War and Remembrance

By: Herman Wouk

Narrated by: Kevin Pariseau

Length: 56 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

Herman Wouk's sweeping epic of World War II, which begins with The Winds of War and continues here 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.

These multimillion-copy best sellers are stirringly read by Kevin Pariseau for their first appearance in downloadable audio.

Also listen to The Winds of War.

©1978 Herman Wouk (P)2011 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Brilliant…. An outstanding novel and at the same time a great work of history…. Wouk has more than recaptured the period; he has given it life." (Henry Kissinger)

"Those who lived through World War II can most fully appreciate the resonances in this uncommonly readable book. But it is clearly meant – and recommended – for those who did not." ( Time)

"Moving, thrilling fiction…. Wouk is a magnificent storyteller." ( Boston Globe)

Excellent - A Masterpiece

Along with the Winds of War, Wouk's epic does an outstanding job of explaining WWII and what the times were like for the people who lived through it. The characters aren't always perfectly fleshed out - but they are drawn well enough to understand their motivations and fears and for the reader to care about them. The historical detail and accuracy are excellent. They give the reader a good understanding of the war. The performance of the reader is top notch.

Fantastic narration of a superb novel

Kevin Pariseau should win an award for his narration of this book and The Winds of War. Simply amazing work.

unbelievable learning experience!

it will dramatically increase your understanding of the world's current struggles and their origins in the past century!

Kept my rapt attention throughout!

This book takes you right into the lives and the world as it was during world war 2. Important history that we all should learn from is all around you throughout the story. What a great way to understand that time and the choices and events of that occurred. The narrator is exceptional!

2nd Half of Greatest Novel on WW2

If you could sum up War and Remembrance in three words, what would they be?

explains a lot

What did you like best about this story?

Historically this book is accurate; this book follows Winds of War and the emotional wallop of listening to these two books back to back is spellbinding; I've never been so entertained and engrossed due to the extraordinary combination of best reader I've come across and a great writer.

What does Kevin Pariseau bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

KP covers every character in the book without any problems. An incredible job.

Who was the most memorable character of War and Remembrance and why?

Natalie Jastrow, the wife of Bryan Henry, the main character's son. Natalie gets caught in Europe when the war starts because she was too brash to be afraid and her experiences as the war grinds on tear on the readers emotions to an extent the other characters lives do not.

Any additional comments?

Altogether these two books demand over 100 hours of listening. Both novels accompanied me on my daily walks so time wasn't a problem. I feel like I was richly rewarded for taking the challenge of 100 hours of listening to the same reader as Pariseau brought each character to life. Finally, it bears repeating that the books are historically accurate and I came away with a new appreciation of FDR.

A magnificent freso of WWII

If you could sum up War and Remembrance in three words, what would they be?

Intense Accurate Comprehensive

What was one of the most memorable moments of War and Remembrance?

The first time Natalie and Bayron meet again in occupied Marseille

Have you listened to any of Kevin Pariseau’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

The Prequel

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Many moments. Aaron Jastrow entering the gas chambers will make a rock cry.

Wow!!

Kevin Pariseau is incredible!!! His range of characters is amazing!!! This was the best historical novel I have ever experienced!!

Outstanding in every way!!!

First, an incredible performance!! I would easily give it a 10+ if possible. The story as historical fiction is beyond words. The characters are so well developed and very credible. I learned much about the war that I did not know. Overall, listening to this was an incredible, deeply moving experience although very difficult to listen to at times, especially the portrayal of the atrocities in the death camps. The world must never forget this horrible war and all of the gore.

Worth the credit

After listening to the first book I was not disappointed by this. I devour audio books so the crazy length was a plus for me. The performance was great. If you are listening to this one after the first book you know it can get very history heavy and can feel like a university lecture at some points but if you like that sort of thing or just want to know more about WW2 it’s worth the time spent on it. I found several characters frustrating and almost shallow but there is so much going on and so many characters I can forgive it. My problem was mostly with Natalie and her uncle they were comically stubborn at times. I loved Pug, I have seen other reviews that say he is unrealistically stoic but we get so much time with his character I didn’t get the feeling at all. My one gripe is the ending reunion felt rushed.

Entirely engaging history lesson on WW 2

Absolutely loved this book although it is extremely long and detailed. It helps if one is somewhat interested in the Navy, WW2 battles and plans and the political background of the time. The reader does an excellent job with the various accents of the characters. The main fictitious characters, the same as in Winds of War, are very real sounding. I pictured them looking exactly like the actors who portrayed them in the movie based on this book. I listened every chance I got and always learned something interesting about the era and the war. The parts on.Nazi atrocities to the Jews are real and documented but the book doesn’t accentuate this horrendous aspect of the war. Listen to the very end as Wouk explains exactly which characters were real and which fictional along with other details of the book. A long listen but enjoyable and educational