The Rising Tide

A Novel of World War II

By: Jeff Shaara

Narrated by: Paul Michael

Length: 22 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's summary

A modern master of the historical novel, Jeff Shaara has painted brilliant depictions of the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, and World War I. Now, The Rising Tide begins a staggering work of fiction bound to be a new generation’s most poignant chronicle of World War II.

Through unforgettable battle scenes in the unforgiving deserts of North Africa, into the “soft underbelly” of Hitler’s Fortress Europa, and as battles rage along the coasts of the Mediterranean, The Rising Tide is a vivid gallery of characters both immortal and unknown. From tank driver to paratrooper to the men who gave the commands, Shaara’s stirring portrayals bring the heroic and the tragic to life in brilliant detail.

A new level of accomplishment from this already acclaimed author, The Rising Tide will leave listeners eager for the next volume of this superb saga of the war that saved and changed the world.

©2006 Jeffrey M. Shaara (P)2006 Books on Tape

Critic reviews

"The wonderful first volume of a planned trilogy....Shaara evokes the agony of desert warfare and the utter chaos of an airborne assault....[A] sprawling, masterful opening act." (Publishers Weekly)

Superb ww2 History

Narration: Excellent..comfortably paced, clear diction, appropriate inflection, absent the melodrama typical of less sophisticated readers.

Content: Excellent...clear, interesting explanations of movements, personalities of leaders, and informative description of relationships among them. Occasional humor is charming, as the description of Churchill bathing nude in the Mediterranean.

One of the very best war histories I have read or listened to, and I have read or listened intently to many, over a hundred at least.

Writing Style: This is an excellent example of simple writing that is not also simplistic. The sentences are brief and help to move the narrative along.

Highly recommended.

Excellent Historical Novel!

Another great Jeff Shaara novel, covering the events of WWII in North Africa and Sicily. Highly recommended! Grade: A

History lesson at it's best

This was a great listen. It was not so different from growing up listening to the stories my father told us about his 4 years in the army and fighting in Europe during WWII. My kids have been fortunate enough to learn much of this from both their grandfather's perspective too.

The author was able to write the facts as those who lived it, saw it, and presented it in such a way as to make the reader understand what it was like to be there. All in story form which made it extremely well written.

I thought the narrator did an outstanding job with all the voices, so that I too was able to identify them as they spoke. He made it a story as well as a lesson in history. Especially with the ending and telling us how all of these men lived after the war.

I hope the author can take on the great war WWI with as much vigor as he has with the Rising Ride, because much of what happened there brought the world to this story.

"PUNCH!!" The Jeff Shaara Drinking Game(??)

If you could sum up The Rising Tide in three words, what would they be?

OUTSTANDING war story

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Rising Tide?

Jump into Sicily.

What about Paul Michael’s performance did you like?

He is excellent at doing various voices, especially at subtle nuance between people you would figure (or know) had similar voices.

Who was the most memorable character of The Rising Tide and why?

Jesse Adams

Any additional comments?

Ok, I LOVE this series of books but Mr. Shaara seems to be in love with the word "punch" and all words derived therefrom. ("Punched," "punching," etc.) I propose a drinking game wherein you take a shot every time you hear "punch" in any form. It occurs to me though that, depending on how long you listen, you could end up in the E.R.!! So, as an alternative for those (like me) who listen for HOURS, just take ONE GULP of beer. You'll STILL get smashed!!! :>)

Making history personal

very historically accurate, in my humble opinion it focused too much on the administration of the war and not enough on individuals experiencing it, that being said the contrast between the 2 is perfect. Jeff Shaara has a way of putting you in the soldiers shoes, to experience what we now regard as historical facts, he makes it personal.

Best male reader ever

Would you listen to The Rising Tide again? Why?

Yes. Great general history lesson in general but not specifically with thoughts and conversations.

What about Paul Michael’s performance did you like?

This guy is not a reader, he is an actor who reads. He nails so many different voices and accents it was truly amazing. He does this so well you know who is talking just by the way each character talks (and there are a lot of characters). Best male reader I've ever heard.

Any additional comments?

Good start to Shaara's trilogy with a good story from several perspectives and amazing reading.

Great story great riding great performance

I'm not a fan of affected accents by narrator trying to show different voices however Paul Michael is amazing! Jeff shaara is an %%excellent writer and of course the story is amazing

Best audio book I have listened to!

Outstanding book balancing history and fiction. Will be reading/listening to the next in series. Paul (narrator) is by far the best narrator I have ever heard, able to change his voice to match the characters allowing a detailed story to be followed easily. His voice is so good that I could almost believe it has actually Patton, Eisenhower and others speaking. Fantastic!

Author doesn’t know how a Thomson 45 works

Good story’s about military history but I had to laugh when he was talking about the paratrooper putting a clip in and pulling the bolt back and chambered a round . Thompson machine gun fires from a open bolt . Technical details.

A masterpiece!

This is one of the best historical fiction books I've read/ listened to, you will not be disappointed. Historically accurate, yet reads like a thriller, an elusive combination nowadays. Those 20 hours will fly by so fast, I wouldn't be surprised if you end up a couple of states past your office building on your way to work. Narration is spot on.