Victory at Villers-Bretonneux
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Victory at Villers-Bretonneux
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Narrated by:
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Robert Meldrum
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By:
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Peter FitzSimons
About this listen
On Anzac Day 1918, when the town of Villers-Bretonneux falls to the British defenders, it is the Australians who are called on to save the day, the town and the entire battle.
It's early 1918, and after four brutal years the fate of the Great War hangs in the balance. On the one hand, the fact that Vladimir Lenin and the Bolsheviks have seized power in Russia - immediately suing for peace with Germany - means that no fewer than one million of the Kaiser's soldiers can now be transferred from there to the Western Front. On the other, now that America has entered the war, it means that two million American soldiers are also on their way, to tip the scales of war in favor of the Allies.
The Germans, realising that their only hope is striking at the Allied lines first, do exactly that, and on the morning of 21 March 1918, the Kaiserschlacht, the Kaiser's battle, is launched - the biggest set-piece battle the world has ever seen.
©2016 Peter FitzSimons. Produced by arrangement with Penguin Random House Australia Pty Ltd (P)2016 Bolinda Publishing Pty LtdListeners also enjoyed...
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-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 54
Much has been made of - and written about - August 1914. There has been comparatively little focus on August 1918 and the lead-up to November. Because of the fixation on the Great War's opening moves and the great battles that followed over the course of the next four years, the endgame seems to come as a stunning anticlimax. At the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, the guns simply fell silent. The Last Battle definitively corrects this misperception. As Hart shows, a number of factors precipitated the Armistice.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Is it over yet?
- By Rick B on 11-17-20
By: Peter Hart
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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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I Will Hold
- The Story of USMC Legend Clifton B. Cates from Belleau Wood to Victory in the Great War
- By: James Carl Nelson
- Narrated by: Sean Pratt
- Length: 9 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 145
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 136
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 133
The incredible true story of Clifton B. "Lucky" Cates, whose service in World War I and beyond made him a legend in the annals of the Marine Corps. Cates knew that he and his small band of marines were in a desperate spot. Before handing the note over to a runner, he added three words that would resound through Marine Corps history: I WILL HOLD.
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1 out of 5 stars
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I Cannot Hold!
- By Matthew on 10-22-16
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Somme
- Into the Breach
- By: Hugh Sebag-Montefiore
- Narrated by: Roy McMillan
- Length: 19 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 157
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 147
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 146
No conflict better encapsulates all that went wrong on the Western Front than the Battle of the Somme in 1916. The tragic loss of life and stoic endurance by troops who walked towards their death is an iconic image which will be hard to ignore during the centennial year. Despite this, this book shows the extent to which the Allied armies were in fact able repeatedly to break through the German front lines.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A gentle look at a horrific subject
- By J Beachboard on 02-27-17
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Citizen Soldiers
- The U.S. Army from the Normandy Beaches to the Bulge to the Surrender of Germany
- By: Stephen E. Ambrose
- Narrated by: George K. Wilson
- Length: 21 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 1,695
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 1,525
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Story5 out of 5 stars 1,513
A masterful biography of the U.S. Army in the European Theater of Operations during World War II, Citizen Soldiers provides a compelling account of the extraordinary stories of ordinary men in their fight for democracy. From the high command on down to the enlisted men, Stephen E. Ambrose draws on hundreds of interviews and oral histories from men on both sides who were there.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Required reading, excellent narration
- By Jeremy on 06-30-11
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The Battle of Arnhem
- The Deadliest Airborne Operation of World War II
- By: Antony Beevor
- Narrated by: Sean Barrett
- Length: 16 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 450
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 398
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 397
On September 17, 1944, General Kurt Student, the founder of Nazi Germany's parachute forces, heard the groaning roar of airplane engines. He went out onto his balcony above the flat landscape of southern Holland to watch the air armada of Dakotas and gliders, carrying the legendary American 101st and 82nd Airborne Divisions and the British 1st Airborne Division. Operation Market Garden, the plan to end the war by capturing the bridges leading to the Lower Rhine and beyond, was a bold concept, but could it have ever worked? The cost of failure was horrendous, above all for the Dutch.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Fighting a lost war
- By Alec Drumm on 11-03-18
By: Antony Beevor
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Pegasus Bridge
- By: Stephen E. Ambrose
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 5 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 313
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 279
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 278
In the early morning hours of June 6, 1944, a small detachment of British airborne troops stormed the German defense forces and paved the way for the Allied invasion of Europe. Pegasus Bridge was the first engagement of D-day, the turning point of World War II. This gripping account of it by acclaimed author Stephen Ambrose brings to life a daring mission so crucial that, had it been unsuccessful, the entire Normandy invasion might have failed.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Great story told in greater detal
- By Amazon Customer on 08-16-17
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September Hope
- The American Side of a Bridge Too Far
- By: John C. McManus
- Narrated by: Walter Dixon
- Length: 14 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 128
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 117
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 117
In September Hope, acclaimed historian John C. McManus explores World War II’s most ambitious invasion, an immense, daring offensive to defeat Nazi Germany before the end of 1944. Operation Market-Garden is one of the war’s most famous, but least understood, battles, and McManus tells the story of the American contribution to this crucial phase of the war in Europe.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Go yanks go !
- By Alan on 03-06-13
By: John C. McManus
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If Chaos Reigns
- The Near-Disaster and Ultimate Triumph of the Allied Airborne Forces on D-Day, June 6, 1944
- By: Flint Whitlock
- Narrated by: Michael Prichard
- Length: 12 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 35
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 30
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 29
So said Brigadier S. James Hill, commanding officer of the British 3rd Parachute Brigade, in an address to his troops shortly before the launching of Operation Overlord - the D-Day invasion of Normandy. No more prophetic words were ever spoken, for chaos indeed reigned on that day, and many more that followed.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Allied Airborne in Normandy
- By Doc on 07-13-18
By: Flint Whitlock
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If You Survive
- From Normandy to the Battle of the Bulge to the End of World War II - One American Officer's Riveting True Story
- By: George Wilson
- Narrated by: Brian Keeler
- Length: 8 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 700
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 639
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 639
George Wilson has garnered much acclaim for this shattering and enlightening memoir. Detailing his odyssey from July, 1944 until the following summer, If You Survive is a startling first-person account of the final year of World War II. Wilson was the only man from his original company to finish the war. As a Second Lieutenant, he went ashore at Utah Beach after the D-Day invasion amidst burned vehicles, sunken landing craft, and broken fortifications.
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5 out of 5 stars
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the best story of the war in Europe I've read
- By David on 02-18-17
By: George Wilson
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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
- Length: 11 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,477
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,316
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,317
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.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Now I Know What a Hero Really Is
- By Steven on 11-27-12
By: Alex Kershaw
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Forty-Seven Days
- How Pershing's Warriors Came of Age to Defeat the German Army in World War I
- By: Mitchell Yockelson
- Narrated by: Napoleon Ryan
- Length: 9 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 84
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 75
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 76
The Battle of the Meuse-Argonne stands as the deadliest clash in American history: More than a million untested American soldiers went up against a better-trained and more experienced German army, costing more than 26,000 deaths and leaving nearly 100,000 wounded. Yet, in 47 days of intense combat, those Americans pushed back the enemy and forced the Germans to surrender, bringing the First World War to an end - a feat the British and the French had not achieved after more than three years of fighting.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Comprehensive history of The First Army in WWI
- By Bruce Miller on 03-08-18
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D-Day
- The Battle for Normandy
- By: Antony Beevor
- Narrated by: Cameron Stewart
- Length: 19 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 625
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 452
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 453
Renowned historian Antony Beevor, the man who "single-handedly transformed the reputation of military history" (The Guardian) presents the first major account in more than 20 years of the Normandy invasion and the liberation of Paris. This is the first book to describe not only the experiences of the American, British, Canadian, and German soldiers, but also the terrible suffering of the French caught up in the fighting.
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4 out of 5 stars
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A commendable book
- By Michael on 01-19-10
By: Antony Beevor
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The Darkest Summer
- Pusan and Inchon 1950: The Battles That Saved South Korea---and the Marines---from Extinction
- By: Bill Sloan
- Narrated by: Michael Prichard
- Length: 13 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 114
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 87
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 90
The outcome of the Korean War was decided in the first three months. The Darkest Summer is the hour-by-hour, casualty-by-casualty story of those months---a period that saw American and UN forces almost driven into the sea by the North Korean invaders, then stage an incredible turn-around that reversed the entire course of the war.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Great intro to Korea
- By I Ate Your Pug For Lunch and It was Tasty on 01-14-11
By: Bill Sloan
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Breakout from Juno
- First Canadian Army and the Normandy Campaign, July 4 - August 21, 1944
- By: Mark Zuehlke
- Narrated by: Dan Woren
- Length: 15 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 34
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 32
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 32
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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2 out of 5 stars
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Disappointing narration and geography
- By Gary on 04-13-14
By: Mark Zuehlke
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Those Who Hold Bastogne
- The True Story of the Soldiers and Civilians Who Fought in the Biggest Battle of the Bulge
- By: Peter Schrijvers
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 11 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 115
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 105
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 104
In this dramatic account of the 1944-45 winter of war in Bastogne, historian Peter Schrijvers offers the first full story of the German assault on the strategically located town. From the December stampede of American and Panzer divisions racing to reach Bastogne first, through the bloody eight-day siege from land and air, and through three more weeks of unrelenting fighting even after the siege was broken, events at Bastogne hastened the long-awaited end of WWII.
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4 out of 5 stars
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How Did Anyone Survive?
- By Sher from Provo on 09-26-15
By: Peter Schrijvers
What listeners say about Victory at Villers-Bretonneux
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Honey Solomon
- 05-14-17
A must for WWI!
Excellent book for WWI history buffs and especially those interested in Australian battles.
Written in the present tense and using the words commonly found in the author's research. The narrator brings the book to life with an exceptional zest! If you aren't familiar with this beautiful French town and the devastation of war just enter the name in 'search.' Considering the many Audible books I have about WWI and specific battles, this is by far one of the best . . . definitely recommr!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Dave Gibson
- 04-13-17
outstanding book, outstanding listen.
The third in a series about the Anzacs in World War I, the author brings those men and the war they fought to life and fully relevant to today. it was so good, detailed, and sourced that I couldn't help reading it again. It is history as history should be- a story that inspires and informs.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- J.Brock
- 11-24-20
The Best of WWI Narratives
Peter FitzSimons has an amazing talent writing nonfiction like a fictional thriller. And of all the World War I accounts, "Victory At Villers-Bretonneux" is one of the very best narratives. It reads like an epic novel. An incredible story of grit and victory thanks to the amazing Aussies, it is a whip lash tale of back and forth fighting between the Aussies and the German. The Australian divisions moved in to reinforce the exhausted and diminished British forces. The goal for the Germans was capturing Amiens, a major supply line. But as the title indicates, the Allies prevailed in spite of the most incredible odds. And this was due to the Australians charge. What the men went through, the injuries and deaths that occurred, defies the imagination.
Robert Meldrum's narration is thrilling. He's absolutely spellbinding. Cannot recommend this book more highly for all military history buffs. It's the best of the best. And that's saying something.
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