Military Audiobooks | History

Finding Amelia: The True Story of the Earhart Disappearance

In the seventy years since the disappearance of Amelia Earhart and her navigator Fred Noonan during a flight over the Central Pacific, their fate has remained one of history's most debated mysteries despite dozens of books offering solutions. This book is different. It draws on thousands of never before published primary source documents to present a narrative that corrects decades of misconception. Ric Gillespie offers a very realistic picture of Earhart, her attempted world flight, the events surrounding her disappearance, and the U.S. government’s failed attempt to find her. Scrupulously accurate yet thrilling to read, the book is based on information uncovered by the International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery (TIGHAR). Gillespie, TIGHAR's executive director and a former aviation accident investigator, notes that he does not argue for a particular theory but supports the hypothesis that Earhart and Noonan died as castaways on a remote Pacific atoll.

Ric Gillespie (Author), Mike Lenz (Narrator)

Audiobook

A Sacred Oath: Memoirs of a Secretary of Defense During Extraordinary Times

Former Secretary of Defense Mark T. Esper reveals the shocking details of his tumultuous tenure while serving in the Trump administration. From June of 2019 until his firing by President Trump after the November 2020 election, Secretary Mark T. Esper led the Department of Defense through an unprecedented time in history—a period marked by growing threats and conflict abroad, a global pandemic unseen in a century, the greatest domestic unrest in two generations, and a White House seemingly bent on breaking accepted norms and conventions for political advantage. A Sacred Oath is Secretary Esper’s unvarnished and candid memoir of those extraordinary and dangerous times, and includes events and moments never before told. Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

Mark T. Esper (Author), Joe Knezevich (Narrator)

Audiobook

Patton's Payback: The Battle of El Guettar and General Patton's Rise to Glory

A stirring World War II combat story of how the legendary George Patton reinvigorated a defeated and demoralized army corps, and how his men claimed victory over Germany's most-feared general, Erwin Rommel "Moore brings you to the battlefield and into the mind of a fearless military genius."-Brian Kilmeade, bestselling author of The President and the Freedom Fighter • "Essential reading."-Kevin Maurer, #1 NYT bestselling coauthor of No Easy Day • "[Moore] has a smooth prose style and a firm grasp of detail."-The Wall Street Journal In March 1943, in their first fight with the Germans, American soldiers in North Africa were pushed back fifty miles by Rommel's Afrika Korps and nearly annihilated. Only the German decision not to pursue them allowed the Americans to maintain a foothold in the area. General Eisenhower, the supreme commander, knew he needed a new leader on the ground, one who could raise the severely damaged morale of his troops. He handed the job to a new man: Lieutenant General George Patton. Charismatic, irreverent, impulsive, and inspiring, Patton possessed a massive ego and the ambition to match. But he could motivate men to fight. He had just ten days to whip his dispirited troops into shape, then throw them into battle against the Wehrmacht's terrifying Panzers, the speedy and powerful German tanks that U.S. forces had never defeated. Patton, who believed he had fought as a Roman legionnaire in a previous life, relished the challenge to turn the tide of America's fledgling war against Hitler-and the chance to earn a fourth star.

Stephen L. Moore (Author), Johnny Heller (Narrator)

Audiobook

Who Can Hold the Sea: The U.S. Navy in the Cold War 1945-1960

A close-up, action-filled narrative about the crucial role the U.S. Navy played in the early years of the Cold War, from the New York Times bestselling author of The Fleet at Flood Tide "James D. Hornfischer, the dean of American naval historians, has written a book of dizzying sweep and uncommon ambition."-Hampton Sides, author of Ghost Soldiers This landmark account of the U.S. Navy in the Cold War, Who Can Hold the Sea combines narrative history with scenes of stirring adventure on-and under-the high seas. In 1945, at the end of World War II, the victorious Navy sends its sailors home and decommissions most of its warships. But this peaceful interlude is short-lived, as Stalin, America's former ally, makes aggressive moves in Europe and the Far East. Winston Churchill crystallizes the growing Communist threat by declaring the existence of "the Iron Curtain," and the Truman Doctrine is set up to contain Communism by establishing U.S. military bases throughout the world. Set against this background of increasing Cold War hostility, Who Can Hold the Sea paints the dramatic rise of the Navy's crucial postwar role in a series of exciting episodes that include the controversial tests of the A-bombs that were dropped on warships at Bikini Island; the invention of sonar and the developing science of undersea warfare; the Navy's leading part in key battles of the Korean War; the dramatic sinking of the submarine USS Cochino in the Norwegian Sea; the invention of the nuclear submarine and the dangerous, first-ever cruise of the USS Nautilus under the North Pole; and the growth of the modern Navy with technological breakthroughs such as massive aircraft carriers, and cruisers fitted with surface-to-air missiles. As in all of Hornfischer's works, the events unfold in riveting detail. The story of the Cold War at sea is ultimately the story of America's victorious contest to protect the free world.

James D. Hornfischer (Author), Christopher Newton, Sharon Hornfischer (Narrator)

Audiobook

Valor: The Astonishing World War II Saga of One Man's Defiance and Indomitable Spirit

Valor is the magnificent story of a genuine American hero who survived the fall of the Philippines and brutal captivity under the Japanese, from New York Times bestselling author Dan Hampton. Lieutenant William Frederick “Bill” Harris was 25 years old when captured by Japanese forces during the Battle of Corregidor in May 1942. This son of a decorated Marine general escaped from hell on earth by swimming eight hours through a shark-infested bay; but his harrowing ordeal had just begun. Shipwrecked on the southern coast of the Philippines, he was sheltered by a Filipino aristocrat, engaged in guerilla fighting, and eventually set off through hostile waters to China. After 29 days of misadventures and violent storms, Harris and his crew limped into a friendly fishing village in the southern Philippines. Evading and fighting for months, he embarked on another agonizing voyage to Australia, but was betrayed by treacherous islanders and handed over to the Japanese. Held for two years in the notorious Ofuna prisoner-of-war camp outside Yokohama, Harris was continuously starved, tortured, and beaten, but he never surrendered. Teaching himself Japanese, he eavesdropped on the guards and created secret codes to communicate with fellow prisoners. After liberation on August 30, 1945, Bill represented American Marine POWs during the Japanese surrender in Tokyo Bay before joining his father and flying to a home he had not seen in four years. Valor is a riveting new look at the Pacific War. Through military documents, personal photos, and an unpublished memoir provided by his daughter, Harris’ experiences are dramatically revealed through his own words in the expert hands of bestselling author and retired fighter pilot Dan Hampton. This is the stunning and captivating true story of an American hero. A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin's Press.

Dan Hampton (Author), John Pruden (Narrator)

Audiobook

Team America: Patton, MacArthur, Marshall, Eisenhower, and the World They Forged

From national bestselling author and acclaimed military historian Robert L. O’Connell, a dynamic history of four military leaders whose extraordinary leadership and strategy led the United States to success during World War I and beyond. By the first half of the twentieth century, technology had transformed warfare into a series of intense bloodbaths in which the line between soldiers and civilians was obliterated, resulting in the deaths of one hundred million people. During this period, four men exhibited unparalleled military leadership that led the United States victoriously through two World Wars: Douglas MacArthur, George Patton, George Marshall, and Dwight “Ike” Eisenhower; or, as bestselling author Robert O’Connell calls them, Team America. O’Connell captures these men’s unique charisma as he chronicles the path each forged—from their upbringings to their educational experiences to their storied military careers—experiences that shaped them into majestic leaders who would play major roles in saving the free world and preserving the security of the United States in times of unparalleled danger. O’Connell shows how the lives of these men—all born within the span of a decade—twisted around each other like a giant braid in time. Throughout their careers, they would use each other brilliantly in a series of symbiotic relationships that would hold increasingly greater consequences. At the end of their star-studded careers (twenty-four out of a possible twenty-five), O’Connell concludes that what set Team America apart was not their ability to wield the proverbial sword, but rather their ability to plot strategy, give orders, and inspire others. The key ingredients to their success was mental agility, a gravitas that masked their intensity, and an almost intuitive understanding of how armies in the millions actually functioned and fought. Without the leadership of these men, O’Connell makes clear, the world we know would be vastly different. Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

Robert L. O'Connell, Robert L. O'connell (Author), Malcolm Hillgartner (Narrator)

Audiobook

The 56: Liberty Lessons From Those Who Risked All to Sign The Declaration of Independence

Read why the historical account of the 56 Signers of The Declaration of Independence and the story behind the 4th of July are so critically important … before they and the 4th of July are banned from American society. The urgent need to honor the 56 Signers of The Declaration of Independence came to Douglas MacKinnon, fittingly enough, on the 4th of July.While doing research for a column meant to remind the American people of that date’s critical importance, he came across example after example of those from the Left and the Far-Left—be they in the mainstream media, activists, or anarchists—calling for not only the “canceling” of the 4th of July, but the continued smearing, censorship, and canceling of our Founding Fathers. One overriding thought then filled his mind: “What if they are successful?” Those who believe such totalitarian censorship could never come to be in the United States of America need only review how quickly and brutally many on the Left were able to create the “Woke Cancel Culture” to silence those they oppose today. Now they come for Thomas Jefferson, Richard Henry Lee, Benjamin Franklin and others who courageously signed The Declaration of Independence. That document and those men created our history. History which should never bebent, twisted, censored, or banned to fit any ideological narrative. If it is good, let us praise it. If it is bad, let us condemn it and learn from it. But let us never twist, censor, or cancel it. And yet, more and more followers of the Left want to do just that. As they control the media, academia, entertainment, science, and medicine … who is to stop them? Time is of the essence. We must find our voices. The 56 left the blueprint: Liberty.

Douglas Mackinnon (Author), Mike Chamberlain (Narrator)

Audiobook

Slaughter in Ukraine: 1941 Battle for Kyiv and Campaign to Capture Moscow

' Putin is making the same mistakes that doomed Hitler when he invaded the Soviet Union.' – Reviewer A Gripping and Riveting Short History of Operation Barbarossa In just four weeks in the summer of 1941, the German Wehrmacht wrought unprecedented destruction on four Soviet armies. They conquered central Ukraine, killing or capturing three-quarters of a million men. This is an informative and insightful military history of the Battles of Kyiv and Leningrad as well as Hitler's march on Moscow. This was one of the largest and most decisive battles of World War II and, for Hitler and Stalin, a battle of crucial importance. Daniel Wrinn charts the battle's dramatic course and aftermath, uncovering the irreplaceable losses suffered by Germany's 'panzer groups' despite their battlefield gains, and the implications of these losses for the German war effort.

Daniel Wrinn (Author), Gary Williams (Narrator)

Audiobook

Agent Twister: The True Story Behind the Scandal that Gripped the Nation

He lived a double-life in the sixties Faked his own death in the seventies And retained his cover in the eighties A period thriller with powerful political and espionage themes, Agent Twister is the remarkable story behind one of the greatest scandals of the 1970s, told in full for the first time. If you think you know the true story of John Stonehouse - think again. It's November 1974 and John Stonehouse MP, once a star in Harold Wilson's Labour government, is missing in Miami, presumed drowned. His disappearance exposes the most lurid details of his life, including identity fraud, corporate corruption, a love triangle, blackmail, links with the Mafia and a decade-long career as a Soviet spy. The public are gripped by this story, happy to forget the strikes, IRA bombs and rising prices that are making daily life a misery. On Christmas Eve, Stonehouse is tracked down in Melbourne, Australia, where he is suspected of being that other missing Englishman, Lord Lucan. The comic absurdity of the story is offset by claims of a mental breakdown and a refusal to resign as an MP, even when he is extradited back to the UK and up on charges at the Old Bailey. For the first time, Agent Twister reveals the corporate crimes at the heart of Stonehouse's business empire, the true extent of his ten-year collusion with powerful Soviet proxies and the political consequences of his antics. It's a scandal greater than Profumo that lay buried for thirty years, with three prime ministers - Wilson, Callaghan and Thatcher - covering it up for very different reasons. Written by the makers of the Channel Four documentary The Spy Who Died Twice, Agent Twister is the first impartial account to put this extraordinary scandal in political context and reveal why John Stonehouse really disappeared.

Keely Winstone, Philip Augar (Author), Gareth Armstrong (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Letters & Journals of Lord Nelson performed by CHARLES DANCE OBE in a dramatised setting

The Letters & Journals of Lord Nelson performed by CHARLES DANCE in a dramatised setting “Letters and journals always make lively intimate listening. It is Nelson who opens up with almost shocking frankness in courteous, suddenly passionate love letters to Emma Hamilton” (The Independent) Viscount Horatio Nelson (1758-1805), known as ‘The Hero’ during his own lifetime was both an inspiring commander and an innovative tactician, becoming a rear admiral after defeating the Spanish fleet at the Battle of Cape St Vincent. He was also responsible for the great victories of the Nile (1798) and Copenhagen (1801). Revered by his officers and men, he was renowned for both his arrogance and his scandalous love affair with the beautiful Emma Hamilton. Nelson was tragically killed by a musket shot from the mizen-top of a French ship during the Battle of Trafalgar on 21st October 1805 after effecting the greatest naval victory in the history of the Royal Navy. Also available as part of the CLASSIC LETTERS & JOURNALS BOX SET, a seven-volume edition. • The Letters & Journals of Lord Nelson with CHARLES DANCE OBE • The Letters of Charlotte Bronte with IMOGEN STUBBS • Scott of the Antarctic with EDWARD FOX OBE • The Highland Journals of Queen Victoria with VIRGINIA McKENNA OBE • The Letters of Lord Byron with ROBERT POWELL • The Letters of Jane Austen with FIONA SHAW CBE • The Journals of Dorothy Wordsworth with JENNY AGUTTER OBE Abridged: Sue Rodwell Music: Robert Rigby Director: Guy Fithen Producer: Stewart Richards © & ℗ 2022 Mr Punch Audiobooks Ltd

Mr Punch (Author), Charles Dance Obe (Narrator)

Audiobook

Joey Jacobson's War: A Jewish Canadian Airman in the Second World War

In the spring of 1940 Canada sent hundreds of highly trained volunteers to serve in Britain's Royal Air Force as it began a concerted bombing campaign against Germany. Nearly half of them were killed or captured within a year. This is the story of one of those airmen, as told through his own letters and diaries as well as those of his family and friends. Joey Jacobson, a young Jewish man from Westmount on the Island of Montreal, trained as a navigator and bomb-aimer in Western Canada. On arriving in England he was assigned to No. 106 Squadron, a British unit tasked with the bombing of Germany. Joey Jacobson’s War tells, in his own words, why he enlisted, his understanding of strategy, tactics, and the effectiveness of the air war at its lowest point, how he responded to the inevitable battle stress, and how he became both a hopeful idealist and a seasoned airman. Jacobson's written legacy as a serviceman is impressive in scope and depth and provides a lively and intimate account of a Jewish Canadian's life in the air and on the ground, written in the intensity of the moment, unfiltered by the memoirist's reflection, revision, or hindsight. Accompanying excerpts from his father's diary show the maturation of the relationship between father and son in a dangerous time.

Peter J. Usher (Author), Braden Wright (Narrator)

Audiobook

God Is a Grunt: And More Good News for GIs

This eye-opening book invites readers of all political and denominational stripes into a more meaningful conversation and community with soldiers and veterans. If Jesus is God, then God is a grunt-the humble, hardy folk placed at the bottom of the social hierarchy who are relied on to accomplish the dirtiest, most difficult (and most thankless) work. This is good news for millions of Christian soldiers and veterans in the U.S. because they have had to make an impossible choice, with no perceivable middle ground, between patriot and pacifist. In his new book, God Is a Grunt, Logan Isaac offers an opportunity for GIs, veterans, and those close to them to read Christian traditions as a soldier would-by and through the lived experiences of military service. This well-researched, meditative guide for Christians who have served their country delves deep into the Bible, while Isaac shares his own beliefs and thoughts on the life-altering experiences of battle. He attempts to fill the void most Christians in the military feel by providing theological resources to discern a better way of discipleship for GIs, affirming the nuance and complexity of armed service and the gifts GIs extend to Christians around the world.

Logan M Isaac (Author), Tristan Wright (Narrator)

Audiobook

Military Audiobooks in History