Military Audiobooks | History

MRF Shadow Troop: The untold true story of top secret British military intelligence undercover opera

Some thought it stood for 'Military Reconnaissance Force', others 'Mobile Reconnaissance Force'. Many people thought it didn't exist at all . . . For decades there has been argument in the media and amongst politicians about the possible existence and extent of a shoot-to-kill policy in Northern Ireland. MRF Shadow Troop confirms there was such an agenda in the early, chaotic days of British military intervention across the Irish Sea. But amongst the mountain of speculation there is little of any accuracy or authority relating to this period. The speculation about the unit's name and mission only added to the uncertainty amongst their targets: members of the Provisional Irish Republican Army, the IRA, the provos. Simon Cursey was recruited into the Military Reaction Force-the unit's true name-in 1972. This book is his personal account of his time with the group and in it he reveals the truth about their operations-the briefings, missions, political wrangling, and government-sanctioned law-bending. MRF Shadow Troop is a fascinating, exciting but above all accurate historical text about the pioneers of counter-terrorism.

Simon Cursey (Author), Johnathan Rufus Welsh (Narrator)

Audiobook

Citizen-Surgeon: A Memoir

Citizen-Surgeon takes listeners into the otherwise inaccessible, remote, and intense world of life and surgery within a combat zone. In the backdrop of the US-led war in Afghanistan, amidst a defining US Marine Corps' offensive to conquer the Marjah region of Helmand Province, [then] US Navy Commander Paul Roach and his company-mates assemble and congeal as a medical unit in Southern California, transport from the United States to their tents in Dasht-e-Margo (the "Desert of Death") in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, and professionally execute their role as one of the few medical and surgical companies supporting this major offensive. In the course of the audiobook's events the author undergoes a transformation from being a physician in a military uniform into a military officer that happens to be a physician. The crucible effecting this change is the military offensive and his role within it. Shocking and intense, an array of critical injuries and their treatments are described in rich language that anyone, medical or non-medical alike, can absorb. Death also pervades the atmosphere; intrusive, unyielding and painful, its battlefield familiarity and personal impact is resisted, suffered, and ultimately, accepted. Citizen-Surgeon is an intimate portrayal; a chronicle; a celebration of friendship, love, success, and failure; contemporary war; and military medicine. It is an account of a slice of reality that few people are privileged to know. It reflects deeply upon the nature of personal choice and how that choice puts us where we are in life, even if we did not fully see in advance how the choice would change us. Citizen-Surgeon also explores a variant of post-traumatic stress particular to medical assets, and it reveal's one man's Chess match against it. It is a must-listen for those with a specific interest in contemporary military medicine, and for those with broader, essentially human interests in individual growth, adventure, and self-actualization.

Paul Bryan Roach (Author), Emmett Schrader (Narrator)

Audiobook

Soldiers: Great Stories of War and Peace

‘A gripping new collection from Max Hastings that puts you at the heart of the battle … Compelling’ Daily Mail ‘An unmissable read’ Sunday Times Soldiers is a very personal gathering of sparkling, gripping tales by many writers, about men and women who have borne arms, reflecting bestselling historian Max Hastings’s lifetime of studying war. It rings the changes through the centuries, between the heroic, tragic and comic; the famous and the humble. The nearly 350 stories illustrate vividly what it is like to fight in wars, to live and die as a warrior, from Greek and Roman times through to recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Here you will meet Jewish heroes of the Bible, Rome’s captain of the gate, Queen Boudicca, Joan of Arc, Cromwell, Wellington, Napoleon’s marshals, Ulysses S. Grant, George S. Patton and the modern SAS. There are tales of great writers who served in uniform including Cobbett and Tolstoy, Edward Gibbon and Siegfried Sassoon, Marcel Proust and Evelyn Waugh, George Orwell and George MacDonald Fraser. Here are also stories of the female ‘abosi’ fighters of Dahomey and heroic ambulance drivers of World War I, together with the new-age women soldiers who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. The stories reflect a change of mood towards warfare through the ages: though nations and movements continue to inflict terrible violence upon each other, most of humankind has retreated from the old notion of war as a sport or pastime, to acknowledge it as the supreme tragedy. This is a book to inspire in turn fascination, excitement, horror, amazement, occasionally laughter. Max Hastings mingles respect for the courage of those who fight with compassion for those who become their victims, above all civilians, and especially in the twenty-first century, which some are already calling ‘the Post-Heroic Age’.

Max Hastings (Author), Ric Jerrom (Narrator)

Audiobook

And We Go On: A Memoir of the Great War

In the autumn of 1915 Will Bird was working on a farm in Saskatchewan when the ghost of his brother Stephen, killed by German mines in France, appeared before him in uniform. Rattled, Bird rushed home to Nova Scotia and enlisted in the army to take his dead brother's place. And We Go On is a remarkable and harrowing memoir of his two years in the trenches of the Western Front, from October 1916 until the Armistice. When it first appeared in 1930, Bird's memoir was hailed by many veterans as the most authentic account of the war experience, uncompromising in its portrayal of the horror and savagery, while also honouring the bravery, camaraderie, and unexpected spirituality that flourished among the enlisted men. Written in part as a reaction to anti-war novels such as All Quiet on the Western Front, which Bird criticized for portraying the soldier as 'a coarse-minded, profane creature, seeking only the solace of loose women or the courage of strong liquor,' And We Go On is a nuanced response to the trauma of war, suffused with an interest in the spiritual and the paranormal not found in other war literature. Long out of print, it is a true lost classic that arguably influenced numerous works in the Canadian literary canon, including novels by Robertson Davies and Timothy Findley. In an introduction and afterword, David Williams illuminates Bird's work by placing it within the genre of Great War literature and by discussing the book's publication history and reception.

Will R. Bird (Author), Nick Allan (Narrator)

Audiobook

El Arte de la Guerra

El Arte de la Guerra es un libro escrito por el General y Estratega militar Sun Tzu hace aproximadamente 2,500 años en la antigua China, aunque el libro fue escrito inicialmente para tácticas de guerra, gracias a sus instrucciones claras, directas, sencillas y aplicables; actualmente se usa para un sin fin de diversos asuntos, como: económicos,personales, políticos y hasta espirituales, El Arte de la Guerra es sin duda un audio libro clásico y a temporal.

Sun Tzu (Author), Armando Hernandez (Narrator)

Audiobook

SBS – Silent Warriors: The Authorised Wartime History

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER ‘A terrific book … It really is one of the most enjoyable histories I’ve read in many a year’ JAMES HOLLAND ‘An absolute must-read if you are a fan of derring-do and Andy McNab. I am going to be telling everyone to buy it’ ROB RINDER, TALK RADIO THE FIRST AUTHORISED HISTORY OF THE SBS. Britain’s SBS – or Special Boat Service – was the world’s first maritime special operations unit. Founded in the dark days of 1940, it started as a small and inexperienced outfit that leaned heavily on volunteers’ raw courage and boyish enthusiasm. It went on to change the course of the Second World War – and has served as a model for special forces ever since. The fledgling unit’s first mission was a daring beach reconnaissance of Rhodes in the spring of 1941. Over the next four years, the SBS and its affiliates would carry out many more spectacular operations in the Mediterranean, the Atlantic, the Channel and the Far East. These missions – including Operation Frankton, the daredevil attempt by the ‘Cockleshell Heroes’ to paddle up the Garonne river and sink Axis ships in Bordeaux harbour – were some of the most audacious and legendary of the war. Paddling flimsy canoes, and armed only with knives, pistols and a few sub-machine guns, this handful of brave and determined men operated deep behind enemy lines in the full knowledge that if caught they might be executed. Many were. Yet their many improbable achievements – destroying enemy ships and infrastructure, landing secret agents, tying up enemy forces, spreading fear and uncertainty, and, most importantly, preparing the ground for D-Day – helped to make an Allied victory possible. Written with the full cooperation of the modern SBS – the first time this ultra-secretive unit has given its seal of approval to any book – and exclusive access to its archives, SBS: Silent Warriors allows Britain’s original special forces to emerge from the shadows and take their proper and deserved place in our island story.

Saul David (Author), John Hopkins (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Making of Oliver Cromwell

The first volume in a pioneering account of Oliver Cromwell-providing a major new interpretation of one of the greatest figures in history Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658)-the only English commoner to become the overall head of state-is one of the great figures of history, but his character was very complex. He was at once courageous and devout, devious and self-serving; as a parliamentarian, he was devoted to his cause; as a soldier, he was ruthless. Cromwell's speeches and writings surpass in quantity those of any other ruler of England before Victoria and, for those seeking to understand him, he has usually been taken at his word. In this remarkable new work, Ronald Hutton untangles the facts from the fiction. Cromwell, pursuing his devotion to God and cementing his Puritan support base, quickly transformed from obscure provincial to military victor. At the end of the first English Civil War, he was poised to take power. Hutton reveals a man who was both genuine in his faith and deliberate in his dishonesty-and uncovers the inner workings of the man who has puzzled biographers for centuries.

Ronald Hutton (Author), Michael Page (Narrator)

Audiobook

Luftwaffe Aces in the Battle of Britain

The term 'fighter ace' grew in prominence with the introduction and development of aerial combat in the First World War. The actual number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an 'ace' has varied but is usually considered to be five or more. For the Luftwaffe, a number of its fighter pilots, many of whom had fought with the Legion Condor in Spain, had already gained their Experte, or ace, status in the Battle of France. However, many more would achieve that status in the hectic dogfights over southern England and the Channel during the Battle of Britain in the summer of 1940. A number would also be either killed or captured. Some of these men, individuals such as Adolf Galland, Werner Mölders, and Helmut Wick, who between them had claimed 147 aerial victories by October 31, 1940, are well-known, but most are less so. In this book, the story of each of the Luftwaffe's 204 Messerschmitt Bf 109 'aces' from the summer of 1940 is examined, with all of the individual biographies, detailing individual fates during the war. It also covers, to a lesser extent, those forgotten fifty-three Messerschmitt Bf 110 pilots who also achieved ace status by day and also by night between July 10 and October 31, 1940.

Chris Goss (Author), Bruce Mann (Narrator)

Audiobook

Peace and Prisoners of War: A South Vietnamese Memoir of the Vietnam War

American discussions of the Vietnam War tend to gloss over the period from 1972 to the final North Vietnamese offensive in 1975. But these were brutal times for America's South Vietnamese allies combined with a period of intense diplomatic negotiations conducted under the increasing reality that America had abandoned them. In Peace and Prisoners of War, written in 'real-time' as events occurred, Phan Nhat Nam provides a unique window into the harsh combat that followed America's withdrawal and the hopelessness of South Vietnam's attempt to stave off an eventual communist victory. Phan Nhat Nam saw the war for years as a combat soldier in one of South Vietnam's most respected airborne divisions, then as the country's most respected war reporter, and for fourteen years after the war as a prisoner in Hanoi's infamous 're-education' camps, including eight years in solitary confinement. In the war's aftermath anonymity became his fate both inside Vietnam and here in America. But now one of his important works is available, enhanced by an introduction by Senator James Webb, one of the most decorated Marines in the Vietnam War. Phan's reporting makes clear the sense of doom that foretold the tragic events to come, on the battlefields and in the frustration of negotiating with an implacable enemy while abandoned by its foremost ally.

Phan Nhat Nam (Author), David Shih (Narrator)

Audiobook

Watchman at the Gates: A Soldier's Journey from Berlin to Bosnia

General George Joulwan played a role in many pivotal world events during his long and exceptional career. Present at both the rise and fall of the Berlin Wall, he served multiple tours in Germany during the Cold War and two tours in Vietnam. By chance, he was recruited as Nixon's White House deputy chief of staff and witnessed the last acts of the Watergate drama first-hand. Joulwan chronicles his career in the upper echelons of the armed forces. He shares his experiences working with major military and political figures, including generals William E. DePuy, Alexander Haig, John Vessey, and Colin Powell, US ambassador Richard Holbrooke, and presidents Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, and Bill Clinton. Beyond the battlefield, Joulwan became an advocate for military and civilian relations during the Vietnam War, deescalating several high-intensity situations while studying at Loyola University as part of the US Army's Option C program. Watchman at the Gates merges memory and lessons in leadership as Joulwan pays tribute to his teachers and colleagues and explains the significance of their influence on his personal approach to command. He also reveals how similar relationships of mutual understanding were crucial in his peaceful and productive dealings with both allies and enemies.

General George Joulwan (Author), Malcolm Hillgartner (Narrator)

Audiobook

Commanding the Pacific: Marine Corps Generals in World War II

The Marine Corps covered itself in glory in World War II with victories over the Japanese in hard-fought battles such as Guadalcanal, Tarawa, and Iwo Jima. While these battles are well known, those who led the Marines into them have remained obscure until now. In Commanding the Pacific: Marine Corps Generals in World War II, Stephen R. Taaffe analyzes the fifteen high-level Marine generals who led the Corps' six combat divisions and two corps in the conflict. He concludes that these leaders played an indispensable role in organizing, training, and leading their men to victory. Taaffe insists there was nothing inevitable about the Marine Corps' success in World War II. In most of its battles on small Pacific War islands, Marine generals had neither the option nor inclination to engage in sophisticated tactics, but they instead relied on direct frontal assaults that resulted in heavy casualties. Such losses against targets of often questionable strategic value sometimes called into question the Marine Corps' doctrine, mission, and the quality of its combat generals. Despite these difficulties, Marine combat commanders repeatedly overcame challenges and fulfilled their missions. Their ability to do so does credit to the Corps and demonstrates that these generals deserve more attention from historians than they have so far received.

Stephen R. Taaffe (Author), Asa Siegel (Narrator)

Audiobook

Con una granada en la boca

Extraordinaria investigación sobre el narcotráfico, sus historias, sus consecuencias, sicarios y víctimas. Del reconocido periodista Javier Valdez Cárdenas. De Javier Valdez Cárdenas, Premio Internacional a la Libertad de Expresión. Sin duda, el mejor escritor de México en temas relacionados con el narcotráfico y delincuencia organizada. Implacable, profundamente humano, sin reparos en la indagación periodística, Javier Valdez Cárdenas es uno de los periodistas sobre narcotráfico más respetados en México. En Con una granada en la boca elabora un recuento de los daños sincero, doloroso y sin reparos en el ofrecimiento de sus testimonios terribles; apoyado en la opinión de analistas y expertos como Ricardo Ravelo, Paco Ignacio Taibo II y Luis Astorga, mezcla el dato duro y los sentimientos de sicarios y víctimas. En estas páginas sus reportajes hablan del dolor de una mujer con una granada en la boca, del hermano perdido en el vicio de la droga o de la humillación a las víctimas por parte de narcos o militares. Con este libro Javier Valdez confirma por qué su trabajo también es seguido con admiración en el ámbito internacional y cómo su escritura audaz y violenta, sin soslayar el sufrimiento y la entereza de la condición humana, le han dado un sitio de prestigio entre los periodistas latinoamericanos contemporáneos.

Javier Valdez Cárdenas (Author), Fernando álvarez Rebeil (Narrator)

Audiobook

Military Audiobooks in History