Military Audiobooks | History

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea: The mission to rescue the hostages the world forgot

The true story of a retired British army officer's private Somali-hostage rescue mission. During the peak of the Somali piracy crisis, three ships - from Malaysia, Thailand and Taiwan - were hijacked and then abandoned to their fate by their employers, who lacked the money to pay ransoms. All would still be there, were it not for Colonel John Steed, a retired British military attaché, who launched his own private mission to free them. At 65, Colonel Steed was hardly an ideal saviour. With no experience in hostage negotiations and no money behind him, he had to raise the ransom cash from scratch, running the operation from his spare room and ferrying million-dollar ransom payments around in the boot of his car. Drawing on first-hand interviews, former chief foreign correspondent of The Sunday Telegraph, Colin Freeman, who has himself spent time held hostage by Somali pirates, takes readers on an inside track into the world of hostage negotiation and one man's heroic rescue mission.

Colin Freeman (Author), Stephen Perring (Narrator)

Audiobook

Napoleon and the Art of Leadership: How a Flawed Genius Changed the History of Europe and the World

No one in history has provoked more controversy than Napoleon Bonaparte. Was he an enlightened ruler or brutal tyrant? Was he an insatiable warmonger or a defender of France against the aggression of the other great powers? Was he kind or cruel, farsighted or blinkered, a sophisticate or a philistine, a builder or a destroyer? One thing is certain, if the art of leadership is about getting what one wants, then Napoleon was among history's greatest masters. War was the medium through which he was able to demonstrate his innate skills, leading his armies to victories across Europe. He overthrew France's corrupt republican government in a coup, then asserted near dictatorial powers. He would later convince the Senate to proclaim him France's emperor and even get the pope to preside over his coronation; reorganize swaths of Europe into new states; and place his brothers and sisters on the thrones. This is Napoleon as has never been seen before. No previous book has delved so deeply into Napoleon's mind and revealed more of its complex, fascinating, provocative, and paradoxical dimensions. Napoleon and the Art of Leadership is a psychologically penetrating study of the man who had such a profound effect on the world around him that an entire era still bears his name.

William Nester (Author), Matthew Josdal (Narrator)

Audiobook

Walk Run Fly: An Air Commando's Story

Mine has been a journey of close family ties, of spiritual and personal growth. I’d reshaped foolishness into discipline, developed character, found relationships and made commitments. For the most part it had been an adventurous, swash-buckling path that unfolded before me. The best part is - I lived through it and can share the highlights with you. We corkscrewed downward as the nose snapped toward the earth below us and everything abruptly twisted 120 degrees to the left. It felt like we’d tumbled ... -my first helicopter flight The Immigration agent stamped my passport and said, “Thank you for helping our countrymen;” a security guard offered me a seat out of the sun and thanked me as I waited for my ride ... mission complete for me; heading home in the morning but remembering those still struggling to survive. -after Typhoon Hiayan

Tj Hawk (Author), Tj Hawk (Narrator)

Audiobook

Shoot Like a Girl: One Woman's Dramatic Fight in Afghanistan and on the Home Front

On July 29, 2009, Air National Guard major Mary Jennings 'MJ' Hegar was shot down while on a Medevac mission on her third tour in Afghanistan. Despite being wounded, she continued to fight and saved the lives of her crew and their patients. But soon she would face a new battle: to give women who serve on the front lines the credit they deserve. After being commissioned into the U.S. Air Force, MJ Hegar was selected for pilot training by the Air National Guard, finished at the top of her class, then served three tours in Afghanistan, flying combat search-and-rescue missions, culminating in a harrowing rescue attempt that would earn MJ the Purple Heart as well as the Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor Device. But it was on American soil that Hegar would embark on her greatest challenge- to eliminate the military's Ground Combat Exclusion Policy, which kept female armed service members from officially serving in combat roles despite their long-standing record of doing so with honor. In Shoot Like A Girl, MJ takes the reader on a dramatic journey through her military career: an inspiring, humorous, and thrilling true story of a brave, high-spirited, and unforgettable woman who has spent much of her life ready to sacrifice everything for her country, her fellow man, and her sense of justice.

Mary Jennings Hegar (Author), Cynthia Farrell (Narrator)

Audiobook

Gurkha Brotherhood

'Sometimes my mind reaches back beyond the fear and the arid landscapes of war, to memories of childhood that fill me with happiness and laughter.' So begins this searingly honest memoir by Kailash Limbu, a serving Gurka soldier who undertook five tours of active service in Afghanistan. Kailash Limbu was in the front line of the fighting in Helmand Province. On dangerous resupply missions and on offensive patrols that took them to the heart of the 'killing zone', he and his men came under frequent attack from Taliban fighters. He talks of other operations in which he has served - and, perhaps most movingly, of the other Gurkha soldiers - the united band of brothers - with whom he serves and on whom he relies every day. On many occasions he has feared he would not live to see the end of the day - and, inevitable, he lost several friends and colleagues from the close-knit Gurkha brotherhood. His means of coping with the trauma of conflict was to travel back in his mind to his childhood in a remote Himalayan village in Nepal. But even amid the simplicity of mountain life, danger and tragedy lurked. In this compelling narrative Capt Limbu celebrates his Gurkha heritage, relates remarkable stories of courage (his own and others'), and confronts demons that have shaped but never broken him. The result is a record of war and peace that is rare in its honesty and humility.

Captain Kailash Limbu, Kailash Limbu (Author), Sagar Arya (Narrator)

Audiobook

Going With The Boys: Six Extraordinary Women Writing From the Front Line

On the front lines of the Second World War, a contingent of female journalists were bravely waging their own battle. Barred from combat zones and faced with entrenched prejudice and bureaucratic restrictions, these women were forced to fight for the right to work on equal terms as men. Going with the Boys follows six remarkable women as their lives and careers intertwined: Martha Gellhorn, who out-scooped her husband Ernest Hemingway on D-Day by traveling to Normandy as a stowaway on a hospital ship; Lee Miller, who went from being a Vogue cover model to the magazine’s official war correspondent; Sigrid Schultz, who hid her Jewish identity and risked her life by reporting on the Nazi regime; Virginia Cowles, a 'society girl columnist' turned combat reporter; Clare Hollingworth, the first journalist to report the outbreak of war; and Helen Kirkpatrick, the first woman to report from an Allied war zone with equal privileges to men. This intricately layered account captures both the adversity and the vibrancy of the women’s lives as they chased down sources and narrowly dodged gunfire, as they mixed with artists and politicians like Picasso, Cocteau, and Churchill, and conducted their own tumultuous love affairs. In her gripping, intimate, and nuanced portrait, Judith Mackrell celebrates these courageous reporters who risked their lives for a story and who changed the rules of war reporting for ever.

Judith Mackrell (Author), Julie Teal (Narrator)

Audiobook

Return to Saigon: From high school in Saigon to his return there as a wounded Naval Aviator, Vietnam

He ejects from his burning Navy jet and lands on a karst ridge near Hanoi. What follows in this meticulously researched history is a memoir of war. It is an account of one of the most implausible and heroic rescues of the air-war--and the aftermath. And the events immediately following his rescue carry the author to a secret base in Laos, then to a makeshift hospital in Saigon. The larger story, however, is of the author’s complex relationship with Vietnam. It begins in Saigon, where he completes high school and comes to love the Vietnamese people. When he departs for college, he believes he’s done with the country. But when he leaves college life behind and enlists in the Navy, a series of improbable events land him in Navy flight school. As a pilot, it’s a direct line to combat and an unexpected return to a Saigon hospital--one with a surprising connection to his past. The author experienced some of the fiercest air combat of the war. His air wing repeatedly hit the toughest targets in North Vietnam and suffered the highest loss rate--39 of its 72 aircraft went down. Many others suffered battle damage. The Jolly Green helicopter pilot who flew from the secret base in Laos to rescue the author earned the rarely awarded Air Force Cross and his three crew-members all were awarded Silver Stars. Following his hospitalization and rehabilitation, the writer volunteered for a third combat deployment, where he completed 137 combat missions. Three decades later, the war behind him, he returns to Saigon, then he travels north to Hanoi to make his way into the remote countryside where he and his flight leader were shot down. A local guide, a woman who remembers the day the two airplanes were blown from the sky, leads him up the steep karst ridge and then deep into a cavern. During the trek he learns her brother was one of the gunners. Later that day, seated at a table in her thatched home, he begins to find reconciliation.

Larry Duthie (Author), Elio Agostini (Narrator)

Audiobook

Captain Tom's Life Lessons

Brought to you by Penguin. Pplifting and heartwarming life lessons from a truly inspirational man, Captain Sir Tom Moore 'One small soul like me won't make much difference' Captain Tom If Captain Tom's big heart and generosity of spirit helped see us through difficult days, this was his parting gift. Full of the wit, warmth and wisdom that made him so special, his reflections and guiding principles form a long life, well lived; Life Lessons will be a source of reassurance, hope, and encouragement for generations to come. And a reminder, whenever times are hard, that tomorrow will be a good day. Praise for Captain Sir Tom Moore: 'A wonderful life story with lessons for us all . . . beautifully written' Daily Telegraph 'Engaging . . . His upbeat nature shines through and reminds us how much worse this year would have been without him' Evening Standard 'A wonderful read. Captain Tom is a beacon of light, and hope, and positivity' Piers Morgan, Life Stories, ITV 'A great book' Good Morning Britain 'A beautiful book. We have so much to learn from Captain Sir Tom' Chris Evans © Tom Moore 2021 (P) Penguin Audio 2021

Captain Tom Moore (Author), Derek Jacobi (Narrator)

Audiobook

Second Chances: A Marine, His Dog, and Finding Redemption

The author of the heartwarming Craig and Fred tells the deeply emotional and inspiring story of the next phase of their lives together: working closely with prison inmates in Maine who raise and train puppies to become service dogs. Former US Marine Craig Grossi and his dog Fred appeared on the 'Today Show' and 'Rachael Ray', and in schools, bookstores, and military bases across America as they told the uplifting story of how Craig found Fred, a stray, while serving in Afghanistan--and brought him home. During their travels, Craig was invited to speak at Maine State Prison—the penitentiary that inspired Stephen King’s famous “Shawshank.” While there, he met a group of very special inmates, participants in a program run by the non-profit America’s Vet Dogs. Craig discovered that many of the prisoners are veterans—former soldiers serving their country in an entirely different way: by transforming purebred Labrador Retrievers from floppy puppies into indispensable companions for disabled vets. These service dogs literally and figuratively open doors for men and women, offering hope and a renewed sense of freedom. Yet these disabled vets are not the only lives changed by these dogs. The inmates who train them “are given a purpose, they’re given experience, and most importantly they’re given a sense of self-worth,” Craig explains. “The men at Maine State are given a second chance—something that I believe everyone deserves.” For Craig, the visit had a profound impact. “There was something special going on inside its walls and it was calling out to me. I quickly realized that the program and its men had something to show the world.” In this emotionally powerful book, he introduces these men and challenges us to look deeper, to see them as human beings deserving of a new shot at life. “We’re quick to give second chances to celebrities, politicians and famous athletes when they screw up,” Craig reminds us, “but when it comes to those who’ve been convicted for their mistakes, we too often dismiss them as forever lost.” Second Chances poignantly shows that no life is irredeemable and that each of us can make a difference if given the opportunity.

Craig Grossi (Author), Craig Grossi (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Duchess Countess

'A scintillating story superbly told... [Ostler] packs every paragraph with eye-opening detail' Ysenda Maxtone Graham, The Times 'A rollicking read... [Ostler] tells Elizabeth's story with admirable style and gusto' Dominic Sandbrook, Sunday Times 'Fascinating. Magnificent.? Sensitively told' Hallie Rubenhold, author of The Five and The Covent Garden Ladies 'Catherine Ostler's superb, gripping, decadent biography brings an extraordinary woman and a whole world blazingly to life' Simon Sebag Montefiore, author of Catherine the Great and Potemkin When the glamorous Elizabeth Chudleigh, Duchess of Kingston, Countess of Bristol, went on trial at Westminster Hall for bigamy in April 1776, the story drew more attention in society than the American War of Independence. A clandestine, candlelit wedding to the young heir to an earldom, a second marriage to a Duke, a lust for diamonds and an electrifying appearance at a masquerade ball in a diaphanous dress: no wonder the trial was a sensation. However, Elizabeth refused to submit to public humiliation and retire quietly. Rather than backing gracefully out of the limelight, she embarked on a Grand Tour of Europe, being welcomed by the Pope and Catherine the Great among others. As maid of honour to Augusta, Princess of Wales, Elizabeth led her life in the inner circle of the Hanoverian court and her exploits delighted and scandalised the press and the people. She made headlines, and was a constant feature in penny prints and gossip columns. Writers were intrigued by her. Thackeray drew on Elizabeth as inspiration for his calculating, alluring Becky Sharp. But her behaviour, often depicted as attention-seeking and manipulative, hid a more complex tale - that of Elizabeth's fight to overcome personal tragedy and loss. Now, in this brilliantly told and evocative biography, Catherine Ostler takes a fresh look at Elizabeth's story and seeks to understand and reappraise a woman who refused to be defined by society's expectations of her. A woman who was by turns, brave, loving and generous but also reckless, greedy and insecure; a woman totally unwilling to accept the female status of underdog or to hand over all the power, the glory and the adventures of life to men.

Catherine Ostler (Author), Catherine Ostler (Narrator)

Audiobook

I Flew for the Führer: The Memoirs of a Luftwaffe Fighter Pilot

Heinz Knoke was one of the outstanding German fighter pilots of the Second World War. This vivid firsthand record of his experiences has become a classic among aviation memoirs and is a fascinating counterbalance to the numerous accounts written by Allied pilots. Knoke joined the Luftwaffe on the outbreak of war, and eventually became commanding officer of a fighter wing. An outstandingly brave and skillful fighter, he logged over two thousand flights and shot down fifty-two enemy aircraft. He had flown over four hundred operational missions before being wounded in an astonishing 'last stand' towards the end of the war. He was awarded the Knight's Cross for his achievements. In a book that reveals his intense patriotism and discipline, he describes being brought up in the strict Prussian tradition, the rise of the Nazi regime, and his own wartime career set against a fascinating study of everyday life in the Luftwaffe. He also reveals the high morale of the force until its disintegration. His memoirs are both a valuable contribution to aviation literature and a moving human story.

Heinz Knoke (Author), P.J. Ochlan (Narrator)

Audiobook

I Somehow Survived: Eyewitness Accounts from World War II

The first in a series of books, I Somehow Survived is an extraordinary collection of true stories giving testimony to those who survived World War II. Based on interviews with numerous veterans from across the spectrum of wartime experience, the book documents and reflects upon one of the most gruesome times in history. From anti-partisan warfare in the French mountains and atrocities in East Prussia to the experience of a Norwegian concentration camp, the accounts include rarely heard stories from a range of people caught up in the war. With the distance of time, these survivors have been able to offer new perspectives on their experiences and expose truths they would not have dared admit several decades ago. German Army officers reveal their role in the Vercors and Kiev massacres. A Luftwaffe officer-applicant who never flew describes service on the ground. And a Norwegian woman writes of marrying a German Kriegsmarine while her mother was in a Norwegian concentration camp for political activity and her father was in hiding from the Gestapo. 'I have no objection to your marrying him,' her father told her, 'I just want them to give us our country back.'

Klaus G. Forg (Author), James Anderson Foster, Janet Metzger (Narrator)

Audiobook

Military Audiobooks in History