Military Audiobooks | History

Nine Pairs of Boots in Vietnam: Steps to Healing Every Veteran Needs to Know

In Point Man Ministries we have a patch that says, 'not all wounds are visible.' It is a sobering reminder of the internal damage often suffered by combat veterans and others with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). I've had a story to tell from the moment I stepped back onto American soil in 1970 after serving in Vietnam for a year, but it took 50 years for that story to find the right words, and for those words to find their voice. My time in Vietnam ended in 1970, but I carried my experiences home with me like a heavy backpack full of unprocessed emotion. The ugliness of war was strapped to my back, and I carried the burden with me, unable to put it down.

Rosie J. Williams, Stephen R. Williams (Author), Phil Schoen (Narrator)

Audiobook

Dear America: Live Like It's 9/12

A U.S. Army veteran and rising star in the conservative movement makes the case that the United States should look to the country as it was on September 12th, 2001 for lessons about our future. On the day after the World Trade Center was attacked, Americans came together regardless of race, religion, or sexual orientation. We were united. On that day, nearly every store in the country sold out of American flags. After the events of the last eighteen months, from the Covid-19 pandemic to the constant attempts to divide us by race, Graham Allen believes that we should all look back on the events of 9/12 and remember what unites us. He believes that we do not all have to be the same, that it's okay not to agree on everything, but that we share a common history and a set of values. Just as the year 1776 serves as a reminder of our beginning, 9/12 will serve as a reminder of our present and future.

Graham Allen (Author), John Pruden (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Fatal Englishman: Three Short Lives

Brought to you by Penguin. Christopher Wood, a beautiful young Englishman, decided to be the greatest painter the world had seen. He went to Paris in 1921. By day he studied, by night he attended the parties of the beau monde. He knew Picasso, worked for Diaghilev and was a friend of Cocteau. In the last months of his 29-year life, he fought a ravening opium addiction to succeed in claiming a place in history of English painting. Richard Hilary, confident, handsome and unprincipled, flew Spitfires in the Battle of Britain before being shot down and horribly burned. He underwent several operations by the legendary plastic surgeon, A H McIndoe. His account of his experiences, The Last Enemy, made him famous, but not happy. He begged to be allowed to return to flying, and died mysteriously in a night training operation, aged 23. Jeremy Wolfenden was born in 1936, the son of Jack, later Lord Wolfenden. Charming, generous and witty, he was the cleverest Englishman of his generation, but left All Souls to become a hack reporter. At the height of the Cold War, he was sent to Moscow where his louche private life made him the plaything of the intelligence services. A terrifying sequence of events ended in Washington where he died at the age of 31. © Sebastian Faulks 1996 (P) Penguin Audio 2021

Sebastian Faulks (Author), James Wilby (Narrator)

Audiobook

Arctic Rescue: A Memoir of the Tragic Sinking of HMS Glorious

On the 8th June 1940, the Nazi battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau opened their guns on the aircraft-carrier HMS Glorious. Within minutes the Glorious was taking on water and the order was given to abandon ship. Hundreds of men leapt into the icy waters of the Norwegian Sea. They hoped and prayed that nearby ships would have heard their distress signal and send help. Yet, they did not come. Men were left to tread water, hold onto small inflatables, or clamber onto overcrowded lifeboats. The situation looked bleak for the few who survived the first twenty-four hours; there was nothing to eat and men resorted to drinking saltwater and their own urine to slake their thirst, but the effects of hypothermia and delirium began to take their toll. Over 1,200 men lost their lives as a result of this tragedy. Only forty men survived this ordeal, one of which was Royal Marine Ronald 'Tubby' Healiss, who served as a member of a 4.7 gun crew on the Glorious. His award-winning account is a true and terrible record of suffering, which uncovers one of the greatest undocumented naval stories of the Second World War.

Ronald Healiss (Author), Chris Macdonnell (Narrator)

Audiobook

Albanian Assignment: The Memoir of an SOE Agent in World War Two

Albanian Assignment is one of the finest special forces memoirs to come out of the Second World War. Listeners of Damien Lewis, Ben Macintyre, and Patrick Leigh Fermor will be enthralled by this book. In 1940 Winston Churchill established the Special Operations Executive to 'set Europe ablaze.' Three years later David Smiley and Billy McLean were parachuted into northern Greece and crossed the border into Albania to do just that. For the next eight months Smiley mediated between the competing resistance factions and organized them to conduct ambushes and acts of sabotage on fascist armies and infrastructure. His actions were rewarded with an immediate Military Cross, yet his work in Albania was not done. Soon after he had left the country tensions between the Albanian resistance movements had deteriorated into open conflict meaning that Smiley and McLean were once again forced to parachute into the country to reconcile the guerrilla forces whilst continuing the fight against the Nazi forces. Smiley's account of his time in Albania is a remarkable book that uncovers the operations and its difficulties of an SOE agent in one of the forgotten fronts of World War Two.

David Smiley (Author), Shaun Grindell (Narrator)

Audiobook

Diari d'Anne Frank

Aquesta és l'edició definitiva del cèlebre Diari d'Anne Frank. El seu text amplia en una quarta part les edicions anteriors i ofereix una visió completa i fidedigna de la terrible odissea viscuda durant la Segona Guerra Mundial per la família Frank Després de la invasió d'Holanda, els Frank, comerciants jueus alemanys emigrats a Amsterdam el 1933, es van amagar de la Gestapo en una mansarda connectada a l'edifici on el pare de l'Anne tenia les seves oficines. Eren vuit persones i van romandre-hi recloses des del juny de 1942 fins a l'agost de 1944. En aquell lloc i en les més precàries condicions, l'Anne, una nena de tretze anys, va escriure el seu esgarrifós Diari: un testimoni únic en el seu gènere sobre l'horror i la barbàrie nazis, i sobre els sentiments i les experiències que van viure ella mateixa i els seus acompanyants. L'Anne va morir al camp de Bergen-Belsen al març de 1945. El seu Diari nomorirà mai. Un testimoni únic sobre l'horror i la barbàrie nazi, i sobretot sobre els sentiments i les experiències viscudes per una nena jueva reclosa amb la seva família per fugir de l'Holocaust. John F. Kennedy va dir... «D'entre tots els qui, al llarg de la història, han parlat en nom de la dignitat humana en temps de sofriment i mort, no hi ha cap veu amb més pes que la de l'Anne Frank.»

Anne Frank (Author), Laura Prats (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Immortals: The World War II Story of Five Fearless Heroes, the Sinking of the Dorchester, and an

Just past midnight, on February 3, just hours from their destination, the Dorchester was torpedoed and sank, throwing its passengers into the frigid waters and creating the worst single loss of an American personnel convoy during WWII. Many of the survivors credit the four chaplains with saving their lives. Those chaplains would become known as the "Immortal Chaplains" for their heroism in making the ultimate sacrifice. With no thought of themselves, they calmly helped men to safety through the chaos of their badly damaged ship, searched for spare life jackets for those without-eventually giving away their own life jackets and encouraging men in the freezing waters. The celebrated story of the Immortal Chaplains is now joined for the first time in print by the largely untold story of another hero of the sinking of the Dorchester: Charles Walter David Jr. was a young Black petty officer aboard a Coast Guard cutter traveling with the convoy who bravely dived into the glacial water over and over again, even with hypothermia setting in, to try to rescue the men the chaplains had first helped and inspired to never give up. Through his efforts, he joins the Chaplains as one of the "Immortals." Thoroughly researched and told in an engrossing nonfiction narrative, the book alternates between accounts told from the perspective of the Nazi U-boat captain and his crew (as found in their journals and later interviews), and the hunted-the men of the American convoy. Using his expertise as a law professor specializing in religious freedom and constitutional law, the author, Steven T. Collis, also paints a thought-provoking portrait of religious life in America during wartime and how American views of faith affected the chaplains and the men they served. Page-turning and inspiring, The Immortals explores the power of faith and religious conviction and powerfully narrates the lives of five heroic men who believed in something greater than themselves, living lives of service and sacrifice for their country and their fellow man.

Steven T. Collis (Author), Traber Burns (Narrator)

Audiobook

Great Leaders' Lives: A BBC biography collection

Household names nominate leaders from the past for BBC Radio 4's Great Lives Since its inception in 2001, Great Lives has been one of Radio 4's most popular programmes, presented by Joan Bakewell, Humphrey Carpenter, Francine Stock and Matthew Parris. The format is simple, but compelling: each week, a distinguished personality is invited to select an inspirational figure who has influenced them. Talking with the presenter and a guest expert, they assess the importance of their chosen candidate. This special collection, celebrating the programme's 20th birthday, comprises the very best episodes featuring leaders' lives, from the worlds of politics, religion, royalty, business and the military. Some are heroes, some tyrants, and several spark controversy. Among them AA Gill puts forward the case for Neville Chamberlain, Maxine Peake chooses Ellen Wilkinson, the Duke of Wellington is picked by Frederick Forsyth, and Leon Trotsky is selected by Christopher Hitchens in a hugely entertaining show that culminated in fireworks. In these cases, and many others, the life of the invited guest is as riveting as that of their subject - who wouldn't want to listen to Ken Livingstone discussing Robert Kennedy, George Monbiot champion Thomas Paine, and Trevor McDonald on Learie Constantine? From Nancy Dell'Olio on Lucrezia Borgia to Al Murray on Field Marshal Montgomery, these fascinating episodes showcase the lives of some of the most legendary figures from history, revealing their achievements and enduring influence and demonstrating why their greatness is undisputed. Episode list and date of first broadcast on BBC Radio 4: Robert Kennedy - 06/02/2009 Henry V - 08/12/2009 Richard Nixon - 17/08/2010 Bernard Montgomery - 01/10/2013 Richard III - 06/01/2015 Elizabeth I - 18/08/2015 Dag Hammarskjold - 23/08/2016 Neville Chamberlain - 20/09/2016 Gandhi - 26/12/2017 David Lloyd George - 30/05/2003 Queen Elizabeth 1 - 06/06/2003 Machiavelli - 02/04/2004 Thomas Paine - 23/04/2004 Lyndon B Johnson - 07/05/2004 Benjamin Disraeli - 28/05/2004 Michael Collins - 01/10/2004 Arthur Wellesly, the 1st Duke of Wellington - 03/06/2005 Genghis Khan - 01/04/2005 John Rockefeller - 06/05/2005 Ronald Reagan - 27/05/2005 Thomas Cromwell - 11/11/2005 Leon Trotsky - 08/08/2006 Eleanor Roosevelt - 22/08/2006 Millicent Garrett Fawcett - 22/12/2006 Julius Caesar - 25/05/2007 George Washington - 02/10/2007 Winston Churchill - 14/09/2010 Rommel - 26/08/2014 Ida B Wells - 19/08/2014 Learie Constantine - 07/04/2015 Abraham Lincoln - 26/01/2016 Lucrezia Borgia - 12/04/2016 Richard the Lionheart - 10/05/2016 Dadabhai Naoroji - 27/09/2016 Pope John XXIII - 24/01/2017 Sitting Bull - 09/05/2017 Emma of Normandy - 16/05/2017 Constance Markievicz - 19/09/2017 Ellen Wilkinson - 01/08/2017 Daniel O' Connell - 19/12/2017 Catherine the Great - 29/05/2018 Jayaben Desai - 10/04/2018 Copyright © 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd Presented by Joan Bakewell, Humphrey Carpenter, Matthew Parris and Francine Stock Produced by Miles Warde, Peter Everett, Christine Hall, Perminder Khatkar, Mark Smalley, Charles Ledgard, Maggie Ayre, Beth O'Dea, Jolyon Jenkins, John Byrne, Polly Weston, Julia Johnson, Mary Ward-Lowery, Isobel Eaton, Toby Field

Francine Stock, Humphrey Carpenter, Joan Bakewell, Matthew Parris (Author), Ann Widdecombe, Christopher Hitchens, Francine Stock, Frederick Forsyth, George Monbiot, Humphrey Carpenter, Matthew Parris, Maxine Peake, Ranulph Fiennes, Ray Mears (Narrator)

Audiobook

Ranger School: Discipline, Direction, Determination

From Jimmy Blackmon comes a blow by blow account of his journey through the most challenging leadership and small tactics course in the world-US Army Ranger School. Through colorful dialogue and vivid storytelling for which Jimmy Blackmon has been praised, the listener will take a journey through Ranger School. From the nervous anticipation leading up to the course, to the extreme pain and suffering Ranger School demands, Jimmy shares the feelings and emotions that accompany extreme sleep and food deprivation. Furthermore, he shares what he learned about himself along the way. Ranger School is designed to replicate the extreme nature of combat in a multitude of environments. The attrition rate is over 50 percent. Jimmy openly shares how he dealt with extreme hunger, exhaustion, below freezing temperatures, and ultimately, a desire to quit and end the suffering. Despite all the aforementioned challenges, Ranger students must lead one another on complex missions in harsh terrain in order to succeed. How to motivate, inspire, and lead in such an extreme environment is powerful and will appeal to leaders of all types and in all industries.

Jimmy Blackmon (Author), Jimmy Blackmon (Narrator)

Audiobook

12th Hitlerjugend SS Panzer Division in Normandy

Raised in 1943 with seventeen-year-olds from the Hitler Youth movement, and following the twin disasters of Stalingrad and 'Tunisgrad', the Hitlerjugend Panzer Division emerged as the most effective German division fighting in the West. The core of the division was a cadre of offices and NCOs provided by Hitler's bodyguard division, the elite Leibstandarte, with the aim of producing a division of 'equal value' to fight alongside them in I SS Panzer Corps. During the fighting in Normandy, the Hitlerjugend proved to be implacable foes to both the British and the Canadians, repeatedly blunting Montgomery's offensives, fighting with skill and a degree of determination well beyond the norm. This they did from D+1 through to the final battle to escape from the Falaise Pocket, despite huge disadvantages, namely constant Allied air attack, highly destructive naval gunfire, and a chronic lack of combat supplies and replacements of men and equipment. Written with the advantage of new materials from archives in the former Eastern Bloc, this book is no whitewash of a Waffen SS division and it does not shy away from confronting unpalatable facts or controversies.

Richard Hone, Tim Saunders (Author), Bruce Mann (Narrator)

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In the Company of Heroes: The Inspiring Stories of Medal of Honor Recipients from America's Longest

An award-winning military journalist tells the amazing stories of twenty-two soldiers who've won the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military award. In the Company of Heroes will feature in-depth narrative profiles of the twenty-three post-9/11 Medal of Honor awardees who served in Afghanistan and Iraq. This book will focus on the stories of these extraordinary people, expressed in their own voices through one-on-one interviews, and in the case of posthumous awards, through interviews with their brothers in arms and their families. The public affairs offices of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the individual armed services, as well as the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, have expressed their support for this project. Stories include Marine Corps Corporal William "Kyle" Carpenter, who purposely lunged toward a Taliban hand grenade in order to shield his buddy from the blast; Navy SEAL team leader Britt Slabinski, who, after being ambushed and retreating in the Hindu Kush, returned against monumental odds in order to try to save one of his team who was inadvertently lost in the fight; and Ranger Staff Sergeant Leroy Petry, who lunged for a live grenade, threw it back at the enemy, and saved his two Ranger brothers.

James Kitfield (Author), Brad Sanders (Narrator)

Audiobook

Marine Raiders: The True Story of the Legendary WWII Battalions

The United States first Special Forces unit in World War II were known as Marine Raiders. As one Raider explained, Raiders learned a deadly proficiency with the bayonet, they learned to use knives in hand-to-hand combat, and they learned to throw them with the infallible accuracy of vaudeville experts. They were taught to maneuver as well at night as by day, as well in brush as in open country, as well on the flat as in the hills. They learned camouflage and how to climb up and hide in trees. Nothing that would make them superior to any possible foe was overlooked. They learned everything they had to know to defeat their enemies, and they learned it well. With original interviews and never-before-published letters, diaries, and notes, historian and bestselling author Carole Avriett brings the true stories of four WWII Marine Raiders to life: - Lee Minier, 1st Battalion, KIA - Kenneth "Mudhole" Merrill, 2nd Battalion, died Veterans Day, 12 Nov. 2018 - Col. Archibald Rackerby, 3rd Battalion, living - Edwin "The Swede" Blomberg, 4th Battalion, living Marine Raiders gives a gripping account of what it took to become a member of the elite battalions known as Raiders and how they survived their desperate fight in the South Pacific.

Carole Engle Avriett (Author), Qarie Marshall (Narrator)

Audiobook

Military Audiobooks in History