Tank Driver

With the 11th Armored from the Battle of the Bulge to VE Day

By: J. Ted Hartman

Narrated by: J. Scott Bennett

Length: 6 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's summary

Tank Driver is the story of a young man’s combat initiation in World War II. Based on letters home, the sparse narrative has the immediacy of on-the-spot reporting. Ted Hartman was a teenager when he was sent overseas to drive a Sherman tank into combat to face the desperate German counterattack known as the Battle of the Bulge. Hartman gives a riveting account of the shifting tides of battle and the final Allied breakout. He tells about the concentration camps, the spectacle of the defeated Germans, and the dramatic encounter with Russian soldiers in Austria that marked combat’s end. This is a vivid, personal account of some of the most dramatic fighting of World War II.

The book is published by Indiana University Press. The audiobook is published by University Press Audiobooks.

"A well-balanced, often moving look at one man’s war and every man’s war." (World War II)

©2003 J. Ted Hartman (P)2019 Redwood Audiobooks

Content good, delivery mediocre

Narration is reasonably clear, but the “hollow” timbre is off-putting.

I am appreciative of bass and baritone sounding narrations of combat. Higher pitched and strained voices are never engaging, even less so when narrating battle or action sequences.

The pausing and pacing seems off as well. Too many, minor pauses, perhaps in the belief the narration is made more interesting thereby.

The inflection also seems a bit affected.

None of these factors are when considered separate from the others particularly disconcerting but when taken together they are distracting.

Content is good. The recollections seem authentic and some edifying.

Great first person account

Detailed and authentic accounting of one person’s experiences during WWII will serving as a tank crewman.

Interesting personal history

As time passes these personal histories become more informative and relevant.
This is the personal experience of a young man thrown into the battle of the bulge. and his subsequent hardships and triumphs.
Very interesting and definitely gripping I could have easily listened to it in one sitting..
I received a free copy of this audio book at my request and voluntarily leave this honest review..

loved it

Loved it !! this story. the narrator is so fantastic it's like your really there!! good overall

Outstanding First Person Narrative on War

I received this audiobook free at my request and am leaving this review voluntarily.

Amazing memoir on war by J. Ted Hartman and his experiences as a tank driver near the end of WWII. I enjoy first person experiences, and I feel nothing gives us a clearer picture of the war experience short of being there than the words of the men and women who served. It's very interesting hearing the author's take on his experience. J. Scott Bennett did an excellent job on the narration of Tank Driver, giving voice to Hartman's memoir, and holding the listener's interest throughout the duration.

Great WW2 Story

This book was an interesting account of a tank driver in World War II. I could only imagine the traumas that he witnessed and just what it would be like for just one hour in his shoes!

World War 2 from the eyes of a soldier

This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.

For the most, I have only read and seen documentaries that cover World War 2 on a large scale. Tank Driver is purely the experiences of Ted Hartman at 19, and gives you the perspective of how a single soldier saw the war. This is a great first hand account of the end of the war from an Americans perspective. The audio book not only covers the battle of the bulge to VE day, but also the training Hartman went through and some time after the war. For me the most interesting part was Hartman's accounts of postwar Germany and revisiting locations years later. If your looking for a audio book specifically about the battle of the bulge as a whole or World War 2 major event, this might not be for you. However if you are looking for an individuals perspective, and what they went through in the war, this is a great listen.

Great documentation, Lacks appeal of flowing story

The details and recording of dates are outstanding. I enjoy military history, and this account filled a gap of what tank platoons were feeling and experiencing. Overall, I could not listen to it for long periods of time because it is not really laid out like a story, but rather like a text book with some of the authors feelings injected throughout. I am grateful to have listened for the information, but I don't think I would turn to this book for entertainment the way I do with other military biographies.

Captivating

This was a great read. The story of a soldier who became a tank driver. Follows him and his comrades with detailed accounts during ww2.

a interesting book on a personal story during WW2

This is a book written by a member of the greatest generation. I would not characterise it as a war story but more along the lines of a autobiographical novel based of a young man's experiences going through the second world war from 1943 until the end

The author as A 18 year old young man enlisted in the United States Army right out of High school. He was I initially trained as a clerk but soon after was trained as the Driver in the tank crew

I found the depictions of the people the most interesting; especially the post war. From late 1945. The author travels quite a bit it seems in this period and I found his perceptions of the German people and the French interesting as well as his depiction of the devastation in Europe

I was given this book to review by the author. And these are my impressions of the book after listening to it twice..