Military Audiobooks | History

In the spring of 1984, I went to the northwest of France, to Normandy, to prepare an NBC documentary on the fortieth anniversary of D-Day, the massive and daring Allied invasion of Europe that marked the beginning of the end of Adolf Hitler's Third Reich. There, I underwent a life-changing experience. As I walked the beaches with the American veterans who had returned for this anniversary, men in their sixties and seventies, and listened to their stories, I was deeply moved and profoundly grateful for all they had done. Ten years later, I returned to Normandy for the fiftieth anniversary of the invasion, and by then I had come to understand what this generation of Americans meant to history. It is, I believe, the greatest generation any society has ever produced.In this superb book, Tom Brokaw goes out into America, to tell through the stories of individual men and women the story of a generation, America's citizen heroes and heroines who came of age during the Great Depression and the Second World War and went on to build modern America. This generation was united not only by a common purpose, but also by common values--duty, honor, economy, courage, service, love of family and country, and, above all, responsibility for oneself. In this book, you will meet people whose everyday lives reveal how a generation persevered through war, and were trained by it, and then went on to create interesting and useful lives and the America we have today.In this book you'll meet people like Charles Van Gorder, who set up during D-Day a MASH-like medical facility in the middle of the fighting, and then came home to create a clinic and hospital in his hometown. You'll hear George Bush talk about how, as a Navy Air Corps combat pilot, one of his assignments was to read the mail of the enlisted men under him, to be sure no sensitive military information would be compromised. And so, Bush says, "I learned about life." You'll meet Trudy Elion, winner of the Nobel Prize in medicine, one of the many women in this book who found fulfilling careers in the changed society as a result of the war. You'll meet Martha Putney, one of the first black women to serve in the newly formed WACs. And you'll meet the members of the Romeo Club (Retired Old Men Eating Out), friends for life.

Tom Brokaw (Author), Tom Brokaw (Narrator)

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Papa Bravo Romeo: U.S. Navy Patrol Beats in Vietnam

'Our mission was independent, no-holds-barred combat against a stubborn enemy in the enemy's backyard.' In Vietnam, river warfare was often conducted in the dark. It was always dangerous, sometimes fatal--especially in the eastern end of the Cong-plagued Mekong Delta. In 1967, U.S. Navy Lt. Wynn Goldsmith was the 'river rat' who led the first MK II PBR patrol boats in brutal combat. It was a deadly business. These sailors, famous for their courage and combat effectiveness, faced sniper bullets, machine guns, and mines while searching sampans, patrolling treacherous enemy-controlled waterways like Ambush Alley, and rescuing crews from burning boats in the middle of firefights. During the Tet Offensive, Goldsmith's area saw some of the most hotly contested fighting in the entire Mekong Delta. This gripping account is a tribute to these brave men and their agony, sacrifice, and heroism. From the Paperback edition.

Wynn Goldsmith (Author), Eric Conger (Narrator)

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WWII Airmen: Amazing Accounts of Airmen Recorded During the War

These amazing accounts of airmen recorded during the war include stories of air combat, music of the time, and recordings made on bomb runs over Europe and Japan. Eagles over Europe: (1) Introduction; (2) AAF Intro; (3) Bomb run over Germany, A-26; (4) Lt. Gilman, AT-9 Trainer; (5) Lt. Anderson, AT-7 Trainer; (6) Jack the Ripper air raid; (7) Song of the Bombardier; (8) RAF Pilot: Bostonize; (9) Rescue over the North Sea; (10) Lt. Anderson, A-20; (11) Bomb run over Italy, B-25; (12) Lt. Ace White, P-38 (13) P-51 team in Germany; (14) P-47 ground attack; (15) Last dog fight over Germany; (16) Eulogy for Dick Bong; (17) Airman's escape; (18) Song: I'll Be Seeing You; (19) German cities damage report; (20) Song: Haleluia; (21) A farmer returning home Silver wings over the pacific: (22) C-54 loading for the Pacific 23. Wind powered laundry; (24) Cpt. Reed, B-17; (25) Lt. Glendening, B-24; (26) Lt. Kohn, A-20; (27) What's in a Name? P-61s; (28) Lone Wolf Mission, B-25; (29) Song: Spirit of the Air Corps; (30) Chinese-American P-40 pilot; (31) Low-altitude bomb run, A-20; (32) Song: Hail to the Squadron; (33) Bomb run over Formosa, B-24 (34) Medal of Honor: Eugene Irwin; (35) Bomb run over Japan, B-29; (36) Visit with wives of crew; (37) Song: Head in the Clouds; (38) Loading two-millionth bomb; (39) Tokyo damage report; (40) Song: Blue Skies; (41) Dropping the first atom bomb

Multiple Authors (Author), Various (Narrator)

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The Greatest Generation Speaks: Letters and Reflections

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A heartwarming gift for the holidays-a powerful selection of the letters Tom Brokaw received in response to his towering #1 bestseller The Greatest Generation. "When I wrote about the men and women who came out of the Depression, who won great victories and made lasting sacrifices in World War II and then returned home to begin building the world we have today-the people I called the Greatest Generation-it was my way of saying thank you. But I was not prepared for the avalanche of letters and responses touched off by that book. I had written a book about America, and now America was writing back."-Tom Brokaw In the phenomenal bestseller The Greatest Generation, Tom Brokaw paid affecting tribute to those who gave the world so much-and who left an enduring legacy of courage and conviction. The Greatest Generation Speaks collects the vast outpouring of letters Brokaw received from men and women eager to share their intensely personal stories of a momentous time in America's history. Some letters tell of the front during the war, others recall loved ones in harm's way in distant places. They offer first-hand accounts of battles, poignant reflections on loneliness, exuberant expressions of love, and somber feelings of loss. As Brokaw notes, "If we are to heed the past to prepare for the future, we should listen to these quiet voices of a generation that speaks to us of duty and honor, sacrifice and accomplishment. I hope more of their stories will be preserved and cherished as reminders of all that we owe them and all that we can learn from them."

Tom Brokaw (Author), Tom Brokaw (Narrator)

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Back in Action: An American Soldier's Story of Courage, Faith and Fortitude

Captain David Rozelle (Author), Patrick Lawlor (Narrator)

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Robert E. Lee

With absorbing power, Emory M. Thomas tells the story of one of the most revered figures in American history. A story of triumph and tragedy, this stunning biography provides a fascinating glimpse at the man behind the Civil War legend. Revealing the “whole” Lee in this enthrallingly detailed saga, Thomas portrays him as a man driven by the paradoxes in his own personality. Here is the Lee who is both a legend and a man. Heroic and larger than life in battle; insecure and unfulfilled in private life. Thomas presents the legendary general who inspired millions to support the southern cause, and the humble man who was amazed that thousands flocked to see him near the end of his life. This moving saga paints Lee on a canvas broader than the war that, for many, he has come to personify. Armchair historians and devoted Robert E. Lee buffs alike will enjoy this refreshingly candid portrait of an often honored historical figure.

Emory M. Thomas (Author), Richard Davidson, Richard M. Davidson (Narrator)

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Seven Pillars of Wisdom

Although Lawrence of Arabia died in 1935, the story of his life has captured the imagination of succeeding generations. The Seven Pillars of Wisdom is a monumental work in which he chronicles his role in leading the Arab Revolt against the Turks during the First World War. A reluctant leader, and wracked by guilt at the duplicity of the British, Lawrence nevertheless threw himself into his role, suffering the blistering desert conditions and masterminding military campaigns which culminated in the triumphant march of the Arabs into Damascus.

T.E. Lawrence (Author), Jim Norton, Nicolas Soames (Narrator)

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Frederick Douglass

Pulitzer Prize-winning author McFeely captures the power and the contemplative nature of Douglass, while shedding light on the insecurities and humanity of the man himself. The power of this landmark biography lies in McFeely's ability to bring to life not only the charismatic man, but the age as well-detailing the struggle for emancipation in the political arena as the nation moved toward civil war.

William Mcfeely, William S. McFeely (Author), Robert Sevra (Narrator)

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The Memoirs of William T. Sherman-Excerpts: Atlanta and the March to the Sea

He's been called the first modern general-the first military leader to understand that in the future, wars would be won not by fighting, but by the movement of troops. His memoirs rank with Grant's as the greatest of the Civil War. In vigorous, frank, and powerful prose, Sherman reveals his strategic planning for battles such as Bull Run, Shiloh, and Vicksburg and delivers classic lessons-and military philosophies-about this war.

William Sherman (Author), Nelson Runger (Narrator)

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Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant, Part Three

Part Three: The Wilderness Campaign; Surrender at Appomattox Grant's assessments of Lincoln, Sherman, Sheridan and other military leaders are brilliant and engrossing. His style, like the man himself, was inimitable and couldn't be copied. In everyday life, Grant was a very funny man, who liked to listen to jokes and tell them himself. His sense of the absurd was acute. It's no accident that he loved Mark Twain and the two hitched together very well. Twain and Grant shared a similar sense of humor, and Grant's witicisms in the Memoirs are frequent, unexpected and welcome. There are portions where you will literally laugh out loud. Though Grant's Memoirs were written 119 years ago, they remain fresh, vibrant and an intensely good read. I have read them many times in my life and I never weary of the style and language that Grant employed. He was a military genius to be sure, but he was also a writer of supreme gifts, and these gifts shine through on every page of this testament to his greatness. All Americans should read this book and realize what we owe to Grant: he preserved the union with his decisive brilliance. In his honor, we should be eternally grateful.

Ulysses S. Grant (Author), Peter Johnson (Narrator)

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Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant, Part One

Among the autobiographies of generals and statesmen, these memoirs rank with the greatest. Mark Twain hailed them as "the best of any general's since Caesar." Refreshingly candid and honest, Grant's assessment of his humble beginnings, his rise to fame, and his greatest triumphs and failures has become an American classic.

Ulysses S. Grant (Author), Peter Johnson (Narrator)

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Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant, Part Two

Part Two: The Vicksburg Campaign General Grant wrote this book while dying of throat cancer. He had been swindled by a dishonest Wall Street Broker and his trophies and possessions were stripped from him to satisfy the demands of his debtors. Bankrupt, suffering from a terminal illness and never passing a moment without acute pain, he produced this magnificent monument to his greatness. Those who denigrate Grant as a drunkard, butcher or bumbling President need to read this book in order to correct these errant assumptions. It is impossible to read this book and not realize that Grant was an inordinately intelligent man and one hell of a writer. Grant's Memoirs are a deserved classic in American literature and considered the greatest military Memoirs ever penned, exceeding Caesar's Commentaries. Grant wrote as he lived: with clear, concise statements, unembellished with trivialities or frivolities. The only "criticism" the reader might have is that Grant bent over backwards not to wound the feelings of people in the book. He takes swipes at Joe Hooker and Jeff Davis, but what he left unsaid would have been far more interesting. A compelling and logical reason why Grant was so spare in his comments was because he was involved in a race with death. He didn't know how long he could live and therefore, "cut to the chase."

Ulysses S. Grant (Author), Peter Johnson (Narrator)

Audiobook

Military Audiobooks in History