The War: An Intimate History: 1941-1945

Without reservations, I recommend this book to all the citizens of this great nation. I sincerely believe that after completing this book you will have a new respect for the sacrifices our soldiers and their families made during the World War II.

This is one very good companion piece to the PBS documentary. Ken Burns (the film's co-director and this audiobook's primary narrator) is not an actor, and neither were any of the people whose words and stories he tells here. His narration is direct and quietly impassioned, which makes it all the more forceful.

Burns and co-director/producer Lynn Novick let it be known from the beginning that this story would not be about "..the traditional top-down heroes we are usually presented with - the generals, the presidents and statesmen, the prime ministers and field marshals who tend to recede from our understanding just as they ascend to the pantheon of Great Men. These are folks you might have had Thanksgiving with." To be sure, those seeking "exciting" battles or military tactics will not be disappointed since they are often described in detail, almost exclusively through first-hand accounts. Their stories are more often than not quite harrowing, related honestly, free of hubris and frequently with sincere regret. But it is also a celebration of the human spirit, what it can rally to, endure and ultimately overcome.

The generation these people came from was a far cry from what it is today and they are leaving us. It would be a terrible shame to forget what our parents, grandparents and great grandparents sacrificed in this war which claimed the lives of nearly 60 million people. Those who prefer the more traditional WWII works shouldn't shy away from this if they truly wish to gain a better understanding of what it was like not only to fight in this war but to remain behind. It's really quite an accomplishment that I can't recommend highly enough.

Do yourself a favor and experience something invaluable.

I looked forward to this book because 1) of the quality of Ken Burns' work on past topics of American History and 2) I feel WWII, more than any other conflict the United States was a part of, tells us how we came to be what we are as a nation and what we became afterwards. The narrative did not disappoint. It was well written and frank, breaking many of the myths that we learned in school about how we just rose up and saved the world after we were attacked by Imperial Japan in 1941. I listened to the book before I saw the PBS series and you can see the close relationship between the two.

So, why only three stars? Well, one star was removed simply because this is an abridged version and it doesn't appear that an unabridged version exists. Call me rigid, but NO abridged version can substitute for reading the authors' full intent. Abridgment means compromise.

The second star was removed because, frankly, although Ken Burns may produce extraordinary documentaries, he is a TERRIBLE reader. Rather than reading in phrases and pausing after a thought is complete, he pauses after every two or three words, whether it makes sense to do so or not: "The boy (pause) went to (pause) the store." The entire reading is riddled with this kind of phraseology and it becomes annoying after awhile because it often forces you to go back and repeat what he has said in order make sense of it. Ugh!

Messers Ward and Burns have done it again: a thought-provoking perspective on a key part of American history.

Ken Burns delivers a superb performance telling the story, with Tom Hanks, Josh Lucas and Rebecca Holtz voicing some of the key characters portrayed in the book/series.

A must-listen for history buffs and anyone who wants to know what real people experienced as a result of decisions made by the generals and civilian leaders.

If you want to save yourself the 20+ hours in front of the TV watching to PBS series by the same name, but still get the same horrific feelings of the detailed accounts of the second world war, this is the audible pick for you.
My thoughts about WWII and many of my outlooks on today's military have changed since this book. It should be mandatory in any US history class.

There seems to be too many facts to remember. The personal side of WW II resonates a lot better than the facts and figures usually presented. ...though the facts and figures are astounding and makes the gulf war facts and figures look like a drop in the bucket. After the audiobook, I want to watch the series.

This is a maudlin account of war events and its american participants with little new insights or perspective. Post WWII Europeans and especially Americans have no knowledge of the terror and indescribable cynicism of that time - happily. This account by Burns is merely emotional without supplying the perspective that might make it relevant for our time.