The War

An Intimate History, 1941-1945

De: Geoffrey C. Ward, Ken Burns

Narrado por: Ken Burns

The companion volume to the magnificent seven-part PBS series

The individuals featured in this audiobook are not those of historians or scholars. They are ordinary men and women who experienced–and helped to win–the most devastating war in history, in which between 50 and 60 million lives were lost.

Focusing on the citizens of four towns–Luverne, Minnesota; Sacramento, California; Waterbury, Connecticut; Mobile, Alabama–The War follows more than forty people from 1941 to 1945. Woven largely from their memories, the compelling, unflinching narrative unfolds month by bloody month, with the outcome always in doubt. The iconic events are here, but we also move among prisoners of war, defense workers and schoolchildren, and families who struggled simply to stay together.

An intimate, profoundly affecting chronicle of the war that shaped our world, The War captures the American experience of World War II through the words and deeds, thoughts and feelings of those who made history on the battlefields and on the home front.©2007 American Lives Film Project LLC; (P)2007 Random House, Inc. Random House Audio, a division of Random House, Inc.

Reseñas de la Crítica

“Ken Burns has done it again. He has given us an intimate, memorable, and provocative portrait of America in World War II—the valor and victory, sacrifice and shame of ordinary Americans, north, south, east, and west. This is a treasure.” —Tom Brokaw

“Heartrending...Unique not only among previous volumes that have accompanied Burns’s documentaries but among just about any book on World War II.... It should be read by everyone in the family, from the high-schoolers to the Baby Boomers.” —Newark Star-Ledger

Stunning

The soldier bears the burden of carrying out the orders. Their stories tell of the grim reality of the day to day war which is far different than the highlights in the history books. The staggering casualties which are statistics to us now were our brothers and sons. Decisions were made by all sides knowing that they were throwing lives at strategic objectives. Interesting to hear from the soldiers’ point of view.

A great book

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.

Brilliant and respectful

This book is brilliantly written and performed. Ken Burns’ narration is somber and respectful considering the nature of the subject.

Amazing Listen

What made the experience of listening to The War the most enjoyable?

The stories brought to light in this book are amazing. It really puts you in place of the heroes that battled in Germany and the pacific.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The War?

Not to give anything away, but hearing the fate of the soldiers whose letters home they read unfiltered is something I won't forget anytime soon.

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

As they read certain letters or journal entries, other voice actors come in, including Tom Hanks. This really gave personality to the story and made it very enjoyable.

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

Yes, but had to spread it out over several days.

Well worth the listen.

I liked this book, the documentary even the audio book. It brought out some personal emotions inside of me. Having me near to tears. Who would I recommend this book for? To those who would more then be interested in looking up the history of world war 2. I myself being one of those people.