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  • The Winds of War

  • By: Herman Wouk
  • Narrated by: Kevin Pariseau
  • Length: 45 hrs and 48 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (8,667 ratings)

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The Winds of War

By: Herman Wouk
Narrated by: Kevin Pariseau
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Publisher's summary

A masterpiece of historical fiction, this is the Great Novel of America's "Greatest Generation".

Herman Wouk's sweeping epic of World War II, which begins with The Winds of War and continues in War and Remembrance, stands as the crowning achievement of one of America's most celebrated storytellers. Like no other books about the war, Wouk's spellbinding narrative captures the tide of global events - and all the drama, romance, heroism, and tragedy of World War II - as it immerses us in the lives of a single American family drawn into the very center of the war's maelstrom.

Also listen to War and Remembrance.
©1971 Herman Wouk (P)2011 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Wouk's real genius lies not just in the narrative power of his books, but in his empathy with the people and the times of which he writes…. The genius of The Winds of War and War and Remembrance is that they not only tell the story of the Holocaust, but tell it within the context of World War II, without which there is no understanding it." ( The Washington Post)

What listeners say about The Winds of War

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

My favorite book ever.

I have read TWOW at least twice and listened to the audiobook twice. In a lifetime of reading it is my favorite novel, and Victor Henry is to me the greatest fictional character of all time.

Wouk’s work, here and in the subsequent War & Remembrance, creates an opus worthy of Tolstoy. The two books are, in fact, a 20th Century War & Peace.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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The best read ever!

I enjoyed hearing this very much! It started out with a bang and it didn’t stop until the end of the book! If you’re wondering if it’s worth the credit, it is!

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masterful !

the ultimate war story, if u’ve ever imagined even trying to understand the scale of WWII. listen to this author’s incredible research brot to vivid life thru a far-flung navy family’s struggles. and the sequel !!
thank u, mr. wouk.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Awesome

Excellent job
Beautifully written I recommend this to anyone and everyone
Well done most enjoyable

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Superb! Excellent!

Accurate WWII historical information woven into a compelling life story. We were hooked in the first few minutes. This is a great audio book to listen to on a road trip. can't wait to listen to War And Remembrance, it's sequel. Bravo Herman Wouk.

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Excellent

Saw the mini series decades ago. Hearing the whole work, rather than snippets, was awesome. Highly recommend

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Simply Outstanding

I have listened to or read this book and War of Remembrance 5-6 times. I begin again every 2 years or so. The story, the characters and the performance are all simply superb. This is a masterpiece indeed

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The best reading performance ever!

This was a fantastic book. I was a little nervous because of the length, but man it flew by! The narrator did a fantastic job I wish I could give ten starts just for that.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Rich narrative of 1939- 1941 tale leading to WW2

Compelling, spellbinding narrative of a Naval officer & his family as a military attaché. This story validates Wouk’s tag as “the American Tolstoy”. This historical fiction reminds me in a way of the “we were there” books when I was a kid, bringing history alive in a sophisticated way.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

100% Recommend!!!

This is an awesome book. The characters drew me in and the storylines kept me going back for more. 5 Stars.

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