Get a free audiobook
-
On to Victory
- The Canadian Liberation of the Netherlands, March 23 - May 5, 1945
- Narrated by: William Dufris
- Length: 16 hrs and 1 min
- Categories: History, Military
People who bought this also bought...
-
Terrible Victory
- First Canadian Army and the Scheldt Estuary Campaign, September 13–November 6, 1944
- Written by: Mark Zuehlke
- Narrated by: James Conlan
- Length: 17 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On September 4, 1944, Antwerp, Europe’s largest port, fell to the Second British Army and it seemed the war would soon be won. But Antwerp was of little value unless the West Scheldt Estuary linking it to the North Sea was also in Allied hands. In his greatest blunder of the war, Field Marshal Montgomery turned his back on the port, leaving the First Canadian Army to fight its way up the long coastal flank. By the time the Canadians and others serving with them reached the area, it had been transformed into a fortress manned by troops ordered to fight to the death.
-
-
Recommended to me
- By B Goff on 2020-11-18
-
Operation Husky
- The Canadian Invasion of Sicily, July 10–August 7, 1943
- Written by: Mark Zuehlke
- Narrated by: Paul Christy
- Length: 16 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On July 10, 1943, two great Allied armadas of over 2,000 ships readied to invade Sicily. This was Operation Husky, the first step toward winning a toehold in fascist-occupied Europe. Among the invaders were 20,000 Canadian troops serving in the First Canadian Infantry Division and First Canadian Tank Brigade - in their first combat experience. Over the next 28 days, the Allied troops carved a path through the rugged land, despite fierce German opposition.
-
-
Great history of a lesser known battle.
- By Megan on 2019-02-12
-
Breakout from Juno
- First Canadian Army and the Normandy Campaign, July 4 - August 21, 1944
- Written by: Mark Zuehlke
- Narrated by: Dan Woren
- Length: 15 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The ninth book in the Canadian Battle Series, Breakout from Juno, is the first dramatic chronicling of Canada's pivotal role throughout the entire Normandy Campaign following the D-Day landings.
-
-
Fantastic Book. Narration needs work.
- By JT Walsh on 2018-11-15
-
The Liri Valley
- Canada's World War II Breakthrough to Rome
- Written by: Mark Zuehlke
- Narrated by: William Dufris
- Length: 17 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For the Allied armies fighting their way up the Italian boot in early 1944, Rome was the prize that could only be won through a massive offensive. Military historian Mark Zuehlke returns to the Mediterranean theater of World War II with this gripping tribute to the Canadians who opened the way for the Allies to take Rome. The book is a fitting testament to the bravery of soldiers like the badly wounded Captain Pierre Potvin, who survived more than 30 hours alone on the battlefield.
-
-
Excellent Work
- By jvoftweed on 2020-12-02
-
Holding Juno
- Canada's Heroic Defence of the D-Day Beaches: June 7-12, 1944
- Written by: Mark Zuehlke
- Narrated by: Kyle Munley
- Length: 15 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At D-Day's end, the Canadians, who had landed on Juno Beach, were six miles inland - the deepest penetration achieved by Allied forces on this infamous day. But every soldier on this front line knew worse was yet to come. For in the darkness the Germans were massing, intent on throwing them back to sea. With dramatic intensity, Holding Juno re-creates the ensuing battle and ultimate Canadian triumph and includes fascinating first-person soldier accounts as well as photos and maps.
-
-
Wonderful history
- By Amazon Customer on 2019-10-18
-
The Gothic Line
- Canada's Month of Hell in World War II Italy
- Written by: Mark Zuehlke
- Narrated by: Mark Ashby
- Length: 15 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Stretching like an armor-toothed belt across Italy's upper thigh, the Gothic Line was the most fortified position the German army had yet thrown into the Allied forces' path. On August 25, 1944, it fell to Canadian troops to spearhead a major offensive: to rip through that fiercely defended line. This gripping chronicle tells, through the eyes of the soldiers who fought there, of the 28-day clash that ultimately ended in glory for the Canadians.
-
-
Reader Ruins Story
- By George Kelln on 2019-07-08
-
Terrible Victory
- First Canadian Army and the Scheldt Estuary Campaign, September 13–November 6, 1944
- Written by: Mark Zuehlke
- Narrated by: James Conlan
- Length: 17 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On September 4, 1944, Antwerp, Europe’s largest port, fell to the Second British Army and it seemed the war would soon be won. But Antwerp was of little value unless the West Scheldt Estuary linking it to the North Sea was also in Allied hands. In his greatest blunder of the war, Field Marshal Montgomery turned his back on the port, leaving the First Canadian Army to fight its way up the long coastal flank. By the time the Canadians and others serving with them reached the area, it had been transformed into a fortress manned by troops ordered to fight to the death.
-
-
Recommended to me
- By B Goff on 2020-11-18
-
Operation Husky
- The Canadian Invasion of Sicily, July 10–August 7, 1943
- Written by: Mark Zuehlke
- Narrated by: Paul Christy
- Length: 16 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On July 10, 1943, two great Allied armadas of over 2,000 ships readied to invade Sicily. This was Operation Husky, the first step toward winning a toehold in fascist-occupied Europe. Among the invaders were 20,000 Canadian troops serving in the First Canadian Infantry Division and First Canadian Tank Brigade - in their first combat experience. Over the next 28 days, the Allied troops carved a path through the rugged land, despite fierce German opposition.
-
-
Great history of a lesser known battle.
- By Megan on 2019-02-12
-
Breakout from Juno
- First Canadian Army and the Normandy Campaign, July 4 - August 21, 1944
- Written by: Mark Zuehlke
- Narrated by: Dan Woren
- Length: 15 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The ninth book in the Canadian Battle Series, Breakout from Juno, is the first dramatic chronicling of Canada's pivotal role throughout the entire Normandy Campaign following the D-Day landings.
-
-
Fantastic Book. Narration needs work.
- By JT Walsh on 2018-11-15
-
The Liri Valley
- Canada's World War II Breakthrough to Rome
- Written by: Mark Zuehlke
- Narrated by: William Dufris
- Length: 17 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For the Allied armies fighting their way up the Italian boot in early 1944, Rome was the prize that could only be won through a massive offensive. Military historian Mark Zuehlke returns to the Mediterranean theater of World War II with this gripping tribute to the Canadians who opened the way for the Allies to take Rome. The book is a fitting testament to the bravery of soldiers like the badly wounded Captain Pierre Potvin, who survived more than 30 hours alone on the battlefield.
-
-
Excellent Work
- By jvoftweed on 2020-12-02
-
Holding Juno
- Canada's Heroic Defence of the D-Day Beaches: June 7-12, 1944
- Written by: Mark Zuehlke
- Narrated by: Kyle Munley
- Length: 15 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At D-Day's end, the Canadians, who had landed on Juno Beach, were six miles inland - the deepest penetration achieved by Allied forces on this infamous day. But every soldier on this front line knew worse was yet to come. For in the darkness the Germans were massing, intent on throwing them back to sea. With dramatic intensity, Holding Juno re-creates the ensuing battle and ultimate Canadian triumph and includes fascinating first-person soldier accounts as well as photos and maps.
-
-
Wonderful history
- By Amazon Customer on 2019-10-18
-
The Gothic Line
- Canada's Month of Hell in World War II Italy
- Written by: Mark Zuehlke
- Narrated by: Mark Ashby
- Length: 15 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Stretching like an armor-toothed belt across Italy's upper thigh, the Gothic Line was the most fortified position the German army had yet thrown into the Allied forces' path. On August 25, 1944, it fell to Canadian troops to spearhead a major offensive: to rip through that fiercely defended line. This gripping chronicle tells, through the eyes of the soldiers who fought there, of the 28-day clash that ultimately ended in glory for the Canadians.
-
-
Reader Ruins Story
- By George Kelln on 2019-07-08
-
Tragedy at Dieppe
- Operation Jubilee, August 19, 1942
- Written by: Mark Zuehlke
- Narrated by: John Wray
- Length: 13 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With its trademark "you are there" style, Mark Zuehlke's 10th Canadian Battle Series volume tells the story of the 1942 Dieppe raid. Nicknamed "The Poor Man's Monte Carlo", Dieppe had no strategic importance, but with the Soviet Union thrown on the ropes by German invasion and America having just entered the war, Britain was under intense pressure to launch a major cross-Channel attack against France. Since 1939, Canadian troops had massed in Britain and trained for the inevitable day of the mass invasion of Europe that would finally occur in 1944.
-
-
lots of stats
- By Barry on 2020-08-25
-
Juno Beach
- Canada's D-Day Victory: June 6, 1944
- Written by: Mark Zuehlke
- Narrated by: Steve Kehela
- Length: 13 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On June 6, 1944, the greatest armada in history stood off Normandy and the largest amphibious invasion ever began as 107,000 men aboard 6,000 ships pressed toward the coast. Among them were 14,500 Canadians, who were to land on a five-mile-long stretch of rocky ledges fronted by a dangerously exposed beach. Drawing on personal diaries as well as military records, Juno Beach: Canada's D-Day Victory, June 6, 1944 dramatically depicts Canada's pivotal contribution to the critical Allied battle of World War II.
-
-
Great
- By William Assis on 2018-06-21
-
Ortona
- Canada's Epic World War II Battle
- Written by: Mark Zuehlke
- Narrated by: William Dufris
- Length: 14 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In one furious week of fighting in December 1943, the First Canadian Infantry Division took Ortona, Italy, from elite German paratroopers ordered to hold the medieval port at all costs. When the battle was over, the Canadians emerged victorious despite heavy losses.
-
-
I had no idea...
- By Ryan on 2019-03-09
-
The Secret History of Soldiers
- How Canadians Survived the Great War
- Written by: Tim Cook
- Narrated by: J.D. Nicholsen
- Length: 10 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There have been thousands of books on the Great War, but most have focused on commanders, battles, strategy, and tactics. Less attention has been paid to the daily lives of the combatants, how they endured the unimaginable conditions of industrial warfare: the rain of shells, bullets, and chemical agents. In The Secret History of Soldiers, Tim Cook, Canada's foremost military historian, examines how those who survived trench warfare on the Western Front found entertainment, solace, relief, and distraction from the relentless slaughter.
-
Brave Battalion
- The Remarkable Saga of the 16th Battalion (Canadian Scottish) in the First World War
- Written by: Mark Zuehlke
- Narrated by: Thomas Fawley
- Length: 12 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This is the story of the average Canadian who volunteered for the Canadian Expeditionary Force told through the lens of one battalion - the 16th Battalion (Canadian Scottish) of the 1st Canadian Infantry Division. This Highland Regiment fought in the Ypres Salient and in the Somme, at Vimy, Passchendaele, and Amiens. It suffered the first gas attack; its ranks were decimated as it fought at virtually every major battle in the European theatre.
-
Operation Medusa
- The Furious Battle That Saved Afghanistan from the Taliban
- Written by: Major General David Fraser, Brian Hanington, Gen. Lord David Richards
- Narrated by: Paul Gross
- Length: 5 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the summer of 2006, David Fraser was the Canadian general in charge of NATO's Regional Command South, a territory spanning six Afghan provinces surrounding the Arghandab Valley. Birthplace of the Taliban decades earlier, this fertile region had since become Afghanistan's most deadly turf. It would soon turn deadlier still. Advised in the night by his intelligence officers that the Taliban had secretly amassed for a full-scale military assault, Fraser knew it would fall to him, his Canadians and their allies to avoid the wholesale slaughter of NATO troops.
-
-
Came across as making excuses
- By Peter on 2018-05-24
-
Fifteen Days
- Stories of Bravery, Friendship, Life and Death from Inside the New Canadian Army
- Written by: Christie Blatchford
- Narrated by: Matilda Novak
- Length: 13 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Long before she made her first trip to Afghanistan as an embedded reporter for The Globe and Mail, Christie Blatchford was already one of Canada's most respected and eagerly read journalists. Her vivid prose, her unmistakable voice, her ability to connect emotionally with her subjects and readers, her hard-won and hard-nosed skills as a reporter had already established her as a household name.
-
-
we need more stories about Canadian contributions
- By Amazon Customer on 2019-07-14
-
The Fight for History
- 75 Years of Forgetting, Remembering, and Remaking Canada's Second World War
- Written by: Tim Cook
- Narrated by: J. D. Nicholsen
- Length: 12 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Fight for History examines how Canadians framed and reframed the war experience over time. Just as the importance of the battle of Vimy Ridge to Canadians rose, fell, and rose again over a 100-year period, the meaning of Canada's Second World War followed a similar pattern. But the Second World War's relevance to Canada led to conflict between veterans and others in society - more so than in the previous war - as well as a more rapid diminishment of its significance.
-
-
This explains a lot
- By B Goff on 2020-11-18
-
Voices of the Pacific
- Untold Stories from the Marine Heroes of World War II
- Written by: Adam Makos
- Narrated by: Tom Weiner
- Length: 10 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Chronicling the United States Marine Corps’ actions in the Pacific theater of operations, Voices of the Pacific presents the true stories of heroism and honor as told by such World War II veterans as Sid Phillips, R. V. Burgin, and Chuck Tatum - whose exploits were featured in the HBO miniseries The Pacific - and their marine buddies from the legendary First Marine Division.
-
-
great read
- By Nick Novak on 2019-10-18
-
Spearhead
- An American Tank Gunner, His Enemy, and a Collision of Lives in World War II
- Written by: Adam Makos
- Narrated by: Johnathan McClain
- Length: 13 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the author of the international best seller A Higher Call comes the riveting World War II story of an American tank gunner’s journey into the heart of the Third Reich, where he will meet destiny in an iconic armor duel - and forge an enduring bond with his enemy.
-
-
Superb storytelling AND it's true!
- By Destry Rides on 2019-06-28
-
The Fleet at Flood Tide
- America at Total War in the Pacific, 1944-1945
- Written by: James D. Hornfischer
- Narrated by: Pete Larkin
- Length: 23 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
One of America's preeminent military historians, James D. Hornfischer has written his most expansive and ambitious book to date. Drawing on new primary sources and personal accounts of Americans and Japanese alike, here is a thrilling narrative of the climactic end stage of the Pacific War, focusing on the US invasion of the Mariana Islands in June 1944 and the momentous events that it triggered.
-
-
Captivating Page Turner (Even for an audio book)
- By JLAR on 2018-08-01
-
Mosquito Mayhem
- de Havilland’s Wooden Wonder in Action in WWII
- Written by: Martin W. Bowman
- Narrated by: Nigel Patterson
- Length: 12 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Mosquito was probably World War II's most versatile combat aircraft. This book contains hundreds of firsthand accounts from many of the two-man crews who flew in them; pilots and navigators. It portrays the dramatic experiences of flying in its many roles as pathfinder, night fighter, reconnaissance aircraft, precision bombing, and low-level ground attack aircraft. It describes many of the RAF's most audacious raids on prime, but difficult, targets where carpet bombing by heavy bombers was likely to be ineffective and cause unnecessary casualties to civilians.
Audible Editor Reviews
Having fought their way through western Germany and Holland, the First Canadian Army received a jubilant welcome from the newly liberated Dutch people in the waning days of World War II. Author Mark Zuehlke is famous for his "you are there" brand of history writing, and prodigious voice actor William Dufris does him justice here, deftly affecting the colloquial drawl of a battle-weary soldier one moment, the hushed, academic calculations of a backroom tactician in the next. Dufris recants Zuehlke's painstaking research in his rich natural baritone, so that listeners can easily distinguish where the author's own analysis gives way to first-person role playing.
Publisher's Summary
It is remembered in the Netherlands as "the sweetest of springs", the one that saw the country's liberation from German occupation. But for the soldiers of First Canadian army, who fought their way across the Rhine River and then through Holland and northwest Germany, that spring of 1945 was bittersweet. While the Dutch were being liberated from the grinding boot heel of the Nazis, their freedom was being paid for in Canadian lives lost.
On to Victory is the story of those final cruel days of the war. From the brutal battlefields of Holland and northwest Germany where a collapsing enemy army still fought with fierce determination, to the unique truce in which the Germans and Allies provided food to millions of Dutch citizens starved almost to death, to those heady moments when each town and city was finally liberated, this is the little-told story of First Canadian Army's last campaign of World War II. With his trademark "you are there" style that draws upon official records, veteran memories, and a keen understanding of the experience of combat, Mark Zuehlke brings to life this final chapter in the story of Canada in World War II.
More from the same
Author:
Narrator:
What listeners say about On to Victory
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- jvoftweed
- 2020-06-13
A story every Canadian should know.
Loved this book from start to finish. Made my heart swell thinking of those men and women who gave theirs lives to Liberate the grateful Dutch.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Ryan
- 2017-01-19
Awesome and humbling
This is the 5th book I have read of Mark's and I'm not disappointed. his writing an extensive researchdoes great justice to the memory of our Canadian soldiers who sacrifice so much.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Charles N. Ward
- 2013-10-05
Confusing at times, narrator impossible
Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?
I would not recommend this audiobook to a friend, for a couple reasons. Firstly, there are too many names of individuals and units to keep track of; and, most importantly, the narrator is very distracting. He seems unable to speak many common words, such as "the." He sounds clipped and awkward, and some sentences are almost unintelligible. I will never listen to a story narrated by this man again.
If you’ve listened to books by Mark Zuehlke before, how does this one compare?
I have listened to Ortona by this same author and narrator. The same complaint applies for the narrator, but Ortona is easier to follow than this book.
What didn’t you like about William Dufris’s performance?
He seems unable to speak many common words, such as "the." He sounds clipped and awkward, and some sentences are almost unintelligible. I will never listen to a story narrated by this man again.