Military Audiobooks | History

A former soldier awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart tells the story of overcoming the mental and physical wounds of war on a fifteen-year odyssey that led him back to the very place where his nightmares began—and the only place redemption was possible. While serving a portion of his time under the Special Operations Command, Benjamin Sledge fought to keep his humanity amid the killing fields of Iraq and Afghanistan. But war never leaves its participants unscathed. In Where Cowards Go to Die, Sledge reveals an unflinchingly honest portrait of war that few dare to tell. Stationed on a small base on the border of Pakistan in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of September eleventh, the young warrior returned home shattered after embracing the barbarity he witnessed around him. Haunted by his experiences overseas, he began a fifteen-year odyssey wrestling with mental health, purpose, and faith, that eventually drove him to volunteer for another combat tour in the deadliest city of the Iraq War—Ramadi. In his memoir, Sledge vividly captures the reality of the men and women who learn to fight without remorse, love each other without restraint, and suffer the high cost of returning to a country that no longer feels like home.

Benjamin Sledge (Author), Bradford Hastings (Narrator)

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The Good Captain: A Personal Memoir of America at War

R. D. Hooker, Jr. was a combat soldier and leader in five wars. He then served as a senior Pentagon advisor and as a White House staff member in four different administrations. At the time of his retirement from the military in 2010 he was the most decorated colonel in the US Army. Beginning with his enlistment at eighteen in 1975, this memoir chronicles his experiences in the post-Vietnam Army as a young paratrooper, as a West Point cadet, and as a combatant in the many military conflicts which followed. Hooker served in the invasion of Grenada, in the earliest days of the Somalia intervention, as one of the first American responders to the Rwandan genocide, with the first American units to enter both Bosnia and Kosovo, in peace-keeping operations in the Sinai desert, in the Pentagon on 9/11, and again in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. Rising from private to colonel, he commanded a paratroop company, battalion and brigade and served in the continental US, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Southwest Asia. When not serving with troops, he taught at West Point and served in several high-level Pentagon assignments and in the White House in the administrations of George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Donald Trump.

R.D. Hooker Jr, R.D. Hooker, Jr. (Author), Lyle Blaker (Narrator)

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A Machine Gunner's War: From Normandy to Victory with the 1st Infantry Division in World War II

Ernest 'Andy' Andrews's company, part of the 1st Infantry Division, departed England on the evening of June 5 on the USS Henrico. Fighting in Normandy, Andy was nicked by a bullet and evacuated to England in late July when the wound became infected. For a month, Andy's squad defended a bunker position in the Siegfried Line against repeated German attacks, then after Aachen surrendered, the unit fought its way through the Hurtgen Forest to take Hill 232. Early on the morning of November 19, Andy engaged in his toughest battle of the war as the Germans attempted to retake Hill 232. After surgery and a month convalescence he rejoined H Company in time to fight in the Battle of the Bulge. Breaking out from the Remagen bridgehead, Andy's squad stumbled on a German tank unit and Andy narrowly escaped getting killed. Andy's outfit ends the war fighting in Czechoslovakia, where Andy witnesses the German surrender in early May. Following occupation duty, Andy returned to the States in October 1945. The war shaped Andy's postwar life in countless ways, and in 1994, Andy made the first of three return visits to the European battlefields where he had fought. This vivid firsthand account takes the listener along from Normandy to victory with Andy and his machine-gun crew.

Ernest Albert 'andy' Andrews Jr (Author), Todd Ethridge (Narrator)

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Haufenweise liegen sie umher: Zweiter Weltkrieg, Ostfront - Mit dem Pak-Schützen Leonhard März bis i

Markus Bauer erzählt die bewegende Geschichte seines Großonkels Leonhard März, der als Pak-Schütze den Wahnsinn an der Ostfront durchlebte und schließlich aus dem Kessel von Tarnopol 1944 nicht mehr zurückkehrte … Was Sie erwartet: 'Wenn's so weitergeht, wie es jetzt ist, bleibt in einem Monat vom Regiment nichts mehr übrig; jeden Tag 10 bis 20 Verwundete und Tote.' Leonhard März wurde Anfang 1941 in die Wehrmacht eingezogen und zum Schützen an der Panzerabwehrkanone ausgebildet. Im Sommer geriet der junge Soldat bereits in die Hölle der Ostfront, wo er drei Jahre lang an vorderster Front ums blanke Überleben kämpfte. Leonhard wurde im Kampf verwundet und nach seiner Genesung erneut an die Front geschickt. Schließlich verliert sich seine Spur im Jahr 1944 im Kessel von Tarnopol. Umzingelt durch die Rote Armee, verteidigten sich die deutschen Soldaten verzweifelt bis zur letzten Patrone. Klappentext: Autor Markus Bauer stieß im Nachlass seiner Großmutter auf eine Aufbewahrungsbox mit zahlreichen Fotos, Dokumenten und Feldpostbriefen von seinem Großonkel Leonhard März. Dieses Buch beinhaltet die vollständige Sammlung dieser Feldpost. Profitieren Sie von ungeschminkten Einblicken in den entbehrungsreichen Alltag eines Frontkämpfers. Von Kiew bis Kursk, von Gomel bis Orel nahm Leonhard an zahlreichen bekannten Schlachten teil. Schließlich geriet er in den Kessel von Tarnopol. Eingekreist durch die Rote Armee, verliert sich seine Spur, als die deutschen Truppen einen verzweifelten Ausbruchsversuch wagten. Spüren Sie Brief für Brief, wie der Soldat Leonhard März mit dem Fortgang des Krieges immer verbitterter wird. Der Kessel von Tarnopol wird auch als das 'kleine Stalingrad' bezeichnet, dabei ist das bittere Ringen um diese ukrainische Stadt kaum bekannt. 'Haufenweise liegen sie umher' schließt diese wichtige Lücke. Profitieren Sie von Eindrücken aus erster Hand aus diesem fast vergessenen Kapitel deutscher Militärgeschichte.

Markus Bauer (Author), Mario Kunze (Narrator)

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Flying Forwards, Facing Backwards: Captivating Tales from a Vulcan and Nimrod Air Electronics Office

Since he was a child in the 1950s watching Vampires and Meteors operating from RAF Turnhouse, Jim Walls wanted to fly aircraft, he just never envisaged that his flying career would be spent in the back seat as opposed to the front. Jim guides listeners through his forty-year RAF career that started as a Boy Entrant at RAF Cosford, then as an air radar tradesman, before specializing as an air electronics operator (AEOp) in the Nimrod MR1, and later as an air electronics officer (AEO) who flew in Nimrod R1s and Vulcan B2s. With detailed insight into the world of radar, electronic countermeasures, and signals intelligence, Jim highlights the role they played in warfare for numerous operations during the Cold War as well as the Falklands campaign, First Gulf War, and Bosnian War. As well as focusing on his career, Jim gives his viewpoint on matters such as Operation Black Buck and the reduced war-fighting capability of the Vulcan as it neared retirement. This fascinating book showcases the vital role that AEOs held and the importance of radar and electronic warfare in the fight against enemy forces. It is also a tribute to the much-loved Cold War icons, the Nimrod and the Vulcan. This book will appeal to Cold War enthusiasts and fans of the iconic jets of that era.

Jim Walls (Author), Graham Mack (Narrator)

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Sonne im Staub: Teil 2 - Feindbild in Scherben

Der zweite Teil meiner Trilogie 'Sonne im Staub – Feindbild in Scherben' knüpft nahtlos an den ersten Teil an und zeigt, wie progressiv und stark die Veränderungen und Schwierigkeiten im Verlaufe des langen Einsatzes zunehmen und eskalieren. Was mit guten Vorsätzen und Erwartungen begann, nimmt einen dramatischen und lebensverändernden, wirklich einschneidenden Verlauf. Denn danach wird nichts mehr wie vorher sein! Im Einsatz für unser Land und andere Menschen, verliere ich mich selbst immer mehr. In einer Welt weit weg, die keine Gnade kennt. Stolz und anerzogen, nie aufzugeben, werden die Tage härter und vor allem fragwürdiger. Alles und Alle scheinen zu entrücken, verschwimmt mein Bild der Werte und Normen. Auf der Suche nach dem Sinn. Dem Sinn, den ich schon so oft und klar für mich definiert hatte. Und doch suche ich weiter und beginne immer mehr zu zweifeln. Wer geduldig den ersten Teil 'Rückkehr nach Afghanistan' und damit wichtige Hintergründe erlesen hat, wird in diesem 2. Teil aus der anfänglichen 'Ruhe' einer, bis dahin noch leisen Reise gerissen und noch tiefer in die Gedanken und Gefühle hineingezogen.

Enrico Senftleben (Author), Enrico Senftleben (Narrator)

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The US Army's First, Last, and Only All-Black Rangers: The 2nd Ranger Infantry Company (Airborne) in

The 2nd Ranger Infantry Company (Airborne) was the first and only all-black Ranger unit in the history of the United States Army. The 2nd and 4th Rangers were among the units initially assigned to the Eighth Army and were considered to be 'combat ready.' The 2nd Ranger Company battled North Korean and Communist Chinese Forces. The 2nd Ranger Company conducted the first airborne assault in Ranger history near the town of Munsan-ni and executed the heroic attack and defense of Hill 581. The men demonstrated courage, served with honor, and achieved a magnificent combat record. Edward Posey's The US Army's First, Last, and Only All-Black Rangers is the first complete history of this elite all-volunteer unit whose members were drawn from the 3rd Battalion of the 505th Airborne Infantry Regiment and the 80th Airborne Anti-Aircraft Battalion. As a member of the unit, Posey bases his account on firsthand experience, official records, interviews with survivors, and other material to produce a rich and worthy addition to the growing literature on the Korean War. Posey's study explains the obstacles these patriotic men faced, their sacrifices, and their courageous actions. More than fifty years after the end of the war, the world will learn the true story of the United States Army's first, only, and last all-black Ranger unit.

Edward L. Posey (Master Sergeant Ret.), Edward L. Posey (master Sergeant Ret.), Ret.) Edward L. Posey (Master Sergeant, Ret.) Edward L. Posey (master Sergeant (Author), Sean Crisden (Narrator)

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Nimitz at War: Command Leadership from Pearl Harbor to Tokyo Bay

From America's preeminent naval historian, the first full-length portrait in over fifty years of the man who won the war in the Pacific in World War Two. Only days after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, President Franklin D. Roosevelt tapped Chester W. Nimitz to assume command of the Pacific Fleet. Nimitz transformed the devastated and dispirited Pacific fleet into the most powerful and commanding naval force in history. Facing demands from Washington to mount an early offensive, he had first to revive the depressed morale of the thousands of sailors, soldiers, and Marines who served under him. And of course, he also confronted a formidable and implacable enemy in the Imperial Japanese Navy, which, until the Battle of Midway, had the run of the Pacific. Craig Symonds's Nimitz at War captures Nimitz's composure, discipline, homespun wisdom, and most of all his uncanny sense of when to assert authority and when to pull back. As Symonds's absorbing, dynamic, and authoritative portrait reveals, it required qualities of leadership exhibited by few other commanders in history, qualities that are enduringly and even poignantly relevant to our own moment.

Craig L. Symonds (Author), L.J. Ganser (Narrator)

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Warfighter: The Story of an American Fighting Man

In Warfighter, Colonel Jesse L. Johnson, one of the most decorated living American veterans, recounts the action-packed true-life tale of a man who stood and fought at the crossroads of history. Spanning forty years of conflict, from the jungles of Vietnam to the deserts of Iran and Iraq, never has a modern military memoir covered such a vast landscape of all-out warfare. Never has one man fought on the frontlines of so many of America's most heroic battles. Johnson led the most elite forces on operations that defined eras past and present, mentoring young soldiers who would rise to become some of America's greatest generals. He held the ear of princes, kings, presidents, and even Hollywood movie stars. With an all-star cast worthy of an epic war film, this extraordinary hero's journey sheds new light on some of the most transformative events of our time-crises, conflicts, and covert operations that have shaped the world as we know it today. More important, Warfighter offers us a deeper understanding of the personal sacrifice and human toll of a lifetime at war, and the honor-bound code of a man whose instinct in battle was to always charge ahead of those under his command-into the fight.

Col Jesse L. Johnson (Author), Corey M. Snow (Narrator)

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Dark Horse: General Larry O. Spencer and His Journey from the Horseshoe to the Pentagon

Gen. Larry Spencer, USAF (Ret.) was born and raised on the Horseshoe-a tough inner-city street in southeast Washington D.C. The Horseshoe was a hard neighborhood where fights were common, and the school systems were second-rate. The expectations of living in an all-Black neighborhood were to be good at sports while shunning academic prowess. That environment resulted in poor self-esteem and a bleak outlook for the future. Quite by chance, Spencer enlisted in the U.S. Air Force where he continued to struggle with the racial turmoil of the 1970s. As a very young first lieutenant, he was assigned to a tough job in the Pentagon, but Spencer earned an early reputation as a fast burner. Spencer went on to serve at the White House, and then successfully commanded a Group and a Wing before being assigned as the chief financial officer (comptroller) for Air Combat Command. During that assignment, Spencer was promoted to brigadier general and was tasked to set up a new Directorate at Air Force Materiel Command. Spencer later returned to the Pentagon where he led Air Force Budget. He ultimately became the Air Force's thirty-seventh vice chief of staff, making him one of only nine African Americans promoted to four stars. Spencer concludes his historic climb with life lessons learned on his journey from the inner city to the Pentagon.

General Larry O. Spencer USAF (Ret.), General Larry O. Spencer Usaf (ret.), General Larry O. Spencer, Usaf (ret) (Author), Calvin Robinson (Narrator)

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Scimitar into Stanley: One Soldier's Falklands War

In May 1982, Captain Roger Field, The Blues and Royals, attached to HQ 5th Infantry Brigade, sailed on the Queen Elizabeth 2 as part of the second wave to liberate the Falkland Islands. Surprised by what he saw at Brigade HQ, he started writing a diary. His journey took him to Fitzroy as the Argentinean aircraft struck the landing ships Sir Galahad and Sir Tristram. A chance meeting led him to fighting alongside the Commanding Officer of 2 Para at the Battle of Wireless Ridge. When the commander of one of the four attached armoured cars of The Blues and Royals was knocked out part way through the battle, Roger took command of that Scimitar. Next day his Scimitar was at the very tip of the spear as 2 Para and The Blues and Royals led the victorious charge into Port Stanley. ‘Revisionist’ in places and always refreshingly candid, this account is unique as it describes the War from the viewpoint of a staff officer, infanteer and armoured vehicle commander. A gripping listen.

Roger Field (Author), Kerry Hutchinson (Narrator)

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Angels in Afghanistan

During his first deployment to Afghanistan, Joseph Perez saw two angels above a friend who was about to go on a combat patrol. Moments later, his friend was struck by an Improvised Explosive Device. This was the first of several times Perez would see angels in the spiritual realm. Though he shares these experiences and his life’s journey, this book is not about him; rather, it is a message of hope and faith. Perez’s story shows that it’s okay to be a Christian no matter the circumstances. He always said if he got kicked out of the military for being open about his faith, then at least he would leave for the right reasons. It turns out it was faith and following God that got him through it.

Joseph R. Perez Jr. (Author), Joseph R. Perez Jr. (Narrator)

Audiobook

Military Audiobooks in History