No Less Than Victory

A Novel of World War II

By: Jeff Shaara

Narrated by: Paul Michael

Length: 19 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

No Less Than Victory is the crowning achievement in master storyteller Jeff Shaara's soaring World War II trilogy, revealing the European war's unforgettable and harrowing final act.

After the success of the Normandy invasion, the Allied commanders are buoyantly confident that the war in Europe will be over in a matter of weeks, that Hitler and his battered army have no other option than surrender. But despite the advice of his best military minds, Hitler will hear no talk of defeat.

In mid-December 1944, the Germans launch a desperate and ruthless counteroffensive in the Ardennes forest, utterly surprising the unprepared Americans who stand in their way. Through the frigid snows of the mountainous terrain, German tanks and infantry struggle to realize Hitler's goal: divide the Allied armies and capture the vital port at Antwerp. The attack succeeds in opening up a wide gap in the American lines, and for days chaos reigns in the Allied command.

Thus begins the Battle of the Bulge, the last gasp by Hitler's forces that becomes a horrific slugging match, some of the most brutal fighting of the war. As American commanders respond to the stunning challenge, the German spear is finally blunted.

Though some in the Nazi inner circle continue the fight to secure Germany's postwar future, the Führer makes it clear that he is fighting to the end. He will spare nothing - not even German lives - to preserve his twisted vision of a "Thousand Year Reich". But in May 1945, the German army collapses, and with Russian troops closing in, Hitler commits suicide.

As the Americans sweep through the German countryside, they unexpectedly encounter the worst of Hitler's crimes, the concentration camps, and young GIs find themselves absorbing firsthand the horrors of the Holocaust.

Presenting his riveting account through the eyes of Eisenhower and Patton and the young GIs who struggle face-to-face with their enemy, and through the eyes of Germany's old soldier Gerd von Rundstedt and Hitler’s golden boy, Albert Speer, Jeff Shaara carries the listener on a journey that defines the spirit of the soldier and the horror of a madman’s dreams. No Less Than Victory further solidifies Shaara’s reputation as this era’s most accomplished author of historical military fiction.

Listen to another Novel of World War II by Jeff Shaara.

©2009 Jeff Shaara (P)2009 Random House

Awesome novel of WWII

Loved it. The book gives top to bottom insights on the end of WWII. Great narratio, too.

Very well done

This series of books about WWII are very informative and easy to listen to. I have enjoyed them. Going to start the 4th in the series.

An awesome narrative of brutal times!

Again, his research with survivors, beyond documents, resulted in a narrative I could not put down.... the classic histories cover all the facts, but Shaara's ability to weave surviving veterans interviews in to first person drama is amazing.... for any veteran who's been fired on, a reader gets the same shocks soldiers try to suppress and still fight... that's a big challenge for most writers! Well done.

Good book

Really good book, liked it alot. I do wish he would have covered operation market garden more though.

Completion of trilogy

Written by Jeff Shaara, you know what you are going to get. Never disappoints. If you want a good overlay of the Europe battle of WWII, this is it.

Excellent!!!

I’ve read the Civil War series by Shaara long ago and found the novels to be so well written, personal, and interesting. I bought this novel on a Deal of the Day, and although it’s not the first in the series, there was no problem joining in on book 3.

Again, so well written and interesting. I just purchased book 4 of this series, and look forward to all of the remaining books. I can’t say enough about how fantastic this narrator is.

A Must for WWII aficionados! Best of the trilogy!

Would you listen to No Less Than Victory again? Why?

A few books are good enough to listen to every 5-7 years. After some time passes, you remember that you enjoyed it very much, but you have forgotten those parts that made the story so engaging. This is one such book, which I will return to.

What did you like best about this story?

I really got a picture of the foot soldier's predicament. Shaara placed me THERE with them in the Ardennes, shivering in the foxhole, going out on my first patrol, wondering about the noises coming through the woods, cowering before enemy artillery bombardments, amazed at the war machine coming toward me with the intention of killing my just-arrived butt. I've read several of Shaara's books, and they all are excellent. The first two books of this trilogy were very fine, but I was particularly struck by following these foot soldiers as they fought the Battle Of The Bulge. At last I have a feel for what they went through.

Evan Review

Jeff gives a great first person description what it like to be a front line soldier from Battle of the Bluge across France into Germany during WW2.

Great book

Awesome 3rd book of a trilogy. I now can listen to all 3 books in order. Jeff Shaara is a great writer can not wait for his next book

History comes alive.

Learning about the true characteristics of historical figures. Learning all the fascinating details of officers and lower grade personnel.