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To Fight alongside Friends
- The First World War Diaries of Charlie May
- Narrated by: Finlay Robertson
- Length: 7 hrs and 19 mins
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To Fight alongside Friends
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Publisher's summary
The First World War Diaries of Manchester Pals Captain Charlie May – written and kept in secret and published now for the first time. A born storyteller, Charlie May’s vivid eye for detail and warm good humour brings his experience in the trenches (and the experience of millions of ordinary men like him) to life for a 21st-century readership.
Captain Charlie May was killed, aged 27, in the early morning of 1st July 1916, leading the men of ‘B Company’, 22nd Manchester Service Battalion (the Manchester Pals) into action on the first day of the Somme.
This tolerant and immensely likeable man had been born in New Zealand and – against King’s regulations – he kept a diary in seven small, wallet-sized pocket books. A journalist before the war and a born storyteller, May’s diaries give a vivid picture of battalion life in and behind the trenches during the build-up to the greatest battle fought by a British army and are filled with the friendships and tensions, the home-sickness, frustrations, delays and endless postponements, the fog of ignorance, the combination of boredom and terror to which every man that has ever fought could testify.
His diaries reflect on the progress of the war, tell jokes – good and bad, give details of horse-rides along the Somme valley, afternoons with a fishing rod, lunch in Amiens, a gastronomic celebration of Christmas 1915 and concerts in ‘Whiz Bang Hall’. He describes battles not just with the enemy, but with rats, crows and on the makeshift football pitch – all recorded with a freshness that brings these stories home as if for the first time.
The diaries are also written as an extended and deeply-moving love letter to his wife Maude and baby daughter Pauline. ‘I do not want to die’, he wrote – ‘Not that I mind for myself. If it be that I am to go, I am ready. But the thought that I may never see you or our darling baby again turns my bowels to water.’
Fresh, eloquent and warm, these diaries were kept secret from the censor and were delivered to his wife after his death by a fellow soldier in Charlie’s company. Edited by his great-nephew and published for the first time, these diaries give an unforgettable account of the war that took Charlie May’s life, and millions of others like him.
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Nice to hear an unapologetic account
- By S. H. Moore on 01-16-20
By: Mike Hoare
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Gallipoli 1915
- By: Joseph Murray
- Narrated by: Malcolm Hamilton
- Length: 9 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 44
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 37
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 37
The Gallipoli Campaign stands out as a landmark in the history of the First World War, and it was perhaps the most controversial action; it certainly ended in tragedy. Joseph Murray was among the 400,000 British and Commonwealth troops taking part, and he served as a naval rating turned soldier in Hood Battalion of the Royal Naval Division. Gallipoli 1915 is based on a diary he kept at the time and his later letters home.
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5 out of 5 stars
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First hand experience from solider
- By Mike on 12-24-22
By: Joseph Murray
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Sword of Honor
- By: Evelyn Waugh
- Narrated by: Simon Prebble
- Length: 24 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 213
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 195
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 196
This trilogy about World War II, largely based on his own experiences as an army officer, is the crowning achievement of Evelyn Waugh's career. Its central character is Guy Crouchback, head of an ancient but decayed Catholic family, who at first discovers new purpose in the challenge to defend Christian values against Nazi barbarism, but then gradually finds the complexities and cruelties of war too much for him.
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1 out of 5 stars
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At least one chapter missing
- By Sviatoslav on 08-17-15
By: Evelyn Waugh
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Now It Can Be Told
- By: Philip Gibbs
- Narrated by: Matthew Lloyd Davies
- Length: 19 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 171
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 152
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 151
Sir Philip Gibbs served as one of five official British reporters during the First World War. In this book he relays the experiences of British soldiers and offers a detailed narrative of the events of World War I, while trying to draw broader conclusions about the nature of war and how it can be prevented in the future.
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5 out of 5 stars
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An unusually worthwhile listen.
- By Alan on 08-19-18
By: Philip Gibbs
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The Adventures of a Revolutionary Soldier
- By: Joseph Plumb Martin
- Narrated by: Brandon Wright
- Length: 9 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 59
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 54
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Story5 out of 5 stars 54
Joseph Plumb Martin (1760-1850) was a soldier in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. Martin participated in the Battles of Brooklyn, the White Plains and Monmouth, and the siege of Fort Mifflin, and the Battle of Monmouth. The Adventures of a Revolutionary Soldier relates the adventures of a young private serving his country under terrible conditions. There are engaging accounts of army life, adventures, dangers, and suffering during the years 1776-1783.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A Gospel of the Revolution
- By Eric on 07-19-21
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Red Road from Stalingrad
- Recollections of a Soviet Infantryman
- By: Mansur Abdulin
- Narrated by: Alex Hyde-White
- Length: 8 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 82
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 71
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 72
Mansur Abdulin fought in the front ranks of the Soviet infantry against the German invaders at Stalingrad, Kursk, and on the banks of the Dnieper. This is his extraordinary story. His vivid firsthand account of a ruthless war on the Eastern Front gives rare insight into the reality of the fighting and into the tactics and mentality of the Red Army's soldiers.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Memoir of a Soviet soldier fighting the Nazis
- By Ladybug on 09-16-21
By: Mansur Abdulin
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Tobruk
- By: Peter FitzSimons
- Narrated by: Humphrey Bower
- Length: 23 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 488
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 365
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 365
In the early days of April 1941, the 14,000 Australian forces garrisoned in the Libyan town of Tobruk were told to expect reinforcements and supplies within eight weeks... Eight months later these heroic, gallant, determined 'Rats of Tobruk' were rescued by the British Navy having held the fort against the might of Rommel's never-before defeated Afrika Corps.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Fair dinkum
- By J B Tipton on 11-22-08
By: Peter FitzSimons
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Silent Night
- The Remarkable 1914 Christmas Truce
- By: Stanley Weintraub
- Narrated by: Edward Holland
- Length: 5 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 102
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 64
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 65
In the beginning months of World War I, a very strange thing happened. After the fierce trench warfare of November and December, on Christmas Eve, 1914, the fighting spontaneously stopped. Men on both sides laid down their arms and came to celebrate Christmas with each other. They shared food parcels across the lines, sang carols together, and erected Christmas trees with candles. They buried the dead, exchanged presents, and even played soccer together.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Everyone should know this history
- By DARBY KERN on 12-08-23
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Homage to Catalonia
- By: George Orwell
- Narrated by: Frederick Davidson
- Length: 8 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,848
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,577
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,563
In 1936, George Orwell went to Spain to report on the civil war and instead joined the P.O.U.M. militia to fight against the Fascists. In this now justly famous account of his experience, he describes both the bleak and the comic aspects of trench warfare on the Aragon front, the Barcelona uprising in May 1937, his nearly fatal wounding just two weeks later, and his escape from Barcelona into France after the P.O.U.M. was suppressed.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Excellent book, marred by narration
- By Kirby on 02-02-13
By: George Orwell
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Final Blackout
- By: L. Ron Hubbard
- Narrated by: Roddy McDowall
- Length: 2 hrs and 56 mins
- Abridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 62
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 47
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 47
The world is in the throes of economic decay and at the mercy of terrorists. Across this post-apocalyptic landscape marches one extraordinary soldier and his band of brothers. In a novel as disturbingly plausible as it is powerfully gripping, they are headed into a battle in which they will have to come to grips with the power of technology and the true price of freedom.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Robert's Review
- By Robert the Dispatcher on 06-22-15
By: L. Ron Hubbard
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The Road to Kalamata
- By: Mike Hoare
- Narrated by: Mike Hoare
- Length: 6 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 39
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 31
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 31
Col. Mike Hoare describes how his 4 Commando supported Moise Tshombe's breakaway state of Katanga against both the UN forces, and the Baluba tribesmen who used poison arrows, pit traps, marijuana, spells, jungle drums...and even reorted to ritual torture and cannibalism.
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5 out of 5 stars
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another great book by hoare
- By Chris on 08-29-24
By: Mike Hoare
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Blood and Soil
- The Memoir of a Third Reich Brandenburger
- By: Sepp de Giampietro, Lawrence Paterson - foreword, Eva Burke - translator
- Narrated by: P.J. Ochlan
- Length: 14 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 45
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 40
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 40
The Brandenburgers were Hitler's Special Forces, a band of mainly foreign German nationals who used disguise and fluency in other languages to complete daring missions into enemy territory. Overshadowed by stories of their Allied equivalents, their history has largely been ignored. First published in 1984, de Giampietro's highly-personal and eloquent memoir is a vivid account of his experiences. In astonishing detail, he delves into the reality of life in the unit from everyday concerns and politics to training and involvement in Brandenburg missions.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Memoir of a Liar and War Criminal? Perhaps.
- By Erik on 06-14-21
By: Sepp de Giampietro, and others
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Storm of Steel
- By: Ernst Jünger
- Narrated by: Frasier Mackenzie
- Length: 11 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 106
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 89
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Story5 out of 5 stars 90
Ernst Jünger was a famous German soldier who saw action during World War I. He is best known for his memoirs Storm of Steel, which chronicle his experiences during World War I.
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5 out of 5 stars
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great book
- By Amazon Customer on 12-28-20
By: Ernst Jünger
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Marine!
- The Life of Chesty Puller
- By: Burke Davis
- Narrated by: Bill Thatcher
- Length: 12 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 441
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 399
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Story5 out of 5 stars 397
In the glorious chronicles of the US Marine Corps, no name is more revered than that of Lt. Gen. Lewis B. "Chesty" Puller. The only fighting man to receive the Navy Cross five separate times - a military honor second only to the Congressional Medal of Honor - he was the epitome of a professional warrior.
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5 out of 5 stars
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good book, God awful reading.
- By Amazon Customer on 12-28-21
By: Burke Davis
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Biggest Brother
- The Life of Major Dick Winters, the Man Who Led the Band of Brothers
- By: Larry Alexander
- Narrated by: Traber Burns
- Length: 13 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 86
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 83
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Story5 out of 5 stars 83
They were Easy Company, 101st Army Airborne - the World War II fighting unit legendary for their bravery against nearly insurmountable odds and their loyalty to one another in the face of death. Every soldier in this band of brothers looked to one man for leadership, devotion to duty, and the embodiment of courage: Major Dick Winters. This is the riveting story of an ordinary man who became an extraordinary hero.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Excellent!
- By Vera Family on 09-24-21
By: Larry Alexander
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By Tank into Normandy
- By: Stuart Hills, Lord Deedes - foreword
- Narrated by: Roger Clark
- Length: 9 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 29
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 27
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 27
Stuart Hills embarked his Sherman DD tank on to an LCT at 6:45 a.m., Sunday, June 4th, 1944. He was 20 years old, un-blooded, fresh from a public-school background, and officer cadet training. He was going to war. Two days later, his tank sunk; he and his crew landed from a rubber dinghy with just the clothes they stood in. After that, the struggles through the Normandy bocage in a replacement tank, engaging the enemy in a constant round of close encounters, led to a swift mastering of the art of tank warfare and remarkable survival in the midst of carnage and destruction.
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5 out of 5 stars
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First “The Big Show” now this?!
- By S. H. Moore on 05-19-21
By: Stuart Hills, and others