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The Dying Citizen
- How Progressive Elites, Tribalism, and Globalization Are Destroying the Idea of America
- Written by: Victor Davis Hanson
- Narrated by: James Edward Thomas
- Length: 15 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
-
Story
Human history is full of the stories of peasants, subjects, and tribes. Yet the concept of the “citizen” is historically rare — and was among America’s most valued ideals for over two centuries. But without shock treatment, warns historian Victor Davis Hanson, American citizenship as we have known it may soon vanish.
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Prolific and Sweeping View of Today's World!
- By Sonja J. on 2022-05-04
Written by: Victor Davis Hanson
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The Vietnam War
- An Intimate History
- Written by: Geoffrey C. Ward, Ken Burns
- Narrated by: Fred Sanders, Ken Burns, Brian Corrigan
- Length: 31 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
More than 40 years after it ended, the Vietnam War continues to haunt our country. We still argue over why we were there, whether we could have won, and who was right and wrong in their response to the conflict. When the war divided the country, it created deep political fault lines that continue to divide us today. Now, continuing in the tradition of their critically acclaimed collaborations, the authors draw on dozens and dozens of interviews in America and Vietnam to give us the perspectives of people involved at all levels of the war.
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STUNNING
- By Rob on 2017-11-29
Written by: Geoffrey C. Ward, and others
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The First World War
- A Complete History
- Written by: Martin Gilbert
- Narrated by: Roger Clark
- Length: 33 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It was to be the war to end all wars, and it began at 11:15 on the morning of June 28, 1914, in an outpost of the Austro-Hungarian Empire called Sarajevo. It would officially end nearly five years later. Unofficially, however, it has never ended: Many of the horrors we live with today are rooted in the First World War. The Great War left millions of civilians and soldiers maimed or dead. It also saw the creation of new technologies of destruction: tanks, planes, and submarines; machine guns and field artillery; poison gas and chemical warfare.
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good book
- By Matthew laing on 2021-07-25
Written by: Martin Gilbert
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Carnage and Culture
- Landmark Battles in the Rise to Western Power
- Written by: Victor Davis Hanson
- Narrated by: Bob Souer
- Length: 20 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Examining nine landmark battles from ancient to modern times - from Salamis, where outnumbered Greeks devastated the slave army of Xerxes, to Cortes' conquest of Mexico to the Tet offensive - Victor Davis Hanson explains why the armies of the West have been the most lethal and effective of any fighting forces in the world. Looking beyond popular explanations such as geography or superior technology, Hanson argues that it is in fact Western culture and values which have consistently produced superior arms and soldiers.
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returned the book before finishing
- By Amazon Customer on 2020-04-21
Written by: Victor Davis Hanson
-
World War II at Sea
- A Global History
- Written by: Craig L. Symonds
- Narrated by: Eric Martin
- Length: 25 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
World War II at Sea offers a global perspective, focusing on the major engagements and personalities and revealing both their scale and their interconnection: the U-boat attack on Scapa Flow and the Battle of the Atlantic; the "miracle" evacuation from Dunkirk and the pitched battles for control of Norway fjords; Mussolini's Regia Marina - at the start of the war the fourth-largest navy in the world - and the dominance of the Kidö Butai and Japanese naval power in the Pacific; Pearl Harbor then Midway; and much more.
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A Must for Military History Geeks
- By Max Boyd on 2021-02-25
Written by: Craig L. Symonds
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Hitler
- Downfall: 1939-1945
- Written by: Volker Ullrich, Jefferson Chase - translator
- Narrated by: Sean Runnette
- Length: 29 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the author of Hitler: Ascent, 1889-1939 comes a riveting account of the dictator's final years, when he got the war he wanted but his leadership led to catastrophe for his nation, the world, and himself. Volker Ullrich offers fascinating new insight into Hitler's character and personality, vividly portraying the insecurity, obsession with minutiae, and narcissistic penchant for gambling that led Hitler to overrule his subordinates and then blame them for his failures.
-
-
A Monster explained
- By Stix on 2021-10-09
Written by: Volker Ullrich, and others
-
The Dying Citizen
- How Progressive Elites, Tribalism, and Globalization Are Destroying the Idea of America
- Written by: Victor Davis Hanson
- Narrated by: James Edward Thomas
- Length: 15 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Human history is full of the stories of peasants, subjects, and tribes. Yet the concept of the “citizen” is historically rare — and was among America’s most valued ideals for over two centuries. But without shock treatment, warns historian Victor Davis Hanson, American citizenship as we have known it may soon vanish.
-
-
Prolific and Sweeping View of Today's World!
- By Sonja J. on 2022-05-04
Written by: Victor Davis Hanson
-
The Vietnam War
- An Intimate History
- Written by: Geoffrey C. Ward, Ken Burns
- Narrated by: Fred Sanders, Ken Burns, Brian Corrigan
- Length: 31 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
More than 40 years after it ended, the Vietnam War continues to haunt our country. We still argue over why we were there, whether we could have won, and who was right and wrong in their response to the conflict. When the war divided the country, it created deep political fault lines that continue to divide us today. Now, continuing in the tradition of their critically acclaimed collaborations, the authors draw on dozens and dozens of interviews in America and Vietnam to give us the perspectives of people involved at all levels of the war.
-
-
STUNNING
- By Rob on 2017-11-29
Written by: Geoffrey C. Ward, and others
-
The First World War
- A Complete History
- Written by: Martin Gilbert
- Narrated by: Roger Clark
- Length: 33 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It was to be the war to end all wars, and it began at 11:15 on the morning of June 28, 1914, in an outpost of the Austro-Hungarian Empire called Sarajevo. It would officially end nearly five years later. Unofficially, however, it has never ended: Many of the horrors we live with today are rooted in the First World War. The Great War left millions of civilians and soldiers maimed or dead. It also saw the creation of new technologies of destruction: tanks, planes, and submarines; machine guns and field artillery; poison gas and chemical warfare.
-
-
good book
- By Matthew laing on 2021-07-25
Written by: Martin Gilbert
-
Carnage and Culture
- Landmark Battles in the Rise to Western Power
- Written by: Victor Davis Hanson
- Narrated by: Bob Souer
- Length: 20 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Examining nine landmark battles from ancient to modern times - from Salamis, where outnumbered Greeks devastated the slave army of Xerxes, to Cortes' conquest of Mexico to the Tet offensive - Victor Davis Hanson explains why the armies of the West have been the most lethal and effective of any fighting forces in the world. Looking beyond popular explanations such as geography or superior technology, Hanson argues that it is in fact Western culture and values which have consistently produced superior arms and soldiers.
-
-
returned the book before finishing
- By Amazon Customer on 2020-04-21
Written by: Victor Davis Hanson
-
World War II at Sea
- A Global History
- Written by: Craig L. Symonds
- Narrated by: Eric Martin
- Length: 25 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
World War II at Sea offers a global perspective, focusing on the major engagements and personalities and revealing both their scale and their interconnection: the U-boat attack on Scapa Flow and the Battle of the Atlantic; the "miracle" evacuation from Dunkirk and the pitched battles for control of Norway fjords; Mussolini's Regia Marina - at the start of the war the fourth-largest navy in the world - and the dominance of the Kidö Butai and Japanese naval power in the Pacific; Pearl Harbor then Midway; and much more.
-
-
A Must for Military History Geeks
- By Max Boyd on 2021-02-25
Written by: Craig L. Symonds
-
Hitler
- Downfall: 1939-1945
- Written by: Volker Ullrich, Jefferson Chase - translator
- Narrated by: Sean Runnette
- Length: 29 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the author of Hitler: Ascent, 1889-1939 comes a riveting account of the dictator's final years, when he got the war he wanted but his leadership led to catastrophe for his nation, the world, and himself. Volker Ullrich offers fascinating new insight into Hitler's character and personality, vividly portraying the insecurity, obsession with minutiae, and narcissistic penchant for gambling that led Hitler to overrule his subordinates and then blame them for his failures.
-
-
A Monster explained
- By Stix on 2021-10-09
Written by: Volker Ullrich, and others
Publisher's Summary
A definitive account of World War II by America's preeminent military historian.
World War II was the most lethal conflict in human history. Never before had a war been fought on so many diverse landscapes and in so many different ways, from rocket attacks in London to jungle fighting in Burma to armor strikes in Libya.
The Second World Wars examines how combat unfolded in the air, at sea, and on land to show how distinct conflicts among disparate combatants coalesced into one interconnected global war. Drawing on 3,000 years of military history, Victor Davis Hanson argues that despite its novel industrial barbarity, neither the war's origins nor its geography were unusual. Nor was its ultimate outcome surprising. The Axis powers were well prepared to win limited border conflicts, but once they blundered into global war, they had no hope of victory.
An authoritative new history of astonishing breadth, The Second World Wars, offers a stunning reinterpretation of history's deadliest conflict.
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What listeners say about The Second World Wars
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Eric McAuley
- 2021-06-06
VDH is person I respect his character and intent.
WW II is an amazing history where the USA, Canada & Great Britain United the free world to defeat evil. VDH gives pride to the services of my father who served on HMS Summerside as a sparked on a Corvette on Convoy duty at stark of the war, participated on Operation Touch, and finished out the war in Operation headquarters in Halifax due his as signal proceser at 60 + words per minute
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- Matt
- 2019-07-25
A fine military overview to supplement other works
The Second World Wars is a military history that does not spend a great deal of time mired in the weeds of politics. As such, you will need other sources for that. It is also divided into topics, not chronology or geography. It is an excellent second book, perhaps, for building a foundation to the subject, as it assumes some understanding of the course of the war.
As already stated, this book is broken into topics: air power, sea power, land power, industrial production, and so forth. The discussion is very erudite; it is packed full of detail and expert opinion. A prevailing theme is the critical importance of military deterrence. This is a compelling argument and, in the days of waning hegemony, a warning to nations who wish to avoid war.
The narrator did a good job overall, but the pacing was too quick. This necessitates reviewing sections, sometimes multiple times, to fully absorb the material as you are thinking about it. He also had a habit of making rather massive nasal inhales after reading a section. It is a little distracting and could have been easily edited out, but I did not score it against him.
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- LARRY DINKIN
- 2019-02-07
The story behind the story of WW 2
I have read over 35 books on WW 2 and the "Second World Wars" is one the most fascinating. It tells the story behind the story of WW 2. The book also introduces new facts by a well-informed author. Could not stop listening.
26 people found this helpful
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- Stephen
- 2019-01-11
Outstanding.
Loved it. Learned a lot. The book was finished in no time. Couldn't stop once I started it
17 people found this helpful
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- Dr Sockmonkee
- 2019-02-05
Amazing amount of information
I loved this book. I had never considered the different theaters of war or the participants in the way presented. I learned much more than I knew beforehand.
15 people found this helpful
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- M. E. Blackman
- 2019-03-15
Very well written, not as well spoken.
No complaints whatsoever regarding VDH’s writing or the way this book was put together. It’s a great overview of the various aspects of the war. (If you’re looking for details of particular battles or campaigns, this isn’t it.) I was a bit disappointed with the narrator’s errors with some of the pronunciation, and especially with pauses in the middle of sentences which interrupted the flow of the story.
14 people found this helpful
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- DOUGLAS RIFE
- 2019-02-11
The full scope of the world-wide conflict
I have listened to all of the book and am starting it a second time. It is the best of the WW2 overviews. Victor Davis Hanson is not only recognized as a "war history" expert - he is our era's best commentator and historian of war and its affect on the world and politics. The approach he takes interweaves the multiple theaters, the various elements (land, sea, air, strategy, tactics, logistics, technology, and industry) while maintaining a linkage of all factors even while emphasizing one aspect. I am now investing the time to listen through again - there is so much to be mined from this mother-lode of data.
The narration is excellent.
I'll be looking for more of Victor Davis Hanson's work on audible products.
24 people found this helpful
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- Steve Hillman MD
- 2019-05-05
The whole story of WWII
As a lifetime student of WWII I found myself surprised at the vast amount of detail I had missed in the past.
This is the most complete work on the subject I’ve encountered.
A must reafy
8 people found this helpful
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- George
- 2019-01-26
excellent book
Absolutely stonning book if you are loving details. Strategies, planning and politics during the world war II ....all those you thought you know before reading it. Well, the book will teach you a lot more.
8 people found this helpful
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- REX LANYI
- 2019-05-18
A Reluctant 4.5 Stars
I "only" gave it 4.5 Stars because although the book was very well researched and written, I felt that the Asian War was not included proportionately. It seemed like the war in the Pacific and Asia received about one-third of the author's time, with China barely being mentioned. Something much closer to half of the book would have been appropriate. However, the book was excellent in all other respects.
7 people found this helpful
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- John
- 2020-05-08
So Tedious
I have read Victor Davis Hanson's columns from time to time and have always found him to have great insight, even if I did not fully agree with him, which is why I bought this book.
I have slogged through more than half of this and listen to it from time to time. It is incredibly tedious and highly repetitive. It does not seem particularly well organized. There are repeated references to wars in ancient history and how they supposedly relate to World War II. Some may find those references interesting. I do not.
The narration is also not so great. Souer generally speaks very quickly and in somewhat of a monotone, punctuated by strange silences and drawing deep breaths.
If I could do it again, I would pass on this one.
5 people found this helpful
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- Timothy L
- 2019-02-01
great commentary on World War II
a different View and understanding of World War II that you've never heard before from an excellent scholar on war Victor Davis Hanson.
5 people found this helpful