Christmas Eve, 1914

By: Charles Olivier

Narrated by: Cameron Daddo, Xander Berkeley, Cody Fern, Damon Herriman, James Scott, John Beck, Lance Guest, Gabe Greenspan, Nate Jones

Length: 1 hr and 13 mins

Publisher's summary

"Drawing from historic events and written especially for audio by two-time Emmy Award winner Charles Olivier, this stellar production transports the listener behind British lines on the Western Front during the first Christmas of WWI, when, of all things, German and English soldiers declared an unofficial truce to bury their dead, sing carols, and give thanks. The cast's excellent naturalistic acting and superb dialogue bring out the human side of a conflict in which the enemy lay entrenched only a few hundred yards away. Spot-on sound effects and motion-picture-style original music create sonic depth and atmosphere. Riveting, touching, and timeless, this production is destined to become a family favorite at Christmas for years to come. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award, 2016." (AudioFile magazine)

Audie Award Finalist, Audio Drama, 2016

"Gentlemen, maybe war takes a holiday today."

This mesmerizing audio drama takes you to the dismal trenches of World War I. It is here, under the constant threat of exploding shells and artillery, that British and German soldiers live in deplorable conditions. Braving the merciless cold and crushing exhaustion and hunger, the men conduct patrols and fight, often to the death, to advance mere inches in the frozen No Man’s Land that lies between them.

But on Christmas Eve, the Western Front gives way to a miracle of grace, as soldiers from both sides emerge from their trenches to greet each other, share their meager rations, and bury the dead for an unofficial and temporary truce. Drawing upon the unforgettable true story of history’s most transcendent ceasefire, this Audible Original, a finalist for the 2016 Audie Award for Best Audio Drama, commemorates an astonishing moment of peace—and celebration of man’s capacity for kindness—in the midst of total war. A full cast performance of a heart-wrenching script written by Emmy Award-winner Charles Olivier and produced by Dawn Prestwich (The Killing), Christmas Eve, 1914 is the perfect reminder of how holiday hope can be found in the unlikeliest of places. At the story’s end, listeners will also enjoy a performance of the classic carol, "Il Est Ne" by Tom Tom Club.

The ensemble cast includes Damon Herriman, Cameron Daddo, Xander Berkeley, James Scott, Lance Guest, Nate Jones, Cody Fern, John Beck, Gabe Greenspan, and Heiko Obermoeller.
 

©2014 Audible Inc. (P)2014 Audible Inc.

Not Enough Story, too much Random Dialogue

The phenomena of Christmas Eve 1914 when men throughout the front line lay down arms in a temporary truce is a marvelous point in history. Soldiers on all sides met in No Man's Land to bury their dead, trade goods, and play football together in celebration of the holy holiday. The Audible Original audio production expands one British lieutenant's written account of that period of the war, and creates characters with their own internal struggles around the skeletal facts known about their real lives.

I appreciate an audio production trying to breath life into these events, but there just wasn't enough time to get to know most of the characters or actually dwell on the points they're trying to make. For an audio performance that's only 1 hour 14 min long, the first 40 min are all just context, and the actual period during which the ceasefire is discussed only lasts ~10 min. I think this could have been a lot better if less characters were introduced, the ceasefire discussion lasted 20+ minutes, and there was more narration of different men's accounts of that night--less random performative dialogue in the trenches.

I really wanted to like this because I find the historical event of Christmas Eve 1914 so fascinating. However, this version of the tale was just so confusing that I don't think anyone who didn't already know the history would get much out of it. I would recommend people to watch the 2005 "Joyeux Noel" movie 100% more than listening to this Audible Original. The description of the ceasefire was nice; there just wasn't ENOUGH of it, and too many other random tangents.

One of the best shorts I've ever.

I have listened to a lot of short stories from audible,this one was one of the best.

Mixed Emotions

For such a short book, this starts a little too slowly for my tastes. The first part of the book focuses mostly on a soap opera surrounding the officers of the company arguing about who should be in charge. The story then gets more interesting as it shifts to the famous tale of the Christmas Truce of 1914. I wish the book had spent more time on the Christmas Truce and less on the soap opera at the beginning. That being said, I still enjoyed listening to this book, and it helped me get in the mood for Christmas.

Loved this book

My grandfather was a WWI veteran with the Royal Lancers and was in the trenches in Europe during this time so he may have been witness to this heart warming event. After all, both sides were made up of young soldiers doing the bidding of leaders they never met and many of these soldiers suffered the rest of their lives because of the trauma and adversity they experienced in the trenches. My own grandfather was affected his entire life by emphysema because of the mustard gas he was exposed to during this horrible war. God bless the soldier that started this brief interlude amid a tragic situation. It brought tears to my eyes picturing the suffering these men were facing, yet they joined together for one brief moment in time and became human again.

A look into the past.

What about the narrators’s performance did you like?

He did a wonderful job bringing this book alive .

Any additional comments?

I enjoyed this story. I gives you a peek into the struggles of war. The most heart-warming part of the story was when both sides called a truce on Christmas day.They had some fun and got to know that they had a lot in common. How hard it must have been to have to shoot at your new friends that were just like you.

A personal slant to a well known tale

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

This is an easy listen. The characters are well read and the story is a familiar one to most.

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

yes

Uplifting

Just a shinning example of the human heart. Heart breaking and heartwarming all at the same time. Would highly recommend.

A story that should not be forgotten

Distinct voices for all of the characters. Passing this on to my 10 year old grandson who sings in a choir.

Absolutely Beautiful!

Throughout this story, chills ran through my body! As much carnage you hear before the temporary cease-fire, the celebration during the Christmas Truce of 1914 gives me hope. Hope that we will someday be able to live in peace. Accept others and their differences, but have the fortitude to have tolerance. Wonderful story!

Merry Christmas

“He showed me and my men what it truly meant to be strong, to lead chest out, with vulnerability, and a spirits conviction. Not just to fight but to sing, to aim higher toward our shared humanity. He lead enemies to peace. The boy with the voice of an angel..... or rather the man with one.”

A listening hour well spent...