Tobruk

By: Peter FitzSimons

Narrated by: Humphrey Bower

Length: 23 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

Like Gallipoli and Kokoda, the siege of Tobruk is an iconic battle in Australia's military history. Under ceaseless attack from Rommel's men, the Australian defense held strong. In Tobruk, Peter FitzSimons relates the personal histories and stories not only of the men who defended the garrison against the German onslaught but of the Desert Fox, Erwin Rommel, and the powers back in both Berlin and Britain.

©2006 Peter FitzSimons (P)2007 Bolinda Publishers Pty Ltd.

Critic reviews

"Gripping stuff." ( Sydney Morning Herald)
"A thorough, highly readable, distillation of the overlooked Battle of Tobruk." ( The Age)

A Flavor of the times

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

The book does a great job of balancing the battle for Tobruk between the Australian and German perspectives. The author also adds a lot of language peculiar to the Australian defenders which adds color to the story. There is emotion in the story as the battle inevitably takes its toll on both sides. The author also adds in the political element which overshadowed the British/Australian relationship in the North African theater.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Tobruk?

When one of the main characters is killed - it is a moment of great sadness and how it affects the character's family at home is quite moving.

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

The accent adds much to the story. Being an American I may not know exactly how to relate to a particular saying but the narrator does a great job making it relevant.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes. I will most likely still buy the physical book as it is one of the few in-depth accounts i have run into about the siege of Tobruk.

thank you

well written,
well presented,
good reminder of what occurred without glorifying war.
thank you

The Few, The Proud, The Australian!

This is an outstanding history of the battle of Tobruk and Australia's role in World War II from the point of view of the digger, the average Aussie soldier. It is biased towards the Aussies, who at times Fitzsimmons paints as supermen, but Fitzsimmons admits his bias in the introduction. This is an ode to Australia's World War II soldiers and an entertaining listen, especially the slang. This book is a primer on Australian slang. I thought the narrator was great, but at times the Australian slang may be too much for some listeners.

"Tobruk" is a great book for serious World War II buffs, because frankly it goes into details about the Aussies that no general campaign history will ever cover. Fitzsimmons is tough on nearly every non-Australian leader other than Rommel, but his critical assessment of Churchill is particularly refreshing.

If you like "Tobruk" I would recommend "At All Costs" by Sam Moses about the siege of Malta too.

Agree with everyone but Alan

A wonderful story, with all of the aforementioned reviewers adjectives. My dogs got extra-long walks so I would not have to put the book "down."

Genuine Heroes

This is an account of the men, particularly Australians, who stopped the much better equipped German army, led by General Rommel, in its long siege of Tobruk. The story is gripping , but was slightly marred for me by the author's use of dated slang in describing the action.

Inspiring

Fantastic account of the Aussie soldiers and their role in holding off Romel's Panzer Division in North Africa.

Tobruk a great story

A fantastic read detailing many sides to the seige of Tobruk. I picked up the story at every opportunity. Another great effort by Peter FitzSimons. Thank You

Stepping outside my genre

What a great history lesson! I selected it because of Humphrey Bower as the reader! The book was surprisingly enjoyable! Very well researched! Excellent perspectives on the leaders, the troops, and the families at home.

Skip the first Third, Enjoy the Writing and Readin

You can skip the first 27 minutes, which is the author's acknowledgments. You can skip the next two hours, which mainly cover the rise of Hitler and the Nazi party in the 1920's and 30's. Then skip the next thee hours, until the Aussies get to Tobruk. And then skip ahead another hour until Rommel and the Germans get to Africa. So now you're seven hours into this book, and at chapter seven. That cuts the reading down by 70% of the running time.

The author does over-rate Gen. Rommel, and claims he was the most popular man in the Third Reich after Hitler himself. I don't believe this was true, but just an attempt by the author to inflate the importance of the enemy.

The author also blames General Archibald Percival Wavell for the later loss of Singapore, when it was actually General Arthur Ernest Percival who surrendered that island, admittedly under the distant command of Gen. Wavell. Not that Wavell was a great leader; just not as bad as the author claims.

I actually liked the reading. It was quite jocular and in character with the text of the book. I've seen other comments that criticized the reading and the style of writing, but I enjoyed them.

Well written , entertaining and captivating

An excellent yarn and the equivalent of a book that you can't put down. The story is well structured and apart from the usual character set up at the beginning of the book I was never bored. The narrator’s change of pitch at the start of some chapters was a bit off putting, though this didn't detract from the overall experience. Can't wait for my next credit to grab Kokoda by the same author.