The Rising Tide

A Novel of World War II

By: Jeff Shaara

Narrated by: Paul Michael

Length: 22 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's summary

A modern master of the historical novel, Jeff Shaara has painted brilliant depictions of the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, and World War I. Now, The Rising Tide begins a staggering work of fiction bound to be a new generation’s most poignant chronicle of World War II.

Through unforgettable battle scenes in the unforgiving deserts of North Africa, into the “soft underbelly” of Hitler’s Fortress Europa, and as battles rage along the coasts of the Mediterranean, The Rising Tide is a vivid gallery of characters both immortal and unknown. From tank driver to paratrooper to the men who gave the commands, Shaara’s stirring portrayals bring the heroic and the tragic to life in brilliant detail.

A new level of accomplishment from this already acclaimed author, The Rising Tide will leave listeners eager for the next volume of this superb saga of the war that saved and changed the world.

©2006 Jeffrey M. Shaara (P)2006 Books on Tape

Critic reviews

"The wonderful first volume of a planned trilogy....Shaara evokes the agony of desert warfare and the utter chaos of an airborne assault....[A] sprawling, masterful opening act." (Publishers Weekly)

You are there!

No one puts you there like Jeff Shaara and Paul Michael. I can’t wait for sequels.

Great rendition of a well known subject.

Minor technical flaws (indicates a C-47 has 4 engines) don’t distract from a good book and a great reading.

Great Jeff Shaara book!

Really a great superficial view of the battle for North Africa and Italy. The way Jeff writes it from the point of view of the characters makes the story all the more interesting. Overall a great book!

World War II Alive Again Excellent!

When I first heard Jeff Shaara tell me about his new World War II novels, I was very excited since this topic has always been high on my list. I had the pleasure of meeting him at Gettysburg, PA. When audible picked them up (even at 2 credits each) I purchased them immediately since I travel extensively.
What makes a good audio book...the reader is excellent, clear voice, engaging, and very good at accents. I am glad to see Paul Michael reads other Shaara novels.
Second the story must entertain and keep us engaged, since we are not visually committed, the audio content must be rich, informative, and masterfully told.
Third the story must be fresh, and on a subject material known so well, Shaara brings back North Africa and all our famous generals and characters fully to life.
I do agree that it would have been nice to bring more of the Citizen Soldiers into the story and present more of their daily life, but still the humanizing of military legends also satisfies that area.
A great book and highly recommended for all readers. His future novels will focus on the Pacific World War II and the Korean War...can't wait and hope the credits are 1.
JDM

Up close and personal information and story making

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

While I found some of the character descriptions amusing, there was incredible sadness in this story. Solders, human beings advancing directly into the path of bullets, and certain death was an emotionally taxing read. So much life spent and lost during the carnage of war..

Any additional comments?

For those of us who seek understanding and entertainment in relation to the epic events of our lifetimes..

We will appreciate this work!

Parts Are Brilliant

Enjoyable account of the US involvement in the N. Africa and Sicily campaigns of 1942-43. Absolutely gripping: the narrative of the night drop onto Sicily. It's good to have maps with this one (just about the only downside of audiobooks). Suggested complementary non-fiction reading: An Army at Dawn by Rick Atkinson.

You're in the middle of it !!

I absolutely love this title since it takes you in the middle of people who experienced it. This is not a fact by fact lineup of events.

You experience the characters, from Eisenhower and Rommel to the regular soldiers and everything in between.

The absurdity of Hitlers command structure, the endless struggle between the British and Americans and their attemps to work together.

While this is fictional story (since it contains dialogs) it's based on facts and historical facts which I think makes this a unique piece of work.

Highly recommanded !!!!!

Excellent Story

This is the second book of the Trilogy I’ve listened to. Can’t wait to hear the third. Anyone interested in WWII and the major players should listen to this book. Paul Michael knows how to tell the story.

best historical fiction ever!!!

Loved it! Pure and simply wonderful. I recommend this book to everyone I come across.

A great first book of a four book 'trilogy' :)

Great performance by Paul Michael. [Does varieties of American, British, German, and Italian dialects, and a pretty good Churchill too.] Captivating story of the beginnings of WWII through the eyes of the top Brass and the lowest ranking soldiers.
VGM 2015