Military Audiobooks | History

Convoy Escort Commander: A Memoir of the Battle of the Atlantic

Vice Admiral Sir Peter Gretton's book is a brilliant account of his career in the navy through World War Two: fighting in the Second Battle of the Narvik and guarding convoys in the Mediterranean and the North Atlantic, before being placed in charge of Escort Group B7, which he described as 'the finest job in the Navy for a new commander.' It was in this role that Gretton, and the seven warships under his command, were able to make their contribution to turning the tide against the U-boat threat. On April 22, 1943, Gretton was in charge of the escort for Convoy ONS 5 during its journey across the North Atlantic. Over the course of the voyage they were attacked by over fifty U-boats, and although they lost thirteen ships they managed to sink six U-boats and seriously damage many more. The U-boats had never faced such fierce resistance to their lethal raids. What tactics had Gretton used to fend off Doenitz's terrifying submarine wolf packs? And how had these strategies developed over the course of the war? Convoy Escort Commander demonstrates how Allied commanders searched for new methods to repel U-boat assaults, including using direction-finding radio and radar, employing special tactical formations, coordinating with air cover, and endeavoring to keep the convoy together and prevent straggling.

Sir Peter Gretton (Author), James Cameron Stewart (Narrator)

Audiobook

Adolf Hitler: Zijn opkomst aan de macht, zijn visie en zijn leiderschap tijdens het naziregime (Dutc

Ik weet zeker dat je weleens hebt gehoord van een van de meest moorddadige mannen in de geschiedenis, de persoon die we in dit boek zullen bespreken: Adolf Hitler. Als iemand een slechte totalitaire dictator beschrijft, wordt zijn naam normaal gesproken wel degelijk besproken. Laten we eens kijken naar de bijzonderheden van zijn leven en de situaties waarin hij leefde, wat hij deed en hoe hij zo berucht werd in de donkerste hoofdstukken van de menselijke geschiedenis. Adolf Hitler was een in Oostenrijk geboren Duitse politieke leider die Duitsland regeerde van 1933 tot aan zijn dood in het jaar 1945. Hij kreeg bekendheid als leider van de nazi-partij, aanvankelijk als kanselier in het jaar 1933 en daarna als Führer und Reichskanzler in het jaar 1934. Hij begon de Tweede Wereldoorlog in Europa tijdens zijn dictatuur door Polen aan te vallen op 1 september, in het jaar 1939. Gedurende de hele oorlog was hij volledig betrokken bij legeroperaties en speelde hij een sleutelrol in de Holocaust, de moord van ongeveer 6 miljoen Joden en talloze andere slachtoffers.

Robert De Vriezen (Author), Gustaaf Wijchers (Narrator)

Audiobook

William Wallace: The History, Facts, and Fight for Freedom of a Scottish Hero

The Film 'Braveheart' has it right on some points but does a bad job with historic precision with others, most likely because they're just attempting to dramatize a Hollywood film, not promoting dull precision. Let's see what info we can learn from history about the real William Wallace. William Wallace was a Scottish knight. In order to comprehend the impact of that time's knight civilization and roles, we will discuss the idea itself. We will also discuss the brutal reign of Edward I of England, the sadistic murder of William Wallace (worse than you might think), and several other factors contributing to his capture, his resistance, and his following.

Kelly Mass (Author), Doug Greene (Narrator)

Audiobook

Scottish History: William Wallace, Independence, and Incidents in the History of Scotland

This book consists of two titles: Book 1: Scotland is an old country with an ancient history. There is no doubt about that. Many traditions, words, symbols, and other cultural aspects we see as normal today, originate from Scotland. Scotland's documented history started with the Roman Empire's entryway in the first century, when the province of Britannia broadened as far north as the Antonine Wall. Caledonia, to the north, was home to the Picti, whose uprisings drove Rome's armies back to Hadrian's Wall. As Rome withdrew from Britain, the Scoti, a group of Gaelic pirates, started colonizing Western Scotland and Wales. Ancient Scotland saw the Neolithic Age around 4000 BC, the Bronze Age around 2000 BC, and the Iron Age around 700 BC before the arrival of the Romans. Book 2: The Film 'Brave Heart' has it right on some points but does a bad job with historic precision with others, most likely because they're just attempting to dramatize a Hollywood film, not promoting dull precision. Let's see what info we can learn from history about the real William Wallace. William Wallace was a Scottish knight. In order to comprehend the impact of that time's knight civilization and roles, we will discuss the idea itself. We will also discuss the brutal reign of Edward I of England, the sadistic murder of William Wallace (worse than you might think), and several other factors contributing to his capture, his resistance, and his following.

Kelly Mass (Author), Doug Greene (Narrator)

Audiobook

Nor Fish, Nor Fowl: From Deckhand to Flight Lieutenant: The Story of a Merchant Navy seaman in the R

In 1934, after five years travelling the world as a Merchant Seaman, my father, aged 21, enlisted in the British Royal Air Force to escape the Depression. Entering the Marine Branch, he swapped big ships for small fast boats - Seaplane Tenders, Armoured Target Boats and High Speed Launches. In 1940, when the Air Sea Rescue service was formed, he joined the crew of High Speed Launch 102 (now fully restored and based at Portsmouth) as a Coxswain, stationed at Blyth. Three busy years on the 'Spitfires of the Sea' followed, before his leg was 'smashed' in heavy seas. On recovery, he spent time in the Faroe Islands and in the English Channel, after 'D-Day', and before being commissioned. The war's end found him in West Africa. After VJ Day he was demobbed, then recalled and posted to Egypt. After a brief unhappy spell in 'Civvy Street', he re-enlisted in the RAF as an acting corporal. First on the scene when HSL 2555 blew up, he was commended and subsequently carried the RAF ensign at the 1950 Battle of Britain celebrations in Paris, France. On return to the UK he was once again commissioned. In Malta, during the Suez Crisis, he supervised a flying boat airlift of families and service personnel through Malta as the Canal Zone was evacuated. Later, serving in Cold War Germany, he skippered German boats with mixed German/British crews and was present when the Unit was handed back to the Germans. In 1961, aged just 48, injuries forced his retirement from the RAF. Now, fittingly narrated by my actor daughter, this book reveals a great deal of the little known story of the RAF Marine Branch, its boats and the life of a British serviceman's family in war and peace.

Colin Yorke (Author), Joanna Swan (Narrator)

Audiobook

Unspoken: A Father's Wartime Escape. A Son's Family Discovered

Growing up in Waterford, Tom McGrath never noticed the odd gaps in the stories of his parents' lives before he was born; it was only many years after they died that he uncovered the unspoken truths, which did so much to explain the people they had been. Here he tells the incredible true story of his father's conscription into the British Army, his escape from a prisoner-of-war camp in Poland, his daring journey across Europe and subsequent recapture – and the devastating news that awaited him in England. Tom's research also led him to discover that his mother also carried a heartbreaking secret. In writing this book Tom not only recreated his father's nail-biting escape but also embarked on a journey of his own to reconnect with previously unknown family members in order to piece together an extraordinarily rare tale that encompasses memoir, family history, and the parallel stories, which were almost lost for ever, of his parents' lives of desperate hardship.

Tom Mcgrath (Author), Mark Lambert, Tom Mcgrath (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Restless Republic: Britain without a Crown

‘A dazzling achievement’ SUNDAY TIMES ‘An exceptional book about an exceptional time’ JOHN ADAMSON ‘Never have the kingless years been made so vivid, and never has vividness contributed so much to the understanding of them’ BLAIR WORDEN, TLS In 1649 Britain was engulfed by revolution. On a raw January afternoon, the Stuart king, Charles I, was executed for treason. Within weeks the English monarchy had been abolished and the ‘useless and dangerous’ House of Lords discarded. The people, it was announced, were now the sovereign force in the land. What this meant, and where it would lead, no one knew. The Restless Republic is the story of the extraordinary decade that followed. It takes as its guides the people who lived through those years. Among them is Anna Trapnel, the daughter of a Deptford shipwright whose visions transfixed the nation. John Bradshaw, the Cheshire lawyer who found himself trying the King. Marchamont Nedham, the irrepressible newspaper man and puppet master of propaganda. Gerrard Winstanley, who strove for a Utopia of common ownership where no one went hungry. William Petty, the precocious scientist whose mapping of Ireland prefaced the dispossession of tens of thousands. And the indomitable Countess of Derby who defended to the last the final Royalist stronghold on the Isle of Man. The Restless Republic ranges from London to Leith, Cornwall to Connacht, from the corridors of power to the common fields and hillsides. Gathering her cast of trembling visionaries and banished royalists, dextrous mandarins and bewildered bystanders, Anna Keay brings to vivid life the most extraordinary and experimental decade in Britain’s history. It is the story of how these tempestuous years set the British Isles on a new course, and of what happened when a conservative people tried revolution.

Anna Keay (Author), Lucy Treagar, Lucy Tregear (Narrator)

Audiobook

One Party After Another: The Disruptive Life of Nigel Farage

'Enormously readable...excellent' Dominic Sandbrook, Sunday Times 'A superb piece of thorough journalism' David Aaronovitch, The Times Nigel Farage is arguably one of the most influential British politicians of the 21st century. His campaign to take the UK out of the EU began as a minority and extreme point of view, but in June 2016 it became the official policy of the nation after a divisive referendum. In Michael Crick's brilliant new biography, One Party After Another, we find out how he did it, despite never once managing to get elected to Parliament. Farage left public school at the age of 16 to go and work in the City, but in the 1990s he was drawn into politics, joining UKIP. Ironically, it was the electoral system for the European Parliament that gave him access to a platform, and he was elected an MEP in 1999. His everyman persona, combined with a natural ability as a maverick and outspoken performer on TV, ensured that he garnered plenty of media attention. His message resonated in ways that rattled the major parties - especially the Conservatives - and suddenly the UK's membership of the EU was up for debate. Controversy was never far away, with accusations of racism against the party and various scandals. But, having helped secure the referendum, Farage was largely sidelined by the successful official Brexit campaign. When Parliament struggled to find a way to leave, Farage created the Brexit Party to ensure Britain did eventually leave the EU early in 2020. Crick's compelling new study takes the reader into the heart of Farage's story, assessing his methods, uncovering remarkable hidden details and builds to an unmissable portrait of one of the most controversial characters in modern British politics.

Michael Crick (Author), Richard Attlee (Narrator)

Audiobook

In Search of Mary Seacole: The Making of a Cultural Icon

'An astonishingly rich story... wonderfully informative' The Times 'Rappaport does a terrific job of bringing respectful rigour to her account of Seacole's extraordinary life' Daily Mail In Search of Mary Seacole is a superb and revealing biography that explores her remarkable achievements and unique status as an icon of the 19th century, but also corrects some of the myths that have grown around her life and career. Having been raised in Jamaica and worked in Panama, Mary Seacole came to England in the 1850s and volunteered to help out during the Crimean War. When her services were turned down, she financed her own expedition to Balaclava, where she earned her reputation as a nurse and for her compassion. Popularly known as 'Mother Seacole', she was the most famous Black celebrity of her generation - an extraordinary achievement in Victorian Britain. She regularly mixed with illustrious royal and military patrons and they, along with grateful war veterans, helped her recover financially when she faced bankruptcy. However, after her death in 1881, she was largely forgotten for many years. More recently, her profile has been revived and her reputation lionised, with a statue of her standing outside St Thomas's Hospital in London and her portrait - rediscovered by the author - is now on display in the National Portrait Gallery. In Search of Mary Seacole is the fruit of almost twenty years of research by Helen Rappaport into her story. The book reveals the truth about Seacole's personal life and her 'rivalry' with Florence Nightingale, along with much more besides. Often the reality proves to be even more remarkable and dramatic than the legend.

Helen Rappaport (Author), Helen Rappaport (Narrator)

Audiobook

Five Nickels: True Story of the Desert Storm Heroics and Sacrifice of Air Force Captain Steve Philli

On February 15, 1991, Captain Steve Phillis was leading his wingman, Lieutenant Rob Sweet, on their thirtieth combat mission of Desert Storm flying the A-10 Warthog. They were tasked with attacking Iraq's vaunted Medina Division of the Republican Guards-by far their most dangerous mission of the war. Near the end of their attacks, Rob was forced to eject from his aircraft and began a five-minute parachute ride down to the troops he and Steve had just finished bombing. Steve, an experienced combat search and rescue pilot and distinguished graduate of the Air Force Fighter Weapons School, immediately sprang into action to save the life of his wingman. After spending three minutes and forty-five seconds circling Sweet, Steve's A-10 was hit by an enemy surface-to-air missile. Five Nickels: True Story of the Desert Storm Heroics and Sacrifice of Air Force Captain Steve Phillis is a love story. Steve loved his family, fiancee, fellow fighter pilots, country, wingman, and life. Yet he was willing to risk them all to fight-and if necessary, die-for what he believed in. Steve's story-from Rock Island, Illinois, to the Air Force Academy, to his life as an A-10 fighter pilot-is the stuff of heroes.

Jim 'boots' Demarest (Author), Tom Parks (Narrator)

Audiobook

Wo sind sie geblieben: Ein Soldatenschicksal an der Ostfront

1943 tobt in Tscherkassy eine Kesselschlacht. Unter den Soldaten der deutschen Wehrmacht befindet sich Feldwebel Martin Hajek. Was er bis zum Kriegsende in Russland erlebt, die Gefechte am Bug und der schier aussichtslose Kampf mit dem unerbittlichen, grausamen Winter, wird in diesem aufwühlenden und zugleich packenden Roman erzählt. Tod und Verwundung sind ständig präsent, doch die Hoffnung auf eine Rückkehr nach Hause und die Menschlichkeit in einer unmenschlichen Zeit lassen die Soldaten durchhalten.

F. John-Ferrer (Author), Klaus G. Förg (Narrator)

Audiobook

Dutch History: The Age of Change in the Netherlands

The following topics will be discussed in this combo of books: 1: In this book, we will shed more light on the Batavians, a people in history with much bravery, innovation, and determination to form a republic with freedom for its citizens, with opposing enemies they resisted. The Republic of the 7 United Netherlands was followed by the Batavian Republic. It started on January nineteenth, 1795, and ended on June fifth, 1806, with Louis I's succession to the Dutch throne. The political, financial, and social modifications that took place at the time of the Batavian Republic's short existence have left an enduring mark. The old Dutch Republic's confederal structure was completely changed by a unitary state. The constitution of 1798, which was developed for the first time in Dutch history, was really democratic. 2: The Netherlands had a great century in the 1600s, until it all ended about three-fourths along the way. Trading was all around, business was good. Their vast empire that reached across the world made money from spices, raw materials, metals, and so much more, with an extensive network of ships, merchants, and an entire army fleet. The Dutch Golden Era was a time in Dutch history varying circa from 1588 (the start of the Dutch Republic) to 1672 (the 'Catastrophe Year'), throughout which Dutch trade, science, and art, and the Dutch armed force, were amongst the world's best. The Eighty Years' War, which ended in 1648, controls the first area. 3: Undoubtedly, Napoleon, the French revolutionist and emperor has left his mark on European history. His vast empire stretched all over the continent, his unique image and posture have been emulated by many, and his infamous defeat in Russia was a precursor of the defeat Hitler experienced for similar reasons.

Kelly Mass (Author), Chris Newman, Doug Greene (Narrator)

Audiobook

Military Audiobooks in History