-
Heroes of the Skies
- Narrated by: Michael Veitch
- Length: 7 hrs and 34 mins
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Prime members: New to Audible?Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Heroes of the Skies
Buy for $19.49
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
The Aviators
- Eddie Rickenbacker, Jimmy Doolittle, Charles Lindbergh, and the Epic Age of Flight
- By: Winston Groom
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 17 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 3,214
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 2,910
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 2,898
Gifted storyteller Winston Groom, the best-selling author of Forrest Gump, has written the fascinating story of three extraordinary heroes who defined aviation during the great age of flight: Charles Lindbergh, Eddie Rickenbacker, and Jimmy Doolittle. These cleverly interwoven tales of their heart-stopping adventures take us from the feats of World War I through the heroism of World War II and beyond, including daring military raids and survival at sea, and will appeal to fans of Unbroken, The Greatest Generation, and Flyboys.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Too much a hagiography
- By Joseph Valenzi on 09-08-15
By: Winston Groom
-
The Mighty Eighth
- The Air War in Europe as Told by the Men Who Fought It
- By: Gerald Astor
- Narrated by: Kaleo Griffith
- Length: 23 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 350
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 319
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 317
Europe has fallen. Pearl Harbor is in flames. Enter: the Eighth. In 1941 the RAF fought a desperate battle of survival against the Luftwaffe over Britain. Then, from across the Atlantic, came a new generation of American pilots, gunners, and bombardiers, a new generation of flying machines called the B-17 Flying Fortress, the B-24 Liberator, the P-47 Thunderbolt, and the P-51 Mustang fighter.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
A Good Listen with 1 problem
- By Matthew Schuller on 08-23-19
By: Gerald Astor
-
Fighter Pilot
- The Memoirs of Legendary Ace Robin Olds
- By: Robin Olds, Christina Olds, Ed Rasimus
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 17 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 3,019
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 2,568
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 2,563
A larger-than-life hero with a towering personality, Robin Olds was a graduate of West Point and an inductee in the National College Football Hall of Fame for his All-American performance for Army. In World War II, Olds quickly became a top fighter pilot and squadron commander by the age of 22—a double ace with twelve aerial victories. But it was in Vietnam where the man became a legend.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Top Notch Audiobook
- By R. A. Frank on 10-08-10
By: Robin Olds, and others
-
Crossing the Line
- A Bluejacket's World War II Odyssey
- By: Alvin Kernan
- Narrated by: Ted Stoddard
- Length: 6 hrs and 21 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 45
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 20
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 21
A gifted storyteller, Kernan gives a candid account of his experiences during World War II, providing shrewd observations about the culture and ideology of an important era in naval history.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Good, But I Prefer Silent Running
- By Wolfpacker on 07-22-08
By: Alvin Kernan
-
Damn Lucky
- One Man's Courage During the Bloodiest Military Campaign in Aviation History
- By: Kevin Maurer
- Narrated by: Holter Graham, John Luckadoo
- Length: 8 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 253
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 226
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 224
Pearl Harbor, Hawaii was a world away from John Luckadoo’s hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee. But when the Japanese attacked the American naval base on December 7, 1941, he didn’t hesitate to join the military. Trained as a pilot with the United States Air Force, Second Lieutenant Luckadoo was assigned to the 100th Bomb Group stationed in Thorpe Abbotts, England. Between June and October 1943, he flew B-17 Flying Fortresses over France and Germany on bombing runs devised to destroy the Nazi war machine.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
must read
- By td godfrey on 10-06-22
By: Kevin Maurer
-
Target Tokyo
- Jimmy Doolittle and the Raid That Avenged Pearl Harbor
- By: James M. Scott
- Narrated by: L. J. Ganser
- Length: 20 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,130
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 1,029
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 1,021
The dramatic account of one of America's most celebrated - and controversial - military campaigns: the Doolittle Raid. In December 1941, as American forces tallied the dead at Pearl Harbor, President Franklin Roosevelt gathered with his senior military counselors to plan an ambitious counterstrike against the heart of the Japanese Empire: Tokyo.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Vengence is Mine, Thus Sayeth Doolittle
- By Jonathan Love on 06-13-16
By: James M. Scott
-
The Aviators
- Eddie Rickenbacker, Jimmy Doolittle, Charles Lindbergh, and the Epic Age of Flight
- By: Winston Groom
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 17 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 3,214
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 2,910
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 2,898
Gifted storyteller Winston Groom, the best-selling author of Forrest Gump, has written the fascinating story of three extraordinary heroes who defined aviation during the great age of flight: Charles Lindbergh, Eddie Rickenbacker, and Jimmy Doolittle. These cleverly interwoven tales of their heart-stopping adventures take us from the feats of World War I through the heroism of World War II and beyond, including daring military raids and survival at sea, and will appeal to fans of Unbroken, The Greatest Generation, and Flyboys.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Too much a hagiography
- By Joseph Valenzi on 09-08-15
By: Winston Groom
-
The Mighty Eighth
- The Air War in Europe as Told by the Men Who Fought It
- By: Gerald Astor
- Narrated by: Kaleo Griffith
- Length: 23 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 350
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 319
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 317
Europe has fallen. Pearl Harbor is in flames. Enter: the Eighth. In 1941 the RAF fought a desperate battle of survival against the Luftwaffe over Britain. Then, from across the Atlantic, came a new generation of American pilots, gunners, and bombardiers, a new generation of flying machines called the B-17 Flying Fortress, the B-24 Liberator, the P-47 Thunderbolt, and the P-51 Mustang fighter.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
A Good Listen with 1 problem
- By Matthew Schuller on 08-23-19
By: Gerald Astor
-
Fighter Pilot
- The Memoirs of Legendary Ace Robin Olds
- By: Robin Olds, Christina Olds, Ed Rasimus
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 17 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 3,019
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 2,568
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 2,563
A larger-than-life hero with a towering personality, Robin Olds was a graduate of West Point and an inductee in the National College Football Hall of Fame for his All-American performance for Army. In World War II, Olds quickly became a top fighter pilot and squadron commander by the age of 22—a double ace with twelve aerial victories. But it was in Vietnam where the man became a legend.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Top Notch Audiobook
- By R. A. Frank on 10-08-10
By: Robin Olds, and others
-
Crossing the Line
- A Bluejacket's World War II Odyssey
- By: Alvin Kernan
- Narrated by: Ted Stoddard
- Length: 6 hrs and 21 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 45
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 20
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 21
A gifted storyteller, Kernan gives a candid account of his experiences during World War II, providing shrewd observations about the culture and ideology of an important era in naval history.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Good, But I Prefer Silent Running
- By Wolfpacker on 07-22-08
By: Alvin Kernan
-
Damn Lucky
- One Man's Courage During the Bloodiest Military Campaign in Aviation History
- By: Kevin Maurer
- Narrated by: Holter Graham, John Luckadoo
- Length: 8 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 253
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 226
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 224
Pearl Harbor, Hawaii was a world away from John Luckadoo’s hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee. But when the Japanese attacked the American naval base on December 7, 1941, he didn’t hesitate to join the military. Trained as a pilot with the United States Air Force, Second Lieutenant Luckadoo was assigned to the 100th Bomb Group stationed in Thorpe Abbotts, England. Between June and October 1943, he flew B-17 Flying Fortresses over France and Germany on bombing runs devised to destroy the Nazi war machine.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
must read
- By td godfrey on 10-06-22
By: Kevin Maurer
-
Target Tokyo
- Jimmy Doolittle and the Raid That Avenged Pearl Harbor
- By: James M. Scott
- Narrated by: L. J. Ganser
- Length: 20 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,130
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 1,029
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 1,021
The dramatic account of one of America's most celebrated - and controversial - military campaigns: the Doolittle Raid. In December 1941, as American forces tallied the dead at Pearl Harbor, President Franklin Roosevelt gathered with his senior military counselors to plan an ambitious counterstrike against the heart of the Japanese Empire: Tokyo.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Vengence is Mine, Thus Sayeth Doolittle
- By Jonathan Love on 06-13-16
By: James M. Scott
-
Topgun
- An American Story
- By: Dan Pedersen
- Narrated by: Jim Meskimen
- Length: 9 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 954
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 843
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 844
Dan Pedersen takes listeners on a colorful and thrilling ride - from Miramar to Area 51 to the decks of aircraft carriers in war and peace - through a historic moment in air warfare. He helped establish a legacy that was built by him and his "Original Eight" - the best of the best - and carried on for six decades by some of America's greatest leaders. Topgun is a heartfelt and personal testimonial to patriotism, sacrifice, and American innovation and daring.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
I loved it!
- By "airplane_cfii" on 10-09-19
By: Dan Pedersen
-
The First Heroes
- The Extraordinary Story of the Doolittle Raid
- By: Craig Nelson
- Narrated by: Raymond Todd
- Length: 17 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 182
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 90
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 94
Immediately after Japan's December 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt sought to restore the honor of the United States with a dramatic act of vengeance: a retaliatory bombing raid on Tokyo itself. In those early days of World War II, America was ill-prepared for any sort of warfare. But FDR was not to be dissuaded, and at his bidding a squadron of scarcely trained army fliers, led by the famous daredevil Jimmy Doolittle, set forth on what everyone regarded as a suicide mission.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Heroic Attempt
- By William on 07-20-04
By: Craig Nelson
-
Bomber Pilot: A Memoir of World War II
- By: Philip Ardery
- Narrated by: James Killavey
- Length: 9 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 97
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 88
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 86
"The sky was full of dying airplanes" as American Liberator bombers struggled to return to North Africa after their daring low-level raid on the oil refineries of Ploesti. They lost 446 airmen and 53 planes, but Philip Ardery's plane came home. This pilot was to take part in many more raids on Hitler's Europe, including air cover for the D-Day invasion of Normandy. This vivid firsthand account records one man's experience of World War II air warfare.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Fascinating...and true story
- By Loretta on 06-24-15
By: Philip Ardery
-
Never Call Me a Hero
- A Legendary American Dive-Bomber Pilot Remembers the Battle of Midway
- By: N. Jack "Dusty" Kleiss, Timothy Orr
- Narrated by: Mike Ortego, Cassandra Campbell, Patrick Lawlor
- Length: 9 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 343
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 312
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 310
An extraordinary firsthand account of the Battle of Midway by one of its key participants, timed to the 75th anniversary: American dive-bomber pilot "Dusty" Kleiss helped sink three Japanese warships (including two aircraft carriers), received the Navy Cross, and is credited with playing a decisive individual role in determining the outcome of a battle that is considered a turning point in World War II.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Love the story, disagree with the title.
- By STC on 08-21-17
By: N. Jack "Dusty" Kleiss, and others
-
Mission
- Jimmy Stewart and the Fight for Europe
- By: Robert Matzen, Leonard Maltin - foreward
- Narrated by: Peter Berkrot
- Length: 11 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 606
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 557
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 555
In March 1941 Jimmy Stewart, America's boy next door and recent Academy Award winner, left fame and fortune behind and joined the United States Army Air Corps to fulfill his family mission and serve his country. He rose from private to colonel and participated in 20 often-brutal World War II combat missions over Germany and France. In mere months the war took away his boyish looks as he faced near-death experiences and the loss of men under his command. The war finally won, he returned home with millions of other veterans to face an uncertain future.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
SKIP THIS ONE
- By G-Man on 05-13-18
By: Robert Matzen, and others
-
Finish Forty and Home
- The Untold World War II Story of B-24s in the Pacific
- By: Phil Scearce
- Narrated by: Danny Campbell
- Length: 11 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 58
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 52
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 52
During the early years of World War II in the Pacific theatre, against overwhelming odds, young American airmen flew the longest and most perilous bombing missions of the war. They faced determined Japanese fighters without fighter escort, relentless anti-aircraft fire with no deviations from target, and thousands of miles of over-water flying with no alternative landing sites.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Pretty Good!
- By Robert on 02-01-13
By: Phil Scearce
-
The Wild Blue
- The Men and Boys Who Flew the B-24s Over Germany
- By: Stephen E. Ambrose
- Narrated by: Jeffrey DeMunn
- Length: 8 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 854
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 761
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 761
The very young men who flew the B24s over Germany in World War II against terrible odds were an exemplary band of brothers. In The Wild Blue, Stephen Ambrose recounts their extraordinary brand of heroism, skill, daring, and comradeship. Stephen Ambrose describes how the Army Air Forces recruited, trained, and chose those few who would undertake the most demanding and dangerous jobs in the war.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Required Reading
- By Lyle on 11-22-11
-
Air Apaches
- The True Story of the 345th Bomb Group and Its Low, Fast, and Deadly Missions in World War II
- By: Jay A. Stout
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 15 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 886
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 796
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 793
The American 345th Bomb Group - the Air Apaches - was legendary in the war against Japan. The first fully trained and fully equipped group sent to the South Pacific, the 345th racked up a devastating score against the enemy. Armed to the teeth with machine guns and fragmentation bombs, and flying their B-25s at impossibly low altitudes - often below 50 feet - the pilots and air crews strafed and bombed enemy installations and shipping with a fury that helped cripple Japan.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Boring and unorganized unit history
- By R. Denton on 04-25-19
By: Jay A. Stout
-
Big Week
- The Biggest Air Battle of World War II
- By: James Holland
- Narrated by: Grover Gardner
- Length: 15 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 720
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 651
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 647
During the third week of February 1944, the combined Allied air forces based in Britain and Italy launched their first round-the-clock bomber offensive against Germany. Their goal: to smash the main factories and production centers of the Luftwaffe while also drawing German planes into an aerial battle of attrition to neutralize the Luftwaffe as a fighting force prior to the cross-channel invasion, planned for a few months later. Officially called Operation ARGUMENT, this aerial offensive quickly became known as “Big Week,” and it was one of the turning-points of World War II.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
War in the Air: Sets stage with gripping narrative
- By Nashville Cat on 11-17-18
By: James Holland
-
Lucky 666
- The Impossible Mission
- By: Bob Drury, Tom Clavin
- Narrated by: Jeremy Bobb
- Length: 9 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 930
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 855
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 851
From the authors of the New York Times best-selling The Heart of Everything That Is and Halsey's Typhoon comes the dramatic untold story of a daredevil bomber pilot and his misfit crew who fly their lone B-17 into the teeth of the Japanese Empire in 1943, engage in the longest dogfight in history, and change the momentum of the war in the Pacific - but not without making the ultimate sacrifice.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A WWII Pacific Tale
- By A. L. DeWitt on 11-15-16
By: Bob Drury, and others
-
A Dawn Like Thunder
- The True Story of Torpedo Squadron Eight
- By: Robert J. Mrazek
- Narrated by: Dick Hill
- Length: 15 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 131
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 74
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 75
One of the great untold stories of World War II finally comes to light in this thrilling account of the members of Torpedo Squadron Eight and their heroic efforts in helping an outmatched U.S. fleet win critical victories at Midway and Guadalcanal. These 35 American men - many flying outmoded aircraft - changed the course of history, going on to become the war's most decorated naval air squadron, while suffering the heaviest losses in U.S. naval aviation history.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Excellent story well told
- By Kismet on 01-30-09
By: Robert J. Mrazek
-
Indestructible
- One Man's Rescue Mission That Changed the Course of WWII
- By: John R. Bruning
- Narrated by: Brian Troxell
- Length: 17 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,208
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,111
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 1,109
In this remarkable WWII story by New York Times best-selling author John R. Bruning, a renegade American pilot fights against all odds to rescue his family - imprisoned by the Japanese - and revolutionizes modern warfare along the way. From the knife fights and smuggling runs of his youth to his fiery days as a pioneering naval aviator, Paul Irving "Pappy" Gunn played by his own set of rules and always survived on his wits and fists. But when he fell for a conservative Southern belle, her love transformed him from a wild and reckless airman to a cunning entrepreneur.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
You will love Pappy's story
- By A. L. DeWitt on 11-15-16
By: John R. Bruning
Publisher's summary
It is somewhere close to midnight on the clock when the men who fought the Second World War will still be with us. I have met just a few of them, sometimes goading them to reveal their experiences, at other times being simply a conduit to the river of their memories, sensing, on occasion, a kind of urgency to get it out there, just so these adventures and tragedies will not be lost to future enquiring minds.
Michael Veitch has always been a keen historian and aeroplane fanatic. From a young age, he was obsessed with air force pilots and their machines. And with his gift for chat, he has once again captured the memories of these brave, lucky men who survived the 'unsurvivable'.
The risks of not returning from flying missions in WWII were extremely high, so the stories are uniquely heroic, almost unbelievable. But these were ordinary men in extraordinary situations, and, in this third collection from Michael Veitch, they record their stories for future generations.
More from the same
Related to this topic
-
The Mighty Eighth
- The Air War in Europe as Told by the Men Who Fought It
- By: Gerald Astor
- Narrated by: Kaleo Griffith
- Length: 23 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 350
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 319
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 317
Europe has fallen. Pearl Harbor is in flames. Enter: the Eighth. In 1941 the RAF fought a desperate battle of survival against the Luftwaffe over Britain. Then, from across the Atlantic, came a new generation of American pilots, gunners, and bombardiers, a new generation of flying machines called the B-17 Flying Fortress, the B-24 Liberator, the P-47 Thunderbolt, and the P-51 Mustang fighter.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
A Good Listen with 1 problem
- By Matthew Schuller on 08-23-19
By: Gerald Astor
-
The First Heroes
- The Extraordinary Story of the Doolittle Raid
- By: Craig Nelson
- Narrated by: Raymond Todd
- Length: 17 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 182
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 90
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 94
Immediately after Japan's December 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt sought to restore the honor of the United States with a dramatic act of vengeance: a retaliatory bombing raid on Tokyo itself. In those early days of World War II, America was ill-prepared for any sort of warfare. But FDR was not to be dissuaded, and at his bidding a squadron of scarcely trained army fliers, led by the famous daredevil Jimmy Doolittle, set forth on what everyone regarded as a suicide mission.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Heroic Attempt
- By William on 07-20-04
By: Craig Nelson
-
Bomber Pilot: A Memoir of World War II
- By: Philip Ardery
- Narrated by: James Killavey
- Length: 9 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 97
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 88
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 86
"The sky was full of dying airplanes" as American Liberator bombers struggled to return to North Africa after their daring low-level raid on the oil refineries of Ploesti. They lost 446 airmen and 53 planes, but Philip Ardery's plane came home. This pilot was to take part in many more raids on Hitler's Europe, including air cover for the D-Day invasion of Normandy. This vivid firsthand account records one man's experience of World War II air warfare.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Fascinating...and true story
- By Loretta on 06-24-15
By: Philip Ardery
-
Never Call Me a Hero
- A Legendary American Dive-Bomber Pilot Remembers the Battle of Midway
- By: N. Jack "Dusty" Kleiss, Timothy Orr
- Narrated by: Mike Ortego, Cassandra Campbell, Patrick Lawlor
- Length: 9 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 343
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 312
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 310
An extraordinary firsthand account of the Battle of Midway by one of its key participants, timed to the 75th anniversary: American dive-bomber pilot "Dusty" Kleiss helped sink three Japanese warships (including two aircraft carriers), received the Navy Cross, and is credited with playing a decisive individual role in determining the outcome of a battle that is considered a turning point in World War II.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Love the story, disagree with the title.
- By STC on 08-21-17
By: N. Jack "Dusty" Kleiss, and others
-
Mission
- Jimmy Stewart and the Fight for Europe
- By: Robert Matzen, Leonard Maltin - foreward
- Narrated by: Peter Berkrot
- Length: 11 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 606
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 557
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 555
In March 1941 Jimmy Stewart, America's boy next door and recent Academy Award winner, left fame and fortune behind and joined the United States Army Air Corps to fulfill his family mission and serve his country. He rose from private to colonel and participated in 20 often-brutal World War II combat missions over Germany and France. In mere months the war took away his boyish looks as he faced near-death experiences and the loss of men under his command. The war finally won, he returned home with millions of other veterans to face an uncertain future.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
SKIP THIS ONE
- By G-Man on 05-13-18
By: Robert Matzen, and others
-
Finish Forty and Home
- The Untold World War II Story of B-24s in the Pacific
- By: Phil Scearce
- Narrated by: Danny Campbell
- Length: 11 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 58
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 52
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 52
During the early years of World War II in the Pacific theatre, against overwhelming odds, young American airmen flew the longest and most perilous bombing missions of the war. They faced determined Japanese fighters without fighter escort, relentless anti-aircraft fire with no deviations from target, and thousands of miles of over-water flying with no alternative landing sites.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Pretty Good!
- By Robert on 02-01-13
By: Phil Scearce
-
The Mighty Eighth
- The Air War in Europe as Told by the Men Who Fought It
- By: Gerald Astor
- Narrated by: Kaleo Griffith
- Length: 23 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 350
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 319
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 317
Europe has fallen. Pearl Harbor is in flames. Enter: the Eighth. In 1941 the RAF fought a desperate battle of survival against the Luftwaffe over Britain. Then, from across the Atlantic, came a new generation of American pilots, gunners, and bombardiers, a new generation of flying machines called the B-17 Flying Fortress, the B-24 Liberator, the P-47 Thunderbolt, and the P-51 Mustang fighter.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
A Good Listen with 1 problem
- By Matthew Schuller on 08-23-19
By: Gerald Astor
-
The First Heroes
- The Extraordinary Story of the Doolittle Raid
- By: Craig Nelson
- Narrated by: Raymond Todd
- Length: 17 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 182
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 90
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 94
Immediately after Japan's December 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt sought to restore the honor of the United States with a dramatic act of vengeance: a retaliatory bombing raid on Tokyo itself. In those early days of World War II, America was ill-prepared for any sort of warfare. But FDR was not to be dissuaded, and at his bidding a squadron of scarcely trained army fliers, led by the famous daredevil Jimmy Doolittle, set forth on what everyone regarded as a suicide mission.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Heroic Attempt
- By William on 07-20-04
By: Craig Nelson
-
Bomber Pilot: A Memoir of World War II
- By: Philip Ardery
- Narrated by: James Killavey
- Length: 9 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 97
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 88
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 86
"The sky was full of dying airplanes" as American Liberator bombers struggled to return to North Africa after their daring low-level raid on the oil refineries of Ploesti. They lost 446 airmen and 53 planes, but Philip Ardery's plane came home. This pilot was to take part in many more raids on Hitler's Europe, including air cover for the D-Day invasion of Normandy. This vivid firsthand account records one man's experience of World War II air warfare.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Fascinating...and true story
- By Loretta on 06-24-15
By: Philip Ardery
-
Never Call Me a Hero
- A Legendary American Dive-Bomber Pilot Remembers the Battle of Midway
- By: N. Jack "Dusty" Kleiss, Timothy Orr
- Narrated by: Mike Ortego, Cassandra Campbell, Patrick Lawlor
- Length: 9 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 343
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 312
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 310
An extraordinary firsthand account of the Battle of Midway by one of its key participants, timed to the 75th anniversary: American dive-bomber pilot "Dusty" Kleiss helped sink three Japanese warships (including two aircraft carriers), received the Navy Cross, and is credited with playing a decisive individual role in determining the outcome of a battle that is considered a turning point in World War II.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Love the story, disagree with the title.
- By STC on 08-21-17
By: N. Jack "Dusty" Kleiss, and others
-
Mission
- Jimmy Stewart and the Fight for Europe
- By: Robert Matzen, Leonard Maltin - foreward
- Narrated by: Peter Berkrot
- Length: 11 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 606
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 557
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 555
In March 1941 Jimmy Stewart, America's boy next door and recent Academy Award winner, left fame and fortune behind and joined the United States Army Air Corps to fulfill his family mission and serve his country. He rose from private to colonel and participated in 20 often-brutal World War II combat missions over Germany and France. In mere months the war took away his boyish looks as he faced near-death experiences and the loss of men under his command. The war finally won, he returned home with millions of other veterans to face an uncertain future.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
SKIP THIS ONE
- By G-Man on 05-13-18
By: Robert Matzen, and others
-
Finish Forty and Home
- The Untold World War II Story of B-24s in the Pacific
- By: Phil Scearce
- Narrated by: Danny Campbell
- Length: 11 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 58
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 52
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 52
During the early years of World War II in the Pacific theatre, against overwhelming odds, young American airmen flew the longest and most perilous bombing missions of the war. They faced determined Japanese fighters without fighter escort, relentless anti-aircraft fire with no deviations from target, and thousands of miles of over-water flying with no alternative landing sites.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Pretty Good!
- By Robert on 02-01-13
By: Phil Scearce
-
The Wild Blue
- The Men and Boys Who Flew the B-24s Over Germany
- By: Stephen E. Ambrose
- Narrated by: Jeffrey DeMunn
- Length: 8 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 854
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 761
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 761
The very young men who flew the B24s over Germany in World War II against terrible odds were an exemplary band of brothers. In The Wild Blue, Stephen Ambrose recounts their extraordinary brand of heroism, skill, daring, and comradeship. Stephen Ambrose describes how the Army Air Forces recruited, trained, and chose those few who would undertake the most demanding and dangerous jobs in the war.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Required Reading
- By Lyle on 11-22-11
-
Air Apaches
- The True Story of the 345th Bomb Group and Its Low, Fast, and Deadly Missions in World War II
- By: Jay A. Stout
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 15 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 886
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 796
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 793
The American 345th Bomb Group - the Air Apaches - was legendary in the war against Japan. The first fully trained and fully equipped group sent to the South Pacific, the 345th racked up a devastating score against the enemy. Armed to the teeth with machine guns and fragmentation bombs, and flying their B-25s at impossibly low altitudes - often below 50 feet - the pilots and air crews strafed and bombed enemy installations and shipping with a fury that helped cripple Japan.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Boring and unorganized unit history
- By R. Denton on 04-25-19
By: Jay A. Stout
-
Big Week
- The Biggest Air Battle of World War II
- By: James Holland
- Narrated by: Grover Gardner
- Length: 15 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 720
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 651
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 647
During the third week of February 1944, the combined Allied air forces based in Britain and Italy launched their first round-the-clock bomber offensive against Germany. Their goal: to smash the main factories and production centers of the Luftwaffe while also drawing German planes into an aerial battle of attrition to neutralize the Luftwaffe as a fighting force prior to the cross-channel invasion, planned for a few months later. Officially called Operation ARGUMENT, this aerial offensive quickly became known as “Big Week,” and it was one of the turning-points of World War II.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
War in the Air: Sets stage with gripping narrative
- By Nashville Cat on 11-17-18
By: James Holland
-
Lucky 666
- The Impossible Mission
- By: Bob Drury, Tom Clavin
- Narrated by: Jeremy Bobb
- Length: 9 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 930
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 855
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 851
From the authors of the New York Times best-selling The Heart of Everything That Is and Halsey's Typhoon comes the dramatic untold story of a daredevil bomber pilot and his misfit crew who fly their lone B-17 into the teeth of the Japanese Empire in 1943, engage in the longest dogfight in history, and change the momentum of the war in the Pacific - but not without making the ultimate sacrifice.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A WWII Pacific Tale
- By A. L. DeWitt on 11-15-16
By: Bob Drury, and others
-
A Dawn Like Thunder
- The True Story of Torpedo Squadron Eight
- By: Robert J. Mrazek
- Narrated by: Dick Hill
- Length: 15 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 131
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 74
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 75
One of the great untold stories of World War II finally comes to light in this thrilling account of the members of Torpedo Squadron Eight and their heroic efforts in helping an outmatched U.S. fleet win critical victories at Midway and Guadalcanal. These 35 American men - many flying outmoded aircraft - changed the course of history, going on to become the war's most decorated naval air squadron, while suffering the heaviest losses in U.S. naval aviation history.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Excellent story well told
- By Kismet on 01-30-09
By: Robert J. Mrazek
-
Indestructible
- One Man's Rescue Mission That Changed the Course of WWII
- By: John R. Bruning
- Narrated by: Brian Troxell
- Length: 17 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,208
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,111
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 1,109
In this remarkable WWII story by New York Times best-selling author John R. Bruning, a renegade American pilot fights against all odds to rescue his family - imprisoned by the Japanese - and revolutionizes modern warfare along the way. From the knife fights and smuggling runs of his youth to his fiery days as a pioneering naval aviator, Paul Irving "Pappy" Gunn played by his own set of rules and always survived on his wits and fists. But when he fell for a conservative Southern belle, her love transformed him from a wild and reckless airman to a cunning entrepreneur.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
You will love Pappy's story
- By A. L. DeWitt on 11-15-16
By: John R. Bruning
-
Angels in the Sky
- How a Band of Volunteer Airmen Saved the New State of Israel
- By: Robert Gandt
- Narrated by: Tom Perkins
- Length: 12 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 77
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 68
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 68
Angels in the Sky is the gripping story of how an all-volunteer air force helped defeat five Arab nations and protect the fledgling Jewish state. It is the exhilarating account of a ragtag band of volunteer airmen from around the world who fought for Israel during the war of independence. They arrived from America, Canada, Britain, France, and South Africa. Almost all were World War II combat veterans. Many, but not all, were Jewish, and many knowingly violated their nations' embargoes on the shipment of arms and aircraft to Israel.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Truly excellent story - highly recommended
- By Shimon on 03-21-19
By: Robert Gandt
-
A Thousand Shall Fall
- The True Story of a Canadian Bomber Pilot in World War Two
- By: Murray Peden
- Narrated by: Anthony Haden Salerno
- Length: 19 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 41
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 35
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 36
During World War II, Canada trained tens of thousands of airmen under the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. Those selected for Bomber Command operations went on to rain devastation upon the Third Reich in the great air battles over Europe, but their losses were high. German fighters and anti-aircraft guns took a terrifying toll. The chances of surviving a tour of duty as a bomber crew were almost nil.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Brilliant account of WW2 flying
- By John on 06-14-17
By: Murray Peden
-
Damn Lucky
- One Man's Courage During the Bloodiest Military Campaign in Aviation History
- By: Kevin Maurer
- Narrated by: Holter Graham, John Luckadoo
- Length: 8 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 253
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 226
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 224
Pearl Harbor, Hawaii was a world away from John Luckadoo’s hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee. But when the Japanese attacked the American naval base on December 7, 1941, he didn’t hesitate to join the military. Trained as a pilot with the United States Air Force, Second Lieutenant Luckadoo was assigned to the 100th Bomb Group stationed in Thorpe Abbotts, England. Between June and October 1943, he flew B-17 Flying Fortresses over France and Germany on bombing runs devised to destroy the Nazi war machine.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
must read
- By td godfrey on 10-06-22
By: Kevin Maurer
-
Carrier Pilot
- By: Norman Hanson
- Narrated by: Chris MacDonnell
- Length: 12 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 289
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 271
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 269
In 1942, Norman Hanson learned to fly the Royal Navy's newest fighter: the US-built Chance Vought Corsair. Fast, rugged, and demanding to fly, it was an intimidating machine. But in the hands of its young Fleet Air Arm pilots, it also proved to be a lethal weapon. Posted to the South Pacific aboard HMS Illustrious, Hanson and his squadron took the fight to the Japanese. Facing a desperate and determined enemy, Kamikaze attacks, and the ever-present dangers of flying off a pitching carrier deck, death was never far away.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Absorbing
- By Jean on 11-26-17
By: Norman Hanson
-
Kangaroo Squadron
- American Courage in the Darkest Days of World War II
- By: Bruce Gamble
- Narrated by: Mark Boyett
- Length: 14 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 145
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 130
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 129
In early 1942, while the American military was still in disarray from the devastating attacks on Pearl Harbor and the Philippines, a single US Army squadron advanced to the far side of the world to face America's new enemy. Based in Australia with inadequate supplies and no ground support, the squadron's pilots and combat crew endured tropical diseases while confronting numerically superior Japanese forces. Yet the outfit, dubbed the Kangaroo Squadron, proved remarkably resilient and successful.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
5 star History!
- By DON COOKE on 03-13-19
By: Bruce Gamble
-
Life's Too Short to Cry
- The Compelling Story of a Battle of Britain Ace
- By: Tim Vigors
- Narrated by: Roger Davis
- Length: 9 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 29
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 24
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 24
It is not often that a long-hidden gem of a manuscript is published, bringing a moment in WWII history to vivid life for today’s audiences. Geoffrey Wellum’s First Light was one example. The memoir of Timothy Vigors is another. Born in Hatfield but raised in Ireland and educated at Eton and Cranwell, Vigors found himself in France in 1940 flying Fairey Battle bombers. After the Fall he joined the fighters of 222 Squadron, with whom he saw frantic and distinguished service over Dunkirk and persevered through the dangerous days of the Battle of Britain, when he became an ace.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Excellent
- By Ethan on 03-24-21
By: Tim Vigors