Military Audiobooks | History

G/GESCHICHTE - Lawrence von Arabien: Eine Legende der Wüste

Wie viele Literatenhäuser stellt Lawrences Refugium »Clouds Hill« im südenglischen Bovington ein Abbild seiner Seele dar. Die einstige Bauernkate ist äußerst schlicht eingerichtet, aber die Bibliothek und Schallplattensammlung zeugen von dem intellektuellen Universum, das Lawrence war: Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Mozart, Beethoven und Elgar. Dann in einer Ecke rostige Fragmente von Schienen. Es sind Reliquien der Hedschasbahn von Aleppo nach Medina – Erinnerungen an seinen Guerillakrieg in der Wüste gegen die Türken. Lawrences militärische Karriere ist außergewöhnlich. Als die Kanonen des Ersten Weltkriegs schweigen, dient er als der jüngste Oberst in der britischen Armee. König Georg V. will ihn zum Ritter schlagen, doch er lehnt diese Ehre unter Protest ab, da Großbritannien seine Versprechungen gegenüber den Arabern nicht eingehalten hat. Stattdessen zieht er sich als einfacher Soldat in die Anonymität der Armee zurück – Buße oder Befreiung von der Last des Ruhmes? Der Asket kennt nur ein Laster: den Rausch der Geschwindigkeit. Getrieben von einer seelischen Unruhe, rast Lawrence mit seinem Motorrad durch England – bis ihn im Mai 1935 der Tod einholt. Sein Vermächtnis sind die »Sieben Säulen der Weisheit«, ein Meisterwerk, das Winston Churchill als eines der »größten Bücher der englischen Sprache« preisen wird. Viel Hörvergnügen bei dieser spannenden Ausgabe von G/Geschichte!-

G/geschichte (Author), Karsten Wolf (Narrator)

Audiobook

Support Troops: Behind the scenes of the air war in Vietnam

This story is a chronicle of the year 1968 as seen through the eyes of the author while serving at Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base in Thailand, supporting the air war in Vietnam. It was an odd juxtaposition, repairing the fire-control systems on F-105s that were making twice-daily bombing runs over North Vietnam, while living in relative comfort and safety. For every combatant in a time of war, there are thousands of men and women serving in support roles. These soldiers, marines, sailors, and airmen are doing their jobs every day to support the overall effort. They are cooks and clerks, logistics experts, truck drivers and administrators, mechanics and technicians, doctors, nurses, dentists, and chaplains of every faith. They may not be getting shot at or shelled, but they are vital to the mission in every sense. They serve on bases at home as well as overseas in nearly every corner of the globe. They deploy and leave their families and loved ones. They miss birthdays, graduations, anniversaries, school plays, football games, weddings, and funerals. They, too, serve their country honorably. This story is dedicated to support personnel serving everywhere, past, and present.

William Monger (Author), Jim Seybert (Narrator)

Audiobook

ZOV – Der verbotene Bericht: Ein russischer Fallschirmjäger packt aus

Zusammen mit seinem Regiment überfiel Pawel Filatjew die Ukraine. Dann entschloss er sich, nicht mehr mitzumachen – und der Welt die dreckige Wahrheit über den Wahnsinn dieses Krieges zu erzählen. Am 24. Februar 2022 um vier Uhr morgens marschierte der russische Fallschirmjäger Pawel Filatjew mit seinem Regiment in die Ukraine ein. Er war am Angriff auf Cherson beteiligt, saß in den Schützengräben um Nikolajew. Nach zwei Monaten an der Front wurde er verwundet; im Lazarett beschloss er, aufzuschreiben, was er gesehen und erlebt hatte: Verwüstung, Leichen, ratlose, verängstigte Befehlshaber, marodierende Truppen und Plünderer. Er erzählt alles, schreibt über Hunger, Kälte, Übergriffe, Todesangst, verrostete Waffen und über Männer, die sich selbst in die Beine schießen, um die vom Staat versprochenen Rubel für verletzte Soldaten zu erhalten.Inzwischen hat Pawel Filatjew Russland verlassen. Sein Aufenthaltsort ist geheim. In seiner Heimat drohen ihm mindestens zwanzig Jahre Haft. Er wird für den Rest seines Lebens auf der Flucht sein. Denn er hat sich entschlossen, nicht mehr mitzumachen – und Zeugnis abzulegen. Seine schonungslos offenen, erschütternden Aufzeichnungen geben der Welt einen bisher unbekannten Einblick in das Töten und Sterben in der Ukraine. Es ist der erste Insider-Bericht aus der russischen Armee – eine publizistische Sensation.-

Pawel Filatjew (Author), Uwe Thoma (Narrator)

Audiobook

... trotzdem Ja zum Leben sagen

Weltbestseller und Meisterwerk der psychologischen Literatur. Viktor E. Frankl war Professor für Neurologie und Psychiatrie an der Universität Wien und 25 Jahre hindurch Vorstand der Wiener Neurologischen Poliklinik. Mehrere Jahre musste Viktor Frankl in deutschen Konzentrationslagern verbringen. 1946 diktierte Viktor Frankl innerhalb von 9 Tagen einen Bericht über seine Erlebnisse in Konzentrationslagern. So entstand das Buch, das unter dem Titel „… trotzdem Ja zum Leben sagen“ veröffentlicht wurde. Bis heute hat das Werk nichts an Aktualität verloren: „… trotzdem Ja zum Leben sagen“ (englischer Titel: „Man’s Search For Meaning“) wurde in 26 Sprachen übersetzt und weltweit über 12 Millionen Mal verkauft. In seinem Buch beschrieb Frankl durch welche Phasen der Entmenschlichung die KZ-Häftlinge gehen mussten. Doch trotz all des Leids, das er dort sah und erlebte, kam er zu dem Schluss, dass es selbst an Orten der größten Unmenschlichkeit möglich ist, einen Sinn im Leben zu sehen. Seine Erinnerungen, die er in diesem Buch festhielt und die über Jahrzehnte Millionen von Menschen bewegten, sollen weder Mitleid erregen noch Anklage erheben. Sie sollen Kraft zum Leben geben. In diesem Hörbuch erfahren wir: - wie Viktor Frankl seine Lager-Zeit überwand, - was gab ihm die Kraft zum Weiterleben, - um welche Fragen kreisten die Gedanken der Häftlinge, - welche Bedeutung die Wille zum Überleben hat, - wie man auch noch unter inhumansten Bedingungen einen Sinn im Leben sehen kann, - wie Viktor Frankl trotz all der schrecklichen Erfahrungen, die er in den Konzentrationslagern erleben musste, auf Versöhnung statt auf Vergeltung setzte. „… trotzdem Ja zum Leben sagen“ ist ein Zeugnis großer Menschlichkeit, das auch heute alle, die sinnlos leiden müssen, aufzurichten vermag. © 1959, 1962, 1984, 1992, 2006, 2014, 2017 von Viktor Frankl. Estate of Viktor Frankl © Kösel-Verlag (P) 2022 ABP Verlag

Viktor E. Frankl (Author), Stefan Barth (Narrator)

Audiobook

[German] - ZOV – Der verbotene Bericht: Ein russischer Fallschirmjäger packt aus

Pawel Filatjew (Author), Uwe Thoma (Narrator)

Audiobook

Remember the Ramrods: An Army Brotherhood in War and Peace

An extraordinary re-envisioning of the scope and ambitions of the contemporary military memoir: the Iraq War’s only living Medal of Honor recipient examines the bonds and wounds of war across two decades. After fourteen years apart, forty veterans of brutal close-quarters combat, lost souls to a man, were brought back together when one of them, the author, received the Medal of Honor. Their impromptu reunion in June 2019 helped heal them all—and saved more than a few of them too. This is their story. In 2004, David Bellavia’s U.S. Army unit, an infantry battalion known as the Ramrods—2nd Battalion 2nd infantry regiment, 1st Infantry Division—fought and helped win the Battle of Fallujah, the bloodiest episode of the Iraq War. On November 10, 2004, Bellavia single-handedly cleared a fortified enemy position that had pinned down a squad from his platoon. Fourteen years later, Bellavia got a call from the president of the United States: he had been awarded a Medal of Honor and would receive America’s highest award for bravery in combat in a ceremony at the White House. The news was not welcome. Bellavia had put the war behind him, created a quiet life for himself in rural western New York, and lost touch with most of his fellow Ramrods, who were once like brothers to him. The first time they gathered as a unit after the war was at Bellavia’s medal ceremony, for six days in Washington, DC, that may have saved them all. As they revisited what they had seen and done in battle and revealed to each other their journeys back into civilian life, they discovered that the bonds had not been broken by time. A decoration for one became a healing event for all. This book—beginning in brutal war and ending with this momentous, transformative reunion—covers the journey of Bellavia’s platoon through fifteen years. A quintessential and timeless American tale, it is the story of how forty battle-hardened soldiers became ordinary citizens again, what they did during that time, how November 10, 2004, rattled in them, and how their reunion brought them home at last. Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

David Bellavia (Author), David Bellavia (Narrator)

Audiobook

Defend Us in Battle: The True Story of MA2 Navy SEAL Medal of Honor Recipient Michael A. Monsoor

On September 29, 2006, Michael Monsoor and two SEAL snipers watched vigilantly for enemy activity from their rooftop post in Ar Ramadi, Iraq. When a grenade thrown from insurgents bounced off Michael's chest, he could have escaped. Instead, he threw himself onto the live grenade, shielding his fellow soldiers from the immediate explosion. Michael died thirty minutes later, having made the ultimate sacrifice. As George Monsoor (Michael's father) and Rose Rea show us in Defend Us in Battle, Michael had prepared for this selfless act all his life--a life that inspires us to have a similar generosity of heart. This fast-paced, compelling biography - tells the true story of a quiet boy from California who achieved his dream of becoming a Navy SEAL and saved numerous lives throughout his deployment - recounts how Michael's childhood of asthma and being bullied made him a staunch defender of justice and passionate about never quitting - draws on interviews, military documents, and eyewitness accounts to detail Michael's remarkable military career and devotion to God and others - is perfect for readers of military biographies such as Unbroken, as well as for anyone eager to remember that this world still has heroes In addition to the Medal of Honor, Michael received a Silver Star, a Bronze Star Medal, and the Purple Heart for his years serving his country. But his greatest legacy is in the hearts of those he inspired to live, and even die, for the sake of brotherly love. Photos and award images are included in the audiobook companion PDF download.

George Monsoor (Author), John Behrens, Zach Hoffman (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Jungle is Neutral: The Epic True Story of One Man's War Behind Enemy Lines

When Singapore fell to the Japanese in December 1941, Captain Freddie Spencer Chapman chose to take the fight to the enemy. Trekking deep behind enemy lines into the jungle, this veteran explorer turned special forces operative unleashed a one-man commando campaign of such destructive power and lethal ferocity that the Japanese deployed a Regiment of four thousand men in a desperate effort to hunt him down. For three-and-a-half years he was cut off from Allied support. Fighting alongside Malayan guerrillas, he endured terrible injury, starvation, a host of gruesome tropical diseases and even cannibalism. While many of his companions were killed, captured and beheaded by the Japanese, he held out, fighting on until the war's end when he eventually made contact with British forces on a home-made radio to arrange for his escape by submarine. The Jungle is Neutral is Spencer Chapman's riveting account of unimaginable hardship and unbreakable will in the face of a ruthless enemy. As a tale of endurance and survival it is unsurpassed. As a war story, it is without rival.

F. Spencer Chapman (Author), Leighton Pugh (Narrator)

Audiobook

Tailspin

World War II tail gunner Gene Moran fell four miles through the sky without a parachute and lived. Captured by the Germans, he survived a harrowing eighteen months as a prisoner of war, including a six-hundred-mile death march in 1945 across Central Europe. When Gene returned home, he kept those memories locked up for nearly seventy years. His nine children knew little of their dad's war story. But when John, a young history teacher, learns of Gene's amazing fall, he's desperate to learn more. Finally, Gene agrees. So begins a series of 'Thursdays with Gene' interviews. Gene, nearing his ninetieth birthday, recounts incredible tales. But John has no idea what wounds he's reopening. Gene's nightmares and grief return. But both men persevere, bonded by their close and growing friendship. As the interviews go on, John faces an ordeal of his own. His wife is fighting brain cancer. What will happen to his wife and his two young children? John must continue uncovering Gene's story of survival as he himself confronts the greatest trial of his life. Tailspin is more than a war story. It's a story of two men's separate journeys confronting trauma and loss. It's a story of resilience and hope.

John Armbruster (Author), Brandon Pollock (Narrator)

Audiobook

Minds at War: How great artists and their work were shaped by the First World War

The complete BBC Radio 3 series exploring how great creative minds responded to the First World War in individual works of art and scholarship World War I saw an unprecedented loss of life in Western Europe, and destruction on a scale no one alive had ever seen. All those who experienced it were irrevocably changed, including many writers and artists upon whose oeuvre it left an indelible mark. This captivating series examines the impact of the war on artists and thinkers through the prism of their great works. In each episode, a leading figure from the worlds of science, culture and the arts reflects on a single iconic piece, and discusses how the events of 1914-18 shaped its creation. The 29 artworks in this collection comprise paintings, plays, books, films, sculptures and cartoons. Ian Christie appraises Eisenstein's seminal Soviet drama Battleship Potemkin; Dame Gillian Beer considers Virginia Woolf's masterpiece Mrs Dalloway; Fintan O'Toole decodes James Joyce's epic modernist novel, Ulysses; and Dr Heather Jones looks at the controversy and war connections around Marcel Duchamp's notorious 'Fountain'. Key texts such as Sigmund Freud's twin essays Thoughts for the Time on War and Death; Rabindranath Tagore's Nobel Lectures; and Siegfried Sassoon's celebrated 1917 protest letter to The Times are analysed by Dr Michael Shapira, Santanu Das and Joanna Bourke; and a panoply of other pieces, among them Kathe Kollwitz's 'The Grieving Parents', Sean O'Casey's The Silver Tassie and Rudyard Kipling's Epitaphs are discussed by experts including Ruth Padel, Elizabeth Kuti and Janet Montefiore. Powerful, moving, thought-provoking and often shocking, these landmark works are all, in their very different ways, a response to the horrors of World War I and its aftermath - one that vividly demonstrates the transformative effects the conflict had on the collective artistic psyche. Production credits Presented by Allan Little, Sara LeFanu, Martin Rowson, Prof David Edgerton, Michal Shapira, Dr Heather Jones, Ian Christie, Lyse Doucet, Santanu Das, Ruth Padel, Arthur Smith, Prof Gillian Beer, Richard Cork, Sasha Dugdale, Fintan O'Toole, Gerald Dawe, John D McHugh, Elizabeth Kuti, Tarek Osman, Joanna Bourke, Elif Shafak, Dr Imaobong Umoren, Janet Montefiore, Jane Potter and Alex Walton Produced by Beaty Rubens, Benedict Warren, Emma Kingsley, Simon Elmes and Sarah Bowen Episode list: 1. Paths of Glory 2. Non-Combatants and Others 3. Der Krieg 4. The Memorandum on the Neglect of Science 5. Thoughts for the Times on War and Death 6. Le Feu 7. Battleship Potemkin 8. Fighting France, from Dunkerque to Belfort 9. The Broken Wing 10. The Grieving Parents 11. Tagore's Nobel Lectures 12. Tzara's Dada Manifesto 13. Woolf's Mrs Dalloway 14. Parade 15. Akhmatova's July 1914 16. James Joyce's Ulysses 17. Elizabeth Bowen's The Last September 18. Francis Ledwidge's poem O'Connell Street 19. Father Browne's Photograph of a Wounded Soldier 20. Sean O'Casey's The Silver Tassie 21. Marcel Duchamp 22. Gertrude Bell 23. Siegfried Sassoon's Letter to The Times 24. Mata Hari's Final Performance 25. Isaac Rosenberg's Dead Man's Dump 26. WEB Dubois' Returning Soldiers 27. Rudyard Kipling's Epitaphs 28. Mary Borden's The Forbidden Zone 29. Isobel Rae © 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

David Edgerton, Elif Shafak, Fintan O'toole, Heather Jones, Ruth Padel, Sara Lefanu (Author), Various (Narrator)

Audiobook

Lost to the World: A Memoir of Faith, Family and Five Years in Terrorist Captivity

Brought to you by Penguin. In late August of 2011, Shahbaz Taseer was driving to his office in Lahore, Pakistan when he was dragged from his car at gunpoint and kidnapped by a group of Taliban-affiliated terrorists. Just seven months earlier, his father, Salman Taseer, the governor of Punjab Province, had been shot dead by his guard for speaking out against Pakistan's blasphemy laws. For almost five years Shahbaz was held captive, moved ever-deeper into the lawless Hindu Kush, frequently tortured and forced to endure extreme cruelty, his fate resting on his kidnappers' impossible demands and the uneasy alliances between his captors and the Taliban and ISIS. Lost to the World is the remarkable true story of Taseer's time in captivity, and of his astonishing escape. It is a story of extraordinary faith, bravery and sorrow, with moments of kindness and humour offering a hopeful light in the dark years of his imprisonment. By turns immensely personal and surprisingly universal, Shahbaz Taseer's story is a testament to the enduring power of the human spirit. ©2022 Shahbaz Taseer (P)2022 Penguin Audio

Shahbaz Taseer (Author), Adam Karim (Narrator)

Audiobook

Pain Is Weakness Leaving the Body: A Marine's Unbecoming

An honest reckoning with the war on terror, masculinity, and the violence of American hegemony abroad, at home, and on the psyche, from a veteran whose convictions came undone When Lyle Jeremy Rubin first arrived at Marine Officer Candidates School, he was convinced that the "war on terror" was necessary to national security. He also subscribed to a strict code of manhood that military service conjured and perpetuated. Then he began to train and his worldview shattered. Honorably discharged five years later, Rubin returned to the United States with none of his beliefs, about himself or his country, intact. In Pain Is Weakness Leaving the Body, Rubin narrates his own undoing, the profound disillusionment that took hold of him on bases in the U.S. and Afghanistan. He both examines his own failings as a participant in a prescribed masculinity and the failings of American empire, examining the racialized and class hierarchies and culture of conquest that constitute the machinery of U.S. imperialism. The result is a searing analysis and the story of one man's personal and political conversion, told in beautiful prose by an essayist, historian, and veteran transformed.

Lyle Jeremy Rubin (Author), Garrett Michael Brown, Lyle Jeremy Rubin (Narrator)

Audiobook

Military Audiobooks in History