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The Liri Valley
- Canada's World War II Breakthrough to Rome
- Narrated by: William Dufris
- Length: 17 hrs and 8 mins
- Categories: History, Military
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The Gothic Line
- Canada's Month of Hell in World War II Italy
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- Narrated by: Mark Ashby
- Length: 15 hrs and 49 mins
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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.
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Reader Ruins Story
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Operation Husky
- The Canadian Invasion of Sicily, July 10–August 7, 1943
- Written by: Mark Zuehlke
- Narrated by: Paul Christy
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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.
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Great history of a lesser known battle.
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Ortona
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- Narrated by: William Dufris
- Length: 14 hrs and 37 mins
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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.
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I had no idea...
- By Bruce on 2019-03-09
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On to Victory
- The Canadian Liberation of the Netherlands, March 23 - May 5, 1945
- Written by: Mark Zuehlke
- Narrated by: William Dufris
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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.
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A story every Canadian should know.
- By jvoftweed on 2020-06-13
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Tragedy at Dieppe
- Operation Jubilee, August 19, 1942
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- Length: 13 hrs and 2 mins
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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.
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lots of stats
- By Barry on 2020-08-25
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Juno Beach
- Canada's D-Day Victory: June 6, 1944
- Written by: Mark Zuehlke
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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.
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Great
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The Gothic Line
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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.
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Reader Ruins Story
- By George Kelln on 2019-07-08
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Operation Husky
- The Canadian Invasion of Sicily, July 10–August 7, 1943
- Written by: Mark Zuehlke
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- Length: 16 hrs
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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.
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Great history of a lesser known battle.
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Ortona
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- Length: 14 hrs and 37 mins
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Overall
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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.
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I had no idea...
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On to Victory
- The Canadian Liberation of the Netherlands, March 23 - May 5, 1945
- Written by: Mark Zuehlke
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Overall
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Performance
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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.
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A story every Canadian should know.
- By jvoftweed on 2020-06-13
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Tragedy at Dieppe
- Operation Jubilee, August 19, 1942
- Written by: Mark Zuehlke
- Narrated by: John Wray
- Length: 13 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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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
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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
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Overall
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Performance
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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.
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Great
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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.
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Recommended to me
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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.
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Fantastic Book. Narration needs work.
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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.
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Wonderful history
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The Secret History of Soldiers
- How Canadians Survived the Great War
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- Length: 10 hrs and 5 mins
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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.
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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.
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The Gallant Cause
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At the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War on July 17, 1936, 42 thousand Internationals, comprised of Canadians, Americans, and Spaniards, fought together on the side of the Republicans who were trying to throw back fascist dictator General Franco’s troops, which included countless German and Italian soldiers. By October 29, 1938 though, only two thousand Internationals were able to gather for a speech requesting them to withdraw. Despite all their efforts, Spain wanted to continue on its own, hoping the war would become a Spanish affair once again.
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Spearhead
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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.
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Superb storytelling AND it's true!
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The Fight for History
- 75 Years of Forgetting, Remembering, and Remaking Canada's Second World War
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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.
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This explains a lot
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Tigers in the Mud
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World War II began with a metallic roar as the German Blitzkrieg raced across Europe, spearheaded by the most dreaded weapon of the 20th century: the Panzer. No German tank better represents that thundering power than the infamous Tiger, and Otto Carius was one of the most successful commanders to ever take a Tiger into battle, destroying well over 150 enemy tanks during his incredible career.
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An Interesting Man
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Enemy at the Gates
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On August 5, 1942, giant pillars of dust rose over the Russian steppe, marking the advance of the 6th Army, an elite German combat unit dispatched by Hitler to capture the industrial city of Stalingrad and press on to the oil fields of Azerbaijan. The Germans were supremely confident; in three years, they had not suffered a single defeat. The Luftwaffe had already bombed the city into ruins. German soldiers hoped to complete their mission and be home in time for Christmas.
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Entertaining. Historically accurate
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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
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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.
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we need more stories about Canadian contributions
- By Amazon Customer on 2019-07-14
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Tank Action
- An Armoured Troop Commander's War 1944-45
- Written by: Captain David Render, Stuart Tootal
- Narrated by: Roger Davis
- Length: 11 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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In 1944, David Render was a 19-year-old second lieutenant fresh from Sandhurst when he was sent to France. Joining the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry five days after the D-Day landings, the combat-hardened men he was sent to command did not expect him to last long. However, in the following weeks of ferocious fighting in which more than 90 per cent of his fellow tank commanders became casualties, his ability to emerge unscathed from countless combat engagements earned him the nickname of the 'Inevitable Mr Render'.
Audible Editor Reviews
Perfect for dedicated beginner history buffs, Mark Zuehlke’s The Liri Valley: Canada’s World War II Breakthrough to Rome relays to listeners the story of those Canadian troops who preceded and paved the way for Allied forces into Rome, Italy, during World War II.
Zuehlke’s straightforward storytelling is accentuated by actor William Dufris’ skillful performance, which is authoritative but certainly not devoid of excitement. Dufris doesn’t shy away from moments of heightened tension and emotion, bringing these to the fore in perfect harmony with Zuehlke’s own attempts to highlight the sometimes variable personal recollections of veterans.
Publisher's Summary
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.
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- jvoftweed
- 2020-12-02
Excellent Work
Another great Canadian Historical treasure by Mark. Enjoyed every minute of it. I feel Mark's many works should be common reading in CDN history classes throughout the country.
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- bking71
- 2018-01-19
Great content - fast speaker
The narration overall, more the tempo, was too fast to grasp each battle scenario. If it was read a bit slower, the story would have been easier to follow.