• Terrible Victory

  • First Canadian Army and the Scheldt Estuary Campaign, September 13–November 6, 1944
  • By: Mark Zuehlke
  • Narrated by: James Conlan
  • Length: 17 hrs and 7 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (15 ratings)

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Terrible Victory  By  cover art

Terrible Victory

By: Mark Zuehlke
Narrated by: James Conlan
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Editorial reviews

Between September and November 1944, Canadian troops fought for control of the Scheldt Estuary, which would give Allied troops throughout Europe access to much-needed supplies. Military historian Mark Zuehlke’s Terrible Victory pays tribute to these soldiers who fought this bloody campaign that proved crucial to the allied campaign.

Mixing first-person accounts with military records, Zuehlke offers a detailed account that not only sheds light onto the strategic importance of this lengthy battle but the extraordinary physical demands placed on Canadian soldiers.

James Conlan brings a crisp intensity to the book’s battle sequences and pronounces the many German and French words with pleasing fluency.

Publisher's summary

On September 4, 1944, Antwerp, Europe’s largest port, fell to the Second British Army and it seemed the war would soon be won. But Antwerp was of little value unless the West Scheldt Estuary linking it to the North Sea was also in Allied hands. In his greatest blunder of the war, Field Marshal Montgomery turned his back on the port, leaving the First Canadian Army to fight its way up the long coastal flank. By the time the Canadians and others serving with them reached the area, it had been transformed into a fortress manned by troops ordered to fight to the death. Crushing the Nazi defenders required all of the Canadians’ courage, endurance and skill. The battle that raged until November was Canada’s bloodiest of World War II, costing more than 6,000 casualties.

©2007 Mark Zuehlke (P)2013 Audible, Inc.
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History

What listeners say about Terrible Victory

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Detailed and entertaining...

Would you consider the audio edition of Terrible Victory to be better than the print version?

Haven't read the print version.

What did you like best about this story?

The personal narratives enliven an, at times, dreary recounting of a fascinating and under-reported campaign.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

The narrator is NOT familiar with military terms ("coy" is company, for example) and basic mispronunciations of other words grated.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Up Scheldt Creek without a paddle!

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

A recording that does not do this work justice

Another great installment in Zuehlke’s series (though hard to digest without a map handy), but poorly brought to audio format by the narrator. Odd inflection and emphasis throughout (not quite monotone, but close) and repeated mispronunciation of names, Roman numerals, abbreviations, and even common English words (for instance, “Hamilton,” the letters “HLI,” “short lived,” and “behemoth” should not be difficult for a professional narrator). I had high hopes for this recording but was disappointed.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

narrator needs work

the narrator was good but very annoying to hear him pronounce Regina wrong, and on every occasion. It's not pronounced
"Re-jean-na" . It's "Reg-eye-na". not complicated. and a little disheartening to when telling stories about the brave men who died in the Regina Rifles.

however the book was good as are all of the the writers other books

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