Voices of the Foreign Legion

The History of the World's Most Famous Fighting Corps

De: Adrian D. Gilbert

Narrado por: Eric Brooks

From the archives of the British War Museum, a complete history of the most exciting and brutal fighting force in the world.

The French Foreign Legion has established a reputation as the most formidable of military forces. Created as a means of protecting French interests abroad, the legion spearheaded French colonialism in North Africa during the nineteenth century. Accepting volunteers from all parts of the world, the legion acquired an aura of mystery—and a less than enviable reputation for brutality within its ranks. Attracting recruits from all over the world, these new soldiers explain in their own words why they submitted themselves to such brutal training.Voices of the Foreign Legion looks at how the legion selects its recruits, where they come from, and why they seek a life of incredible hardship and danger. It also analyzes the legion’s strict attitude toward discipline, questions why desertion is a perennial problem, and assesses the legion’s military achievements since its formation in 1831. Its scope ranges from the conquest of the colonies in Africa and the Far East, through the horrors of the two World Wars, to the bitter but ultimately hopeless battles to maintain France’s imperial possessions.

©2010 Adrian D. Gilbert (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

interesting, but not well presented

gave me a good a good sense of the reality behind the mystique but the narrator sounded like he was marching through every word!

Really enjoyed

I really enjoyed this book. the format was amazing. Starts with the volunteers first days, then goes into the history of the legion. From the beginning to the 2000s.

Personal experiences of legionnaires throughout its history

Nothing comes to mind. It flowed well. I recommend to anyone curious about its history, lots of good backstory.

A good, if not amazing listen

This was a decent audiobook; it's well done and will keep you interested.

Gilbert, a former Legionaire himself, really shines in talking about how one joins the Legion, the brutal training, and the unit's unique traditions and outlook.

The author does a great job of including first hand accounts of life and war in the Legion, dating back to the 19th century.

The latter part of the book, the Legion's wars and battles, is a hit and miss affair. It seems like Gilbert really rushed to cover everything. The Legion's role in Algeria (1954-1962) was especially abridged; fortunately Alistair Horne's ridculously good "A Savage War of Peace" is available here on audible as well.

I would love to see this book with a more detailed second half, and an updated one that includes the Legion's role in Afghanistan, and its return to North Africa in the Mali operation that is ongoing as I type this.

Average but still worth a read

mostly focused on what life in the legion is really like, talks very little about the conflicts it was in or the men who joined.

awesome

awesome listen, well read, written, and what a journey. I loved love love love love loved it

Journalistically thorough but

But not scintillating history. The author cannot be faulted For lack of research and certainly he delivers an A to Z account of the foreign legion… But there is no stylistic verve to the presentation… And I found that disappointing given the mystery and romance of his object.
Nonetheless, we cannot all be Shelby Foote… And so I recommend

I loved the stories from the Soldier’s perspectives.

This is a great read. I really enjoyed the Soldier’s perspectives and that the book gives a lot of the history of the Legion. I would like to have had more translation for us non-French speakers but that wasn’t needed all that often anyway. I highly recommend this book if you are interested in Legion life or history.

A good overview of the Legion

The narration could have been better using a narrator who spoke French. Otherwise the book gives a good personal perspective of the legion as well as its history.

The true insight of the Legion and Legionnaire’s

I have read many books from the time I was a young lad about the Legion. This was by far the best I have read that truly tells what it takes to become a Legionnaire. The training, the tradition’s and most importantly who joins.Also the mind set of those that join that allows the Legion to form as fine a fight force the world has ever seen from a group of men from all backgrounds, cultures , classes, religions and country’s. The wonderful part of this story is told by those that actually where part of the Legion, observed it and lived it.I was lucky to have fulfilled a childhood dream to know the Legion having served in the 2ème REP in the 1973-78 “Legio Patria Nostra”