolution from a prior century. The Romanov dynasty, which had enjoyed unbroken control over the throne since the early 1600s, represented a dilemma for a dissatisfied and restless workforce that nevertheless viewed the royal family through the lens of an ancient mystique. Indeed, there was plenty of mystique, as the Romanov saga was rife with intrigue, including the controversy surrounding Grigory Rasputin, suspicion directed toward the German roots of Tsarina Alexandra, and fascination with the young children of the tsar, their image buoyed by the powerful new medium of photography.

Members Reviews:

I liked the very concise and informative writing

I liked the very concise and informative writing. which gave me an addtional and better understanging of Lenin's role in the Rusian revolution of 1917.

Very nice, concise history

I always wanted to know the details of the birth of the Soviet Union. This book tells that story. It is easily understood by a westerners, and it will greatly enhance your knowledge of that evil system of government.

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Title: Above and Beyond

Subtitle: The Incredible Story of Frank Luke Jr., Arizona's Medal of Honor Flying Ace of the First World War

Author: Keith Warren Lloyd

Narrator: Joseph Mick

Format: Unabridged

Length: 2 hrs and 30 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-02-18

Publisher: Keith Warren Lloyd

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 5 votes

Genres: History, 20th Century

Publisher's Summary:

Above and Beyond is the incredible true story of Frank Luke Jr., the first aviator to receive the Medal of Honor. When America entered the First World War in 1917, Luke became a fighter pilot in the newly formed US Army Air Service and was soon serving with a combat squadron in France.

Seen as a "high-strung, excitable boy," scorned by his squadron mates, and frequently at odds with his commanders, Luke soon became one of the most revered fighter aces on the Western Front. Exhibiting great audacity and skill in combat, he quickly racked up an impressive number of air-to-air victories, many of them against heavily-defended observation balloons which few pilots dared to attack.

Above and Beyond chronicles Luke's most daring mission of all on September 29, 1918, which cost him his life, and for which he was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.

Members Reviews:

Brief but Engrossing

Any additional comments?

While a short book, it achieves what I assume to be its main goals of telling an important story, and engaging the reader/listener. The author spends about 15 minutes on Frank Luke Jr.'s childhood, as well as some time on his entrance into flying and some relevant aspects of the war itself so that the main story does not sit alone in a vacuum.

It's very clear that as much research as possible was done, and the author mentions when facts are not known for certain or there are differing versions of the same event. Because of this, there's not much detail in the 'battle scenes' of the book - aerial victories are most "he shot down the enemy," missing the blow-by-blow accounts that a memoir would have - though I prefer this approach over the author having invented his own version of events.

Occasionally the wording of the book sounds like it's trying a bit hard to be dramatic, and the author frequently changes between referring to Frank Luke Jr. as "Frank" or "Luke" without any consistency that I could tell.

The narrator does a good job, with the audio being clear and constant volume. Occasionally a foreign word was mis-pronounced, but most were not, and comma pauses are longer than I'm comfortable with - but the sample provided is accurate to the rest of the book for buyers to decide for themselves.

Despite minor gripes, this was definitely a book that I didn't want to pause or put down. Chapters vary from 6-23 minutes and line up with the book chapters, making it easy to know when your next break is coming.

I was provided this audiobook at no cost in exchange for an honest review.

Exciting tale of a great warrior.

If you could sum up Above and Beyond in three words, what would they be?

Fun, Exciting, Tragic

What other book might you compare Above and Beyond to and why?

This is a difficult question for me because this book was outside of my usual fare. I enjoyed the book quite a bit.

What does Joseph Mick bring to the story that you wouldnt experience if you just read the book?

He narrated the book very well and made it so that I could enjoy it.

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Title: A Few Red Drops

Subtitle: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919

Author: Claire Hartfield

Narrator: J. D. Jackson

Format: Unabridged

Length: 3 hrs and 57 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-02-18

Publisher: Dreamscape Media, LLC

Genres: History, 20th Century

Publisher's Summary:

On a hot day in July 1919, five black youths went swimming in Lake Michigan, unintentionally floating close to the white beach. An angry white man began throwing stones at the boys, striking and killing one. Racial conflict on the beach erupted into days of urban violence that shook the city of Chicago to its foundations. This mesmerizing narrative draws on contemporary accounts as it traces the roots of the explosion that had been building for decades in race relations, politics, business, and clashes of culture.

Members Reviews:

A thought-provoking read

This is a compelling and informative book for teens and adult readers. What the author selected to present from her historical research, how she structured the story and excellent writing throughout make this an engaging and thought-provoking read.

Fascinating and timely read

This is a fascinating book. The author uses the Chicago Race Riot of 1919 as a launching point for an in-depth exploration of Chicago history and the forces that led to the riot. So many of the social tensions existing during that time are present today, albeit with different players. A truly timely read in light of the social clashes we're now experiencing.

This is a fascinating and engaging look back at one ...

This is a fascinating and engaging look back at one of the most important times in Chicago's history. The book details not only Chicago's 1919 race riots but the long history of segregation and oppression that lead to the conditions that made these events possible and inevitable. An important read for anyone interested in the history of Chicago and the effects of racial division in the United States.

Interesting topic, less-than-stellar execution

I wanted to like this, but it was such a struggle to get through. The content and topic were great, super intense and very informative, but oh man this was such a dry read. Even as someone who reads nonfiction regularly it read like a textbook which is why it took me so long to get through.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.

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Title: World War 1: A History from Beginning to End

Author: Henry Freeman

Narrator: Joseph Boyer

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 9 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-19-17

Publisher: Henry Freeman

Genres: History, 20th Century

Publisher's Summary:

World War I was one of the bloodiest wars in modern history. At its end, it had claimed over 17 million lives. It led to the collapse of nations, the abdication of monarchies, and the end of empires. Entire divisions of men perished in the pursuit of mere miles of uninhabitable wasteland - towns were pulverized and millions displaced. It became a horrendous war of attrition, each side competing to kill as many of their foe as possible.

You will hear about....

It became the first industrialized war in history and introduced revolutionary technology into the fray. The airplane, the tank, and the machine gun first saw action collectively during the conflict. It was also the first war in which poison gas was used to choke young men out of their trenches.

This audiobook is a timeline account of the important events that shaped the First World War. It details the events and causes that led the world to war. This audiobook covers the milestone moments, important battles, and how the outcome changed the world forever.

Members Reviews:

Essentially a high school paper

The intent of this book is to simply give a brief summary of the First World War, so I did not expect much going in, as I have studied the Great War extensively. However, while this book does a generally acceptable quick overview of the conflict, it is full of annoying errors and clunky language. Most of the errors are miniscule, but they remain consistently there. The most glaring of these is the author's persistent mistake in referring to the Balkans as the Baltic.

Overall, if anyone is looking for a good quick overview of the First World War I word skip this book and go with Norman Stone's book instead.

Intriguing explanations of an unforgettable War

Both sides strived to slay countless adversaries. World War One developed into awful combat of slow destruction. Cities were crushed and masses lost all they had. Pursuing vast ransacked badlands, partitions of civilization died. This read is laden with facts including biological armaments, dugout combat, air combat and much more between enemies. A well written book with intriguing explanations of an unforgettable War.

Worth an hour of my life!

A previously written review criticizes the first lines of the introduction; and it sounds like he didn't read any further. Much is taught about wwII, in school and books and movies. WWI doesn't seem to get equal time. For this reason I found this book very helpful in understanding that war and the technology born out of it. I like how it is set up as a chapter for each year, and each year gone through month by month. I have a better understanding and more interest in reading a more detailed history of this awful war. Well worth an hour of your time!

World War 1

The book was about the great war. Which chemcial weapons was used. And machine guns ans airplanes. Also trench warfare was used as well. It lead to somw very big battlss between the Germans,French,Russians,Americans and whole of Europe.

Good short read

A good overview of the Great War. Of necessity, it is a brief explanation of the politics and strategies.

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Title: Covert Operations in World War II

Subtitle: The History and Legacy of the Wars Most Daring Secret Missions

Author: Charles River Editors

Narrator: Jim D Johnston

Format: Unabridged

Length: 2 hrs and 7 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-07-17

Publisher: Charles River Editors

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: History, 20th Century

Publisher's Summary:

When people think about the Second World War, they seldom think in terms of silence and small acts. This was a war in which the industry of entire nations was rearranged to feed fighting, and it was fought on a scale in which battles could include hundreds of thousands of combatants. Whole cities and populations were destroyed, with millions of casualties occurring at places like Leningrad.

But World War II was also a conflict in which modern covert operations first hit their stride. From the jungles of Burma to the streets of Paris, spies, saboteurs, and commandos carried out missions built on secrecy and cunning. Precise, self-contained operations could be as important to the outcome of the war as acts of massive destruction, whether it involved targeted assassinations, sabotaging key logistics, or counterintelligence to break up the enemy's own rings.

At the time, most of these operations were hidden from the public since that was the only way they could be successfully carried out, but in the years since, stories about various missions have emerged. They paint a picture of incredible courage and ingenuity, whether in war zones, enemy territory, or far from the front lines.

Covert Operations in World War II: The History and Legacy of the War's Most Daring Secret Missions chronicles some of the most daring operations carried out during the war. You will learn about covert operations in World War II like never before.

Members Reviews:

Interesting

Sinthetic description of a very important element of WWII. Well illustrated and documented, is still a resumé that appeals fgor further reading.

Detailed look at many types of covert operations during World War II

I found this book Covert Operations in World War II: The History and Legacy of the Warâs Most Daring Secret Missions to be quite interesting. The book primarily discussed American and British covert operations but it also discussed some of Germanyâs covert activities. Before reading this book, I had never heard of Jedburgh teams which were an Allied covert action that consisted of three men who were dropped behind enemy lines before and during the June 5 invasion. The book indicated that the records of the Allied (both British and American) covert operations were lost in fires. I highly recommend this book. I think this book is worth 4.5 stars.

Good read

This book details a significant part of WWII history. However, I would have liked hearing about more of the covert operations and their specific details. This book is a good overview. Very well-written.

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Title: The KGB

Subtitle: The History and Legacy of the Soviet Union's Notorious Spy Agency

Author: Charles River Editors

Narrator: Colin Fluxman

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 45 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-07-17

Publisher: Charles River Editors

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: History, 20th Century

Publisher's Summary:

The KGB is one of the most famous abbreviations of the 20th century, and it has become synonymous with the shadowy and often violent actions of the Soviet Unions secret police and internal security agencies. In fact, it is often used to refer to the Soviet state security agencies throughout its history, from the inception of the Cheka (Extraordinary Commission) in 1917 to the official elimination of the KGB in 1992. Whether its associated with the Russian Civil Wars excesses, Stalins purges, or even Vladimir Putin, the KGB has long been viewed as the Wests biggest bogeyman during the second half of the 20th century.

The KGB: The History and Legacy of the Soviet Unions Notorious Spy Agency examines the history of one of the most famous agencies in history. You will learn about the KGB like never before.

Members Reviews:

Information

This was a very informative book. I plan to read more on this subject.

This is important in today's wold.

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Title: The Knights of the Golden Circle

Subtitle: The History and Legacy of One of 19th Century Americas Most Notorious Secret Societies

Author: Charles River Editors

Narrator: Colin Fluxman

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 25 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-16-17

Publisher: Charles River Editors

Genres: History, 20th Century

Publisher's Summary:

In 1934, a pair of teenagers from Baltimore by the names of Theodore Jones and Henry Grob embarked on what they thought would be another lazy summer afternoon. They popped in at the soda shop and idly browsed through the aisles of few local mom-and-pop stores, but when they could not kill their boredom, they decided to return to Grob's place for an impromptu treasure hunt. Clunky metal detectors in hand, they roamed around the backyard, discovering and delighting in odd metal knickknacks along the way. What started out as just another slow-moving summer's day turned out to be anything but when one of the detectors began to go off.

Intrigued, the pair grabbed a spade each and shoveled like their lives depended on it. What they found was none other than a rusted pot of 5,000 glittering gold coins, with the mysterious words Great Seal of the K'S of the G.C. stamped onto the edges of each token. What ensued was a bitter dispute over the ownership of said coins, one that is still raging on via the parties' descendants to this day. But who were these K's, and why was this treasure so coveted?

As it turned out, the boys had stumbled upon artifacts left over by an ambitious secret society that operated in the midst of the American Civil War, with no less an aim than to establish a brand new sovereignty composed of territories in Mexico, Central America, the Confederacy, and the Caribbean.

Members Reviews:

A LEARNING EXPERIENCE

I had never heard of the Knights of the Golden Circle. The plots, meticulous symbols of secrecy, coordination throughout almost all states would make a decent plot for a mini-series.

Eh...

This was ok at best. A long-winded read, largely unsubstantiated. Seems logically plausible. However it became a who's who of any big name southerner.

Two Stars

Interesting

The history of George Washington Lafayette Bickley con artist extraordinaire

I read this e-book about the Knights of the Golden Circle because I assumed it was a history of one branch of the Ku Klux Klan. This e-book should probably be called George Washington Lafayette Bickley the story of a con artist who uses southern grievances for his own benefit. The book starts with a description of some of the grievances such as tariffs that the South had against the North. The e-book also discussed the issue nullification and president Jacksonâs response. The book indicated that several pro-slavery groups developed around 1835. After that, the book describes the life and plans of Bickley. Bickley developed the Knights of the Golden Circle with grandiose plans to take over Mexico and other areas for slavery. Iâm not sure why some of his creditors and others didnât eliminate him. The book is interesting, but I would not have read it if I had realized it was primarily about George Washington Lafayette Bickley con artist extraordinaire.