The Liberator

One World War II Soldier's 500-Day Odyssey from the Beaches of Sicily to the Gates of Dachau

By: Alex Kershaw

Narrated by: Fred Sanders

The true story of the bloodiest and most dramatic march to victory of the Second World War: the battlefield odyssey of a maverick U.S. Army officer and his infantry unit as they fought for over five hundred days to liberate Europe - from the invasion of Italy to the gates of Dachau.

From July 10, 1943, the date of the Allied landing in Sicily, to May 8, 1945, when victory in Europe was declared - the entire time it took to liberate Europe - no regiment saw more action, and no single platoon, company, or battalion endured worse, than the ones commanded by Felix Sparks, who had entered the war as a greenhorn second lieutenant of the 157th "Eager for Duty" Infantry Regiment of the 45th "Thunderbird" Division. Sparks and his fellow Thunderbirds fought longest and hardest to defeat Hitler, often against his most fanatical troops, when the odds on the battlefield were even and the fortunes of the Allies hung in the balance - and when the difference between defeat and victory was a matter of character, not tactics or armor.

Drawing on extensive interviews with Sparks and dozens of his men, as well as over five years of research in Europe and in archives across the US, historian Alex Kershaw masterfully recounts one of the most inspiring and heroic journeys in military history. Over the course of four amphibious invasions, Sparks rose from captain to colonel as he battled from the beaches of Sicily through the mountains of Italy and France, ultimately enduring bitter and desperate winter combat against the diehard SS on the Fatherland's borders. Though he lost all of his company to save the Allied beach-head at Anzio and an entire battalion in the dark forests of the Vosges, Sparks miraculously survived the long bloody march across Europe and was selected to lead a final charge to Bavaria to hunt down Adolf Hitler.

In the dying days of the Third Reich, Sparks and his men crossed the last great barrier in the West, the Rhine, only to experience some of the most intense street fighting and close combat suffered by Americans in WWII. When they finally arrived at the gates of Dachau, Hitler's first and most notorious concentration camp, the Thunderbirds confronted scenes that robbed the mind of reason. With victory within grasp, Sparks confronted the ultimate test of his humanity: after all he had faced, could he resist the urge to wreak vengeance on the men who had caused untold suffering and misery?

Written with the narrative drive and vivid immediacy of Kershaw's previous best-selling books about American infantrymen in WWII, The Liberator is a story for the ages, an intensely human and dramatic account of one of history's greatest warriors and his unheralded role in America's finest achievement - the defeat of Nazi Germany.

©2012 Alex Kershaw (P)2012 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"[Kershaw] is a captivating narrator, hammering home the chaos and carnage of war, sparing no sensory detail to paint a cohesive picture. [His] portrayal of his subject (based on interviews with Sparks, who died in 2007, and other survivors) makes for a riveting, almost epic tale of a larger-than-life, underappreciated figure." ( Publishers Weekly)

"This engrossing wartime narrative offers a fresh look at the European campaign and an intimate sense of the war’s toll on individual participants." ( Kirkus Reviews)

"A searing, brilliantly told story of the heroism and horror of war, Alex Kershaw's The Liberator is a book that's impossible to put down. A must read for anyone who loved Band of Brothers." (Lynne Olson, author of Citizens of London)

Left me wanting more detail

What made the experience of listening to The Liberator the most enjoyable?

Hearing Sparks' dry, no-nonsense, matter of fact mentality cracked me up. He said what he meant and meant what he said. Too bad more people arent like this all the time!

Any additional comments?

It was frustrating hearing some of these stories told so simply with few details. I would have liked to hear more details about their experiences rather than the simple "breeze by" method used by the author.

Another stunner from Kershaw

Like other books from Kershaw, the story takes off slowly but I have come to realize why Kershaw does this; the foundation for his books must stand on firmly researched foundations. Gradually the life of Felix Sparks develops into one that cannot be forgotten; a man of compassion , courage and integrity. I am not an American, but surely Americans should regard Felix Sparks as one of their greatest. Thank-you General Sparks, thank-you to the brave men he commanded, thank-you United States and thank-you Alex Kershaw for bringing this great man to our attention. Fred Sanders gives an excellent performance; my only reservation was his rendition of foreign tongues.

An Amazing Story

Its hard to believe that 1 man went through so many bitter battles and survived all of it. It really gave me a good sense of what it was like for the troops on the front lines and greater appreciation for the sacrifice they made for our freedom today.

Great story

Great story about a National Guard unit. It is amazing to hear that a Guard unit, not an active unit had the most fighting in WW2

My grandfather was there.

It is nice to here what happened during my grandfather's time with the 157th. He was with them from the beginning till the end. He only talked about it twice in his life and once was with me. His name was Charles Dunlap. He talked about guard duty at Dachau and some of what he had seen. Not sure of his unit, his records where lost to the fire in Missouri. Thanks for filling in some of the gaps.

One of the best WW2 books Ive ever read

This book was awesome! This man is a national hero and Im honored to have read this book about his WW2 journey. More young people need to hear what these men went through for all of our freedoms today. Its intense!

Excellent!!

I listened to this book when I do my 3-4 mile hike every day, just like all other books, and when I finish this book, I knew I will listened to this book again, 3 months later, it had great information that I looked up during the book. My grandfather was a prisoners of War, from Tunisia 1942 till 1945 being Liberated by the Russians. Thank you all that served.

Incredible life

What a well written account of a man we all owe much gratitude and thanks!

One of the best I have ever read/heard.

Absolutely honored to have heard the story of Felix Sparks. Grateful that his story was told.

Col Sparks, a great American hero of WWII

Colonel Sparks lost his troops in battle twice and survived to liberate Dachau concentration camp.