Listen free for 30 days
-
Race of Aces
- WWII's Elite Airmen and the Epic Battle to Become the Master of the Sky
- Narrated by: Brian Troxell
- Length: 16 hrs and 52 mins
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wish list failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy Now for $26.24
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
You may also enjoy...
-
Fighter Pilot
- The Memoirs of Legendary Ace Robin Olds
- Written by: Robin Olds, Christina Olds, Ed Rasimus
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 17 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A larger-than-life hero with a towering personality, Robin Olds was a graduate of West Point and an inductee in the National College Football Hall of Fame for his All-American performance for Army. In World War II, Olds quickly became a top fighter pilot and squadron commander by the age of 22—a double ace with twelve aerial victories. But it was in Vietnam where the man became a legend.
-
-
Amazing!
- By Susan on 2021-04-01
Written by: Robin Olds, and others
-
Masters of the Air
- America’s Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany
- Written by: Donald L. Miller
- Narrated by: Joe Barrett
- Length: 24 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Masters of the Air is the deeply personal story of the American bomber boys in World War II who brought the war to Hitler’s doorstep. With the narrative power of fiction, Donald Miller takes you on a harrowing ride through the fire-filled skies over Berlin, Hanover, and Dresden and describes the terrible cost of bombing for the German people.
Written by: Donald L. Miller
-
Baa Baa Black Sheep
- The True Story of the "Bad Boy" Hero of the Pacific Theatre and His Famous Black Sheep Squadron
- Written by: Gregory "Pappy" Boyington
- Narrated by: Eric Martin
- Length: 13 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Here, in his own words, is the true story of America's wildest flying hero, of his extraordinary heroism, and of his greatest battle of all-the fight to survive. The World War II air war in the Pacific needed tough men like Colonel Pappy Boyington and his Black Sheep Squadron. The legendary Marine Corps officer and his bunch of misfits, outcasts, and daredevils gave a new definition to "hell-raising" - on the ground and in the skies.
-
-
Amazing Story of war and overcoming addiction
- By Nick Novak on 2023-11-08
Written by: Gregory "Pappy" Boyington
-
The Forgotten Soldier
- Written by: Guy Sajer
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 21 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Guy Sajer joins the infantry full of ideals in the summer of 1942, the German army is enjoying unparalleled success in Russia. However, he quickly finds that for the foot soldier the glory of military success hides a much harsher reality of hunger, fatigue, and constant deprivation. Posted to the elite Grosse Deutschland division, he enters a violent and remorseless world where all youthful hope is gradually ground down, and all that matters is the brute will to survive.
-
-
I have PTSD after reading this
- By Amazon Customer on 2018-08-11
Written by: Guy Sajer
-
Devotion
- An Epic Story of Heroism, Friendship, and Sacrifice
- Written by: Adam Makos
- Narrated by: Dominic Hoffman
- Length: 14 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Devotion tells the inspirational story of the U.S. Navy’s most famous aviation duo, Lieutenant Tom Hudner and Ensign Jesse Brown, and the Marines they fought to defend. A white New Englander from the country-club scene, Tom passed up Harvard to fly fighters for his country. An African American sharecropper’s son from Mississippi, Jesse became the navy’s first Black carrier pilot, defending a nation that wouldn’t even serve him in a bar.
Written by: Adam Makos
-
Indestructible
- One Man's Rescue Mission That Changed the Course of WWII
- Written by: John R. Bruning
- Narrated by: Brian Troxell
- Length: 17 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this remarkable WWII story by New York Times best-selling author John R. Bruning, a renegade American pilot fights against all odds to rescue his family - imprisoned by the Japanese - and revolutionizes modern warfare along the way. From the knife fights and smuggling runs of his youth to his fiery days as a pioneering naval aviator, Paul Irving "Pappy" Gunn played by his own set of rules and always survived on his wits and fists. But when he fell for a conservative Southern belle, her love transformed him from a wild and reckless airman to a cunning entrepreneur.
Written by: John R. Bruning
-
Fighter Pilot
- The Memoirs of Legendary Ace Robin Olds
- Written by: Robin Olds, Christina Olds, Ed Rasimus
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 17 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A larger-than-life hero with a towering personality, Robin Olds was a graduate of West Point and an inductee in the National College Football Hall of Fame for his All-American performance for Army. In World War II, Olds quickly became a top fighter pilot and squadron commander by the age of 22—a double ace with twelve aerial victories. But it was in Vietnam where the man became a legend.
-
-
Amazing!
- By Susan on 2021-04-01
Written by: Robin Olds, and others
-
Masters of the Air
- America’s Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany
- Written by: Donald L. Miller
- Narrated by: Joe Barrett
- Length: 24 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Masters of the Air is the deeply personal story of the American bomber boys in World War II who brought the war to Hitler’s doorstep. With the narrative power of fiction, Donald Miller takes you on a harrowing ride through the fire-filled skies over Berlin, Hanover, and Dresden and describes the terrible cost of bombing for the German people.
Written by: Donald L. Miller
-
Baa Baa Black Sheep
- The True Story of the "Bad Boy" Hero of the Pacific Theatre and His Famous Black Sheep Squadron
- Written by: Gregory "Pappy" Boyington
- Narrated by: Eric Martin
- Length: 13 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Here, in his own words, is the true story of America's wildest flying hero, of his extraordinary heroism, and of his greatest battle of all-the fight to survive. The World War II air war in the Pacific needed tough men like Colonel Pappy Boyington and his Black Sheep Squadron. The legendary Marine Corps officer and his bunch of misfits, outcasts, and daredevils gave a new definition to "hell-raising" - on the ground and in the skies.
-
-
Amazing Story of war and overcoming addiction
- By Nick Novak on 2023-11-08
Written by: Gregory "Pappy" Boyington
-
The Forgotten Soldier
- Written by: Guy Sajer
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 21 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Guy Sajer joins the infantry full of ideals in the summer of 1942, the German army is enjoying unparalleled success in Russia. However, he quickly finds that for the foot soldier the glory of military success hides a much harsher reality of hunger, fatigue, and constant deprivation. Posted to the elite Grosse Deutschland division, he enters a violent and remorseless world where all youthful hope is gradually ground down, and all that matters is the brute will to survive.
-
-
I have PTSD after reading this
- By Amazon Customer on 2018-08-11
Written by: Guy Sajer
-
Devotion
- An Epic Story of Heroism, Friendship, and Sacrifice
- Written by: Adam Makos
- Narrated by: Dominic Hoffman
- Length: 14 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Devotion tells the inspirational story of the U.S. Navy’s most famous aviation duo, Lieutenant Tom Hudner and Ensign Jesse Brown, and the Marines they fought to defend. A white New Englander from the country-club scene, Tom passed up Harvard to fly fighters for his country. An African American sharecropper’s son from Mississippi, Jesse became the navy’s first Black carrier pilot, defending a nation that wouldn’t even serve him in a bar.
Written by: Adam Makos
-
Indestructible
- One Man's Rescue Mission That Changed the Course of WWII
- Written by: John R. Bruning
- Narrated by: Brian Troxell
- Length: 17 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this remarkable WWII story by New York Times best-selling author John R. Bruning, a renegade American pilot fights against all odds to rescue his family - imprisoned by the Japanese - and revolutionizes modern warfare along the way. From the knife fights and smuggling runs of his youth to his fiery days as a pioneering naval aviator, Paul Irving "Pappy" Gunn played by his own set of rules and always survived on his wits and fists. But when he fell for a conservative Southern belle, her love transformed him from a wild and reckless airman to a cunning entrepreneur.
Written by: John R. Bruning
-
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
Written by: Adam Makos
-
The Hunter Killers
- Written by: Dan Hampton
- Narrated by: John Pruden
- Length: 11 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A gripping chronicle of the band of maverick aviators who signed on for the suicidal, dangerous top-secret "Wild Weasel" missions during the Vietnam War - which used controversial and revolutionary tactics to combat Soviet missile technology - from New York Times best-selling author Dan Hampton.
-
-
Fantastic Stories
- By Tim C. on 2018-09-23
Written by: Dan Hampton
-
Crash Dive: The Complete Series (Books 1-6)
- Written by: Craig DiLouie
- Narrated by: R.C. Bray
- Length: 29 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Crash Dive: The Complete Series chronicles the adventures of Charlie Harrison as he fights the Imperial Japanese Navy during WW2. Gripping, action-packed, authentic, and filled with larger-than-life men and women of the Greatest Generation, Crash Dive puts you aboard a submarine during the war. You'll stand alongside Charlie as he proves himself time and again by keeping his wits and being decisive in crisis, though each encounter leaves him more heavily scarred for it.
-
-
Loved it
- By Eric Cuthill on 2020-01-17
Written by: Craig DiLouie
-
Band of Brothers
- E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne, from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest
- Written by: Stephen E. Ambrose
- Narrated by: Tim Jerome
- Length: 12 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Easy Company, 506th Airborne Division, U.S. Army, was as good a rifle company as any in the world. From their rigorous training in Georgia in 1942 to D-Day and victory, Ambrose tells the story of this remarkable company, which kept getting the tough assignments. Easy Company was responsible for everything from parachuting into France early D-Day morning to the capture of Hitler's Eagle's Nest at Berchtesgaden. Band of Brothers is the account of the men of this remarkable unit.
-
-
Great listen! But I am kinda bias!
- By B.J. Nixon on 2019-12-11
Written by: Stephen E. Ambrose
-
The German Aces Speak
- World War II Through the Eyes of Four of the Luftwaffe's Most Important Commanders
- Written by: Anne-Marie Lewis, Jon Guttman, Brigadier General Robin Olds USAF - Ret., and others
- Narrated by: P.J. Ochlan
- Length: 10 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Few perspectives epitomize the sheer drama and sacrifice of combat more perfectly than those of the fighter pilots of World War II. As romanticized as any soldier in history, the World War II fighter pilot was viewed as larger than life: a dashing soul waging war amongst the clouds. In the 65-plus years since the Allied victory, stories of these pilots' heroics have never been in short supply. But what about their adversaries - the highly skilled German aviators who pushed the Allies to the very brink of defeat?
-
-
Great Collection of Accounts From Great Aces
- By Andrew Mendes on 2021-09-15
Written by: Anne-Marie Lewis, and others
-
The German Aces Speak II
- World War II Through the Eyes of Four More of the Luftwaffe's Most Important Commanders
- Written by: Colin D. Heaton, Anne-Marie Lewis, Dr. Dennis Showalter - foreword, and others
- Narrated by: P.J. Ochlan
- Length: 10 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In The German Aces Speak II, Heaton and Lewis paint a picture of the war through the eyes of four more of Germany's most significant pilots, put together from numerous interviews personally conducted by Heaton from the 1980s through the 2000s. The four ex-Luftwaffe fighter aces bring the past to life as they tell their stories about the war, their battles, their off-duty lives, their lives after the war, and perhaps most importantly, how they felt about serving under the Nazi leadership of Hermann Göring and Adolf Hitler.
-
-
Learning about German soldiers
- By Mike D. on 2020-05-04
Written by: Colin D. Heaton, and others
Publisher's Summary
The astonishing untold story of the WWII airmen who risked it all in the deadly race to become the greatest American fighter pilot.
In 1942, America's deadliest fighter pilot, or "ace of aces" - the legendary Eddie Rickenbacker - offered a bottle of bourbon to the first US fighter pilot to break his record of 26 enemy planes shot down. Seizing on the challenge to motivate his men, General George Kenney promoted what they would come to call the "race of aces" as a way of boosting the spirits of his war-weary command.
What developed was a wild three-year sprint for fame and glory, and the chance to be called America's greatest fighter pilot. The story has never been told until now.
Based on new research and full of revelations, John Bruning's brilliant, original book tells the story of how five American pilots contended for personal glory in the Pacific while leading Kenney's resurgent air force against the most formidable enemy America ever faced.
The pilots - Richard Bong, Tommy McGuire, Neel Kearby, Charles MacDonald and Gerald Johnson - riveted the nation as they contended for Rickenbacker's crown. As their scores mounted, they transformed themselves from farm boys and aspiring dentists into artists of the modern dogfight.
But as the race reached its climax, some of the pilots began to see how the spotlight warped their sense of duty. They emerged as leaders, beloved by their men as they chose selfless devotion over national accolades.
Teeming with action all across the vast Pacific theater, Race of Aces is a fascinating exploration of the boundary between honorable duty, personal glory, and the complex landscape of the human heart.
"Brings you into the cockpit of the lethal, fast-paced world of fighter pilots.... Fascinating." (Sara Vladic)
"Extraordinary.... a must-read." (US Navy Captain Dan Pedersen)
"A heart-pounding narrative of the courage, sacrifice, and tragedy of America's elite fighter pilots." (James M. Scott)
"Vivid and gripping.... Confirms Bruning's status as the premier war historian of the air." (Saul David)
What the critics say
"Here is a true story with something for everyone. Love, war, treachery, adventure, and above all an intimate portrait of the made-for-Hollywood life of a man who broke all the rules and remade them to his liking...Bruning shows us a big-hearted man determined to save his family - and a brilliant scientist-pilot who was determined to win the war along the way." (Adam Makos, New York Times best-selling author of A Higher Call and Devotion)
"This is a beautifully told story of a family separated by war, and of an extraordinary father, driven to avenge his family, who by sheer force of character changed the nature of warfare. A superbly told tale of love, honor, courage, and devotion." (Alex Kershaw, New York Times best-selling author of Avenue of Spies)
"Satisfying...Combat aviation buffs will enjoy Bruning's explorations of a little-known history." (Kirkus Reviews)
More from the same
What listeners say about Race of Aces
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Robert G.
- 2020-03-21
Top Notch
A perfect work. Great narration. Gripping accounts of dogfights in the Pacific theatre. Compassionately told.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!