-
The Boer War
- Narrated by: James Langton
- Length: 19 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Release date: 01-09-18
- Language: English
- Publisher: Recorded Books
- Whispersync for Voice-ready
Regular price: $38.49
People who bought this also bought...
-
Crimea
- By: Orlando Figes
- Narrated by: Malk Williams
- Length: 20 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 35
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 33
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 33
The terrible conflict that dominated the mid-19th century, the Crimean War, killed at least 800,000 men and pitted Russia against a formidable coalition of Britain, France and the Ottoman Empire. It was a war for territory, provoked by fear that if the Ottoman Empire were to collapse then Russia could control a huge swathe of land from the Balkans to the Persian Gulf. But it was also a war of religion, driven by a fervent, populist and ever more ferocious belief by the Tsar and his ministers that it was Russia's task to rule all Orthodox Christians and control the Holy Land.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Very detailed account
- By Joel Conley on 08-20-18
-
Collision of Empires
- The War on the Eastern Front in 1914
- By: Prit Buttar
- Narrated by: Roger Clark
- Length: 21 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 77
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 73
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 72
The fighting that raged in the East during the First World War was every bit as fierce as that on the Western Front, but the titanic clashes between three towering empires - Russia, Austro-Hungary, and Germany - remains a comparatively unknown facet of the Great War. With the 100th anniversary of the beginning of the war in 2014, Collision of Empires is a timely expose of the bitter fighting on this forgotten front - a clash that would ultimately change the face of Europe forever.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Let’s hope they release the next books
- By Jack C on 01-03-18
-
Crucible of War
- The Seven Years' War and the Fate of Empire in British North America, 1754-1766
- By: Fred Anderson
- Narrated by: Paul Woodson
- Length: 29 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 95
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 89
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 89
In this vivid and compelling narrative, the Seven Years' War - long seen as a mere backdrop to the American Revolution - takes on a whole new significance. Relating the history of the war as it developed, Anderson shows how the complex array of forces brought into conflict helped both to create Britain's empire and to sow the seeds of its eventual dissolution. Beginning with a skirmish in the Pennsylvania backcountry involving an inexperienced George Washington, the Iroquois chief Tanaghrisson, and the ill-fated French emissary Jumonville, Anderson reveals a chain of events that would lead to world conflagration.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
A Detailed History
- By Daniel on 07-15-18
-
A People’s Tragedy
- By: Orlando Figes
- Narrated by: Roger Davis
- Length: 47 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall0 out of 5 stars 0
-
Performance0 out of 5 stars 0
-
Story0 out of 5 stars 0
Opening with a panorama of Russian society, from the cloistered world of the Tsar to the brutal life of the peasants, A People’s Tragedy follows workers, soldiers, intellectuals and villagers as their world is consumed by revolution and then degenerates into violence and dictatorship. Drawing on vast original research, Figes conveys above all the shocking experience of the revolution for those who lived it, while providing the clearest and most cogent account of how and why it unfolded.
-
Instrument of War
- The German Army 1914-18
- By: Dennis E. Showalter
- Narrated by: Julian Elfer
- Length: 10 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 26
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 26
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 25
Drawing on more than a half-century of research and teaching, Dennis Showalter presents a fresh perspective on the German Army during World War I. Showalter surveys an army at the heart of a national identity, driven by - yet also defeated by - warfare in the modern age, that struggled to capitalize on its victories, and ultimately forgot the lessons of its defeat.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
German Side Of WW1
- By Farren Joy on 06-21-18
-
The Great Game
- The Struggle for Empire in Central Asia
- By: Peter Hopkirk
- Narrated by: Alex Wyndham
- Length: 17 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 208
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 191
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 187
The Great Game between Victorian Britain and Tsarist Russia was fought across desolate terrain from the Caucasus to China, over the lonely passes of the Parmirs and Karakorams, in the blazing Kerman and Helmund deserts, and through the caravan towns of the old Silk Road - both powers scrambling to control access to the riches of India and the East. When play first began, the frontiers of Russia and British India lay 2000 miles apart; by the end, this distance had shrunk to 20 miles at some points.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
By FAR the best book on this topic on Audbile
- By horoscopy on 09-24-17
-
Crimea
- By: Orlando Figes
- Narrated by: Malk Williams
- Length: 20 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 35
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 33
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 33
The terrible conflict that dominated the mid-19th century, the Crimean War, killed at least 800,000 men and pitted Russia against a formidable coalition of Britain, France and the Ottoman Empire. It was a war for territory, provoked by fear that if the Ottoman Empire were to collapse then Russia could control a huge swathe of land from the Balkans to the Persian Gulf. But it was also a war of religion, driven by a fervent, populist and ever more ferocious belief by the Tsar and his ministers that it was Russia's task to rule all Orthodox Christians and control the Holy Land.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Very detailed account
- By Joel Conley on 08-20-18
-
Collision of Empires
- The War on the Eastern Front in 1914
- By: Prit Buttar
- Narrated by: Roger Clark
- Length: 21 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 77
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 73
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 72
The fighting that raged in the East during the First World War was every bit as fierce as that on the Western Front, but the titanic clashes between three towering empires - Russia, Austro-Hungary, and Germany - remains a comparatively unknown facet of the Great War. With the 100th anniversary of the beginning of the war in 2014, Collision of Empires is a timely expose of the bitter fighting on this forgotten front - a clash that would ultimately change the face of Europe forever.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Let’s hope they release the next books
- By Jack C on 01-03-18
-
Crucible of War
- The Seven Years' War and the Fate of Empire in British North America, 1754-1766
- By: Fred Anderson
- Narrated by: Paul Woodson
- Length: 29 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 95
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 89
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 89
In this vivid and compelling narrative, the Seven Years' War - long seen as a mere backdrop to the American Revolution - takes on a whole new significance. Relating the history of the war as it developed, Anderson shows how the complex array of forces brought into conflict helped both to create Britain's empire and to sow the seeds of its eventual dissolution. Beginning with a skirmish in the Pennsylvania backcountry involving an inexperienced George Washington, the Iroquois chief Tanaghrisson, and the ill-fated French emissary Jumonville, Anderson reveals a chain of events that would lead to world conflagration.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
A Detailed History
- By Daniel on 07-15-18
-
A People’s Tragedy
- By: Orlando Figes
- Narrated by: Roger Davis
- Length: 47 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall0 out of 5 stars 0
-
Performance0 out of 5 stars 0
-
Story0 out of 5 stars 0
Opening with a panorama of Russian society, from the cloistered world of the Tsar to the brutal life of the peasants, A People’s Tragedy follows workers, soldiers, intellectuals and villagers as their world is consumed by revolution and then degenerates into violence and dictatorship. Drawing on vast original research, Figes conveys above all the shocking experience of the revolution for those who lived it, while providing the clearest and most cogent account of how and why it unfolded.
-
Instrument of War
- The German Army 1914-18
- By: Dennis E. Showalter
- Narrated by: Julian Elfer
- Length: 10 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 26
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 26
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 25
Drawing on more than a half-century of research and teaching, Dennis Showalter presents a fresh perspective on the German Army during World War I. Showalter surveys an army at the heart of a national identity, driven by - yet also defeated by - warfare in the modern age, that struggled to capitalize on its victories, and ultimately forgot the lessons of its defeat.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
German Side Of WW1
- By Farren Joy on 06-21-18
-
The Great Game
- The Struggle for Empire in Central Asia
- By: Peter Hopkirk
- Narrated by: Alex Wyndham
- Length: 17 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 208
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 191
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 187
The Great Game between Victorian Britain and Tsarist Russia was fought across desolate terrain from the Caucasus to China, over the lonely passes of the Parmirs and Karakorams, in the blazing Kerman and Helmund deserts, and through the caravan towns of the old Silk Road - both powers scrambling to control access to the riches of India and the East. When play first began, the frontiers of Russia and British India lay 2000 miles apart; by the end, this distance had shrunk to 20 miles at some points.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
By FAR the best book on this topic on Audbile
- By horoscopy on 09-24-17
-
African Kaiser
- General Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck and the Great War in Africa, 1914-1918
- By: Robert Gaudi
- Narrated by: Paul Hodgson
- Length: 18 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 523
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 493
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 491
At the beginning of the twentieth century, the continent of Africa was a hotbed of international trade, colonialism, and political gamesmanship. So when World War I broke out, the European powers were forced to contend with each other not just in the bloody trenches - but in the treacherous jungle. And it was in that unforgiving land that General Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck would make history.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Well Written, Well Read, Well Done!
- By Matthew on 02-25-17
-
The Battle of Arnhem
- The Deadliest Airborne Operation of World War II
- By: Antony Beevor
- Narrated by: Sean Barrett
- Length: 16 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 31
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 29
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 29
On September 17, 1944, General Kurt Student, the founder of Nazi Germany's parachute forces, heard the groaning roar of airplane engines. He went out onto his balcony above the flat landscape of southern Holland to watch the air armada of Dakotas and gliders, carrying the legendary American 101st and 82nd Airborne Divisions and the British 1st Airborne Division. Operation Market Garden, the plan to end the war by capturing the bridges leading to the Lower Rhine and beyond, was a bold concept, but could it have ever worked? The cost of failure was horrendous, above all for the Dutch.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Outstanding
- By Patrick on 10-05-18
-
Empire
- How Britain Made the Modern World
- By: Niall Ferguson
- Narrated by: Jonathan Keeble
- Length: 16 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 468
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 416
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 412
Once vast swathes of the globe were coloured imperial red, and Britannia ruled not just the waves but the prairies of America, the plains of Asia, the jungles of Africa and the deserts of Arabia. Just how did a small, rainy island in the North Atlantic achieve all this? And why did the empire on which the sun literally never set finally decline and fall? Niall Ferguson's acclaimed Empire brilliantly unfolds the imperial story in all its splendours and its miseries.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Such a great listen - What a History Lesson
- By Dorothy on 11-04-17
-
Hitler's Soldiers
- The German Army in the Third Reich
- By: Ben H. Shepherd
- Narrated by: Michael Page
- Length: 26 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 101
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 91
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 92
For decades after 1945, it was generally believed that the German army, professional and morally decent, had largely stood apart from the SS, Gestapo, and other corps of the Nazi machine. Ben Shepherd draws on a wealth of primary sources and recent scholarship to convey a much darker, more complex picture. For the first time, the German army is examined throughout the Second World War, across all combat theaters and occupied regions, and from multiple perspectives: its battle performance, social composition, relationship with the Nazi state, and involvement in war crimes and occupation.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Thorough and scholarly
- By Mary A. on 03-23-18
-
The Allure of Battle
- A History of How Wars Have Been Won and Lost
- By: Cathal J. Nolan
- Narrated by: Julian Elfer
- Length: 25 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 54
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 47
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 45
History has tended to measure war's winners and losers in terms of its major engagements, battles in which the result was so clear-cut that they could be considered "decisive". Cannae, Konigsberg, Austerlitz, Midway, Agincourt - all resonate in the literature of war and in our imaginations as tide-turning. But these legendary battles may or may not have determined the final outcome of the wars in which they were fought. Cathal J. Nolan's The Allure of Battle systematically and engrossingly examines the great battles, tracing what he calls "short-war thinking".
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
deep pockets & a long magazine.
- By PJ Hamilton on 09-16-18
-
Case Red
- The Collapse of France
- By: Robert Forczyk
- Narrated by: Michael Page
- Length: 14 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 72
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 66
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 65
Even after the legendary evacuation from Dunkirk in June 1940 there were still large British formations fighting the Germans alongside their French allies. After mounting a vigorous counterattack at Abbeville and then engaging a tough defense along the Somme, the British were forced to conduct a second evacuation from the ports of Le Havre, Cherbourg, Brest, and St. Nazaire. Case Red captures the drama of the final three weeks of military operations in France in June 1940.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Not Forczyk's best offering
- By S.C. James on 01-30-18
-
Imperial Twilight
- The Opium War and the End of China's Last Golden Age
- By: Stephen R. Platt
- Narrated by: Mark Deakins
- Length: 17 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 57
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 51
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 52
When Britain launched its first war on China in 1839, pushed into hostilities by profiteering drug merchants and free-trade interests, it sealed the fate of what had long been seen as the most prosperous and powerful empire in Asia, if not the world. But internal problems of corruption, popular unrest, and dwindling finances had weakened China far more than was commonly understood, and the war would help set in motion the eventual fall of the Qing dynasty - which, in turn, would lead to the rise of nationalism and communism in the 20th century.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Balanced readable narrative about the Opium Wars
- By Carl A. Gallozzi on 09-05-18
-
The Cold War's Killing Fields
- Rethinking the Long Peace
- By: Paul Thomas Chamberlin
- Narrated by: Grover Gardner
- Length: 22 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 12
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 12
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 12
In this sweeping, deeply researched book, Paul Thomas Chamberlin boldly argues that the Cold War, long viewed as a mostly peaceful, if tense, diplomatic standoff between democracy and communism, was actually a part of a vast, deadly conflict that killed millions on battlegrounds across the postcolonial world. For half a century, as an uneasy peace hung over Europe, ferocious proxy wars raged in the Cold War’s killing fields, resulting in more than 14 million dead - victims who remain largely forgotten and all but lost to history.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Interesting but Biased
- By Jonathan W Schneider on 08-13-18
-
A History of France
- By: John Julius Norwich
- Narrated by: John Julius Norwich
- Length: 15 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 9
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 7
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 7
John Julius Norwich - called a "true master of narrative history" by Simon Sebag Montefiore - returns with the book he has spent his distinguished career wanting to write, A History of France, a portrait of the past two centuries of the country he loves best. Beginning with Julius Caesar's conquest of Gaul in the first century BC, this study of French history comprises a cast of legendary characters - Charlemagne, Louis XIV, Napoleon, Joan of Arc, and Marie Antionette, to name a few - as Norwich chronicles France's often violent, always fascinating history.
-
No Man’s Land
- 1918, the Last Year of the Great War
- By: John Toland
- Narrated by: Grover Gardner
- Length: 24 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 173
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 157
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 157
From freezing infantrymen huddled in bloodied trenches on the front lines to intricate political maneuvering and tense strategy sessions in European capitals, noted historian John Toland tells of the unforgettable final year of the First World War. In this audiobook, participants on both sides, from enlisted men to generals and prime ministers to monarchs, vividly recount the battles, sensational events, and behind-the-scenes strategies that shaped the climactic, terrifying year.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Comprehensive survey of final year of WWI
- By James Messelbeck on 12-15-17
-
A Frozen Hell
- The Russo-Finnish Winter War of 1939-1940
- By: William R. Trotter
- Narrated by: Matthew Lloyd Davies
- Length: 11 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 29
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 26
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 27
In 1939, tiny Finland waged war - the kind of war that spawns legends - against the mighty Soviet Union, and yet, their epic struggle has been largely ignored. Guerrillas on skis, heroic single-handed attacks on tanks, unfathomable endurance, and the charismatic leadership of one of this century's true military geniuses - these are the elements of both the Finnish victory and a gripping tale of war.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Causes and consequences of ruso-finish 1939 war
- By William R. Toddmancillas on 04-06-18
-
The Inheritance of Rome
- Illuminating the Dark Ages 400-1000
- By: Chris Wickham
- Narrated by: James Cameron Stewart
- Length: 32 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 44
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 37
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 38
Prizewinning historian Chris Wickham defies the conventional view of the Dark Ages in European history with a work of remarkable scope and rigorous yet accessible scholarship. Drawing on a wealth of new material and featuring a thoughtful synthesis of historical and archaeological approaches, Wickham argues that these centuries were critical in the formulation of European identity. Far from being a middle period between more significant epochs, this age has much to tell us in its own right about the progress of culture and the development of political thought.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Excellent Intro to An Obscure Period
- By Earth Lover on 07-30-18
Publisher's Summary
The Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902) is one of the most intriguing conflicts of modern history. It has been labeled many things: the first media war, a precursor of the First and Second World Wars, the originator of apartheid. The difference in status and resources between the superpower Great Britain and two insignificant Boer republics in southern Africa was enormous. But, against all expectation, it took the British every effort and a huge sum of money to win the war, not least by unleashing a campaign of systematic terror against the civilian population.
In The Boer War, winner of the Netherland's 2013 Libris History Prize and shortlisted for the 2013 AKO Literature Prize, the author brings a completely new perspective to this chapter of South African history, critically examining the involvement of the Netherlands in the war. Furthermore, unlike other accounts, Martin Bossenbroek explores the war primarily through the experiences of three men uniquely active during the bloody conflict. They are Willem Leyds, the Dutch lawyer who was to become South African Republic state secretary and eventual European envoy; Winston Churchill, then a British war reporter; and Deneys Reitz, a young Boer commando. The vivid and engaging experiences of these three men enables a more personal and nuanced story of the war to be told, and, at the same time, offers a fresh approach to a conflict that shaped the nation-state of South Africa.
More from the same
Narrator
What members say
Average Customer Ratings
Overall
-
4.5 out of 5 stars
-
5 Stars32
-
4 Stars19
-
3 Stars7
-
2 Stars3
-
1 Stars0
Performance
-
4.5 out of 5 stars
-
5 Stars36
-
4 Stars13
-
3 Stars3
-
2 Stars2
-
1 Stars1
Story
-
4.5 out of 5 stars
-
5 Stars33
-
4 Stars17
-
3 Stars4
-
2 Stars1
-
1 Stars0
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Brian
- 01-30-18
Excellent Detail
I was disappointed about the lack of audiobooks on the Anglo-Boer wars until this one came out...it's fantastic for those searching for this topic and history.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Douglas
- 04-17-18
Interesting and engaging view of the War
An interesting and engaging account of the War written from the differing personal accounts by notable participants in the Boer war. This makes it easy to follow and understand the politics around the war. The accounts of how things transpired in Europe and the Netherlands in particular are refreshing.
However I have two complaints. For a South African it is hard to follow at times due to the Dutch instead of Afrikaans pronounciations of names and places. The insistent and unnecessary use of racial terms, common in its day but deeply offensive today, is jarring. Other than that it is very good.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
- Ricardo Fernandes
- 03-20-18
Great detail on a very little know war.
good book, great detail from multiple view points, leant a great deal of European politics of the period, would love to read more about 19th century European and Afican history after listening to this.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Kindle Customer
- 10-19-18
good review of a bad war
Very complete and interesting history of how South Africa became South Africa. The beginning is a little too detailed, but was interesting. At least 30- 40 percent is about the reason the war started. At first I thought it was going to be anti-British and one sided, but it was not. Bad things were done on both sides and these are presented. This was Britain's Vietnam but in the Victorian era. Some have complained about the pronunciation the performa uses. Apparently he uses the Dutch pronunciation. It is a little confusing at first but when you realize Kruey is Kruger it works.
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Lee CD
- 08-29-18
Informative
Much of the internal behind the scenes historical information is interesting but much of the battlefield story is missing.
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars
-
Performance1 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Dr Dion Forster
- 05-20-18
A worthwhile read, but a very disappointing narrator
This is a very interesting perspective on a brutal period in Southern African history. The narrative is shaped around three participants in this historical saga - a Dutch lawyer, an English journalist (Winston Churchill), and a Boer commando.
For anyone with any insight into the proper pronunciation of people’s names and place names, it is extremely frustrating. I almost stopped listening at a few points. I find it hard to believe that the publishers did not review the narration to ascertain how well the book was being read. Not only are names and places miss-pronounced 90% of the time, the mispronunciations keep changing!
Regardless, it is worth reading.
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars
-
Performance2 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Robert
- 02-19-18
The Boer War
Terrible pronunciation of place names and an epilogue laced with racism against the Boer and apparently complete absolution of the British who laid the foundations for apartheid in this fine nation!
2 of 6 people found this review helpful
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Conor
- 10-09-18
Well Structured and Well Read
Great book all round. Would recommend to anyone. All the different parts come together nicely.
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars
-
Performance2 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- R N BLAIR
- 06-30-18
The Boer War,
The book is undoubtedly an authentic account of The Boer War. It is nevertheless marred by the narrators inability to pronounce many of the names and places correctly. For example the Union Castle liner
Dunnotter Castle is pronounced as spelled. It is not the Dooneter Castle. Similarly Smuts is Smuts, not Smoots or Smoets. The Toogela River, as pronounced by Langton,is normally known as the Tugela with the stress on the penultimate syllable.
There are many other example of poor knowledge in pronouncing names and places although it must be said that knowledge of the Dutch and Afrikaans names was generally up to the mark. Such a pity as this audio version did not serve the book well.
Finally. No such place as Lourenco Markeesh or Lourenco Marceish or even Lourenco Mar-qiche has ever existed - either in Portuguese or English.
Neil Blair.
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Graham
- 04-11-18
Bad Pronouncition of South African characters
What did you like best about The Boer War? What did you like least?
What was one of the most memorable moments of The Boer War?
My great grandparents were in the british army in South Africa . The one at Rorke's drift and the other Boer War ( ?) Not proud of this aspect of my ancestors.The treatment of the Boers by the British was horrific. Kitchener was a disgrace. Biggest casualties Boer children............. ten of thousands , then Women and finally Boer soldiers. Burning of their farms, not feeding prisoners on occasions, concentration camps for women run by men...thank .heavens for Mary Hobhouse.
Did James Langton do a good job differentiating each of the characters? How?
I think James should have done more homework on the pronunciation of South African Towns and names.e.g. Pronunciation of Smuts as in rude (smut) versus as in kissing ( smooch). Maybe I am bias and I would hate James to hear my pronunciation certain English words!
Did The Boer War inspire you to do anything?
follow the careers of certain characters post the Boer War. Smuts, Churchill and Kitchener in particular.
Any additional comments?
was it true that Kruger decreed that any Boer who killed Buller would be had up for treason?
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance1 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 07-18-18
Poor pronunciation of names and places spoiled the book.
Surely before narrating a book, pronouncing the names and places should be ensured? Unfortunately the pronunciation in this book was so bad, I felt embarrassed.