-
Unsung Heroes of World War II: Europe
- Narrated by: Professor Lynne Olson
- Length: 5 hrs and 58 mins
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy for $9.95
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
Taking Control of Your Personal Data
- By: Jennifer Golbeck, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Jennifer Golbeck
- Length: 5 hrs and 15 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
We have never before in human history been able to share so much about ourselves so quickly. Neither have we ever been so exposed to forces that want to take advantage of that capability. Taking Control of Your Personal Data will open your eyes to the surprising extent of that exposure and will discuss your options for keeping your personal data as safe as possible. Your instructor, Professor Jennifer Golbeck of the College of Information Studies at University of Maryland, College Park, will show you what really goes on behind the scenes with the data you share all day long.
-
-
Great listen for all types.
- By Ralph H Carothers III on 02-17-20
By: Jennifer Golbeck, and others
-
World War II: Up Close and Personal
- By: Keith Huxen, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Keith Huxen
- Length: 11 hrs and 28 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the icy front lines of Soviet Russia to the bombing campaigns against Britain to the American submarines lurking beneath the choppy waters of the Pacific, step into the shoes of remarkable everyday men and women in World War II: Up Close and Personal. Your lecturer is Dr. Keith Huxen, a historian and project director at The Henry M. Jackson Foundation, which supports the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency.
-
-
Fascinating, Captivating, Heartbreaking
- By BookAddict12 on 12-02-21
By: Keith Huxen, and others
-
England, the 1960s, and the Triumph of the Beatles
- By: Michael Shelden, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Michael Shelden
- Length: 5 hrs and 9 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
How did four young men from a faded old seaport in Northern England lead such an epic musical and cultural revolution? Why could the story of the Beatles only have happened in such a charged decade? What remains to be said about this British band that hasn’t been said before? Questions like these lie at the beating heart of these 12 lessons that offer a fresh look at how this celebrated band became one of the most compelling voices against the status quo.
-
-
Delightful and smart
- By MP on 12-12-20
By: Michael Shelden, and others
-
The Great Revolutions of Modern History
- By: Lynne Ann Hartnett, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Lynne Ann Hartnett
- Length: 12 hrs and 32 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The great revolutions of the past 300 years have profoundly shaped the social, cultural, political, and military landscape of the 21st century. These epic changes tore down established orders and built new ones in their place. What drives individuals and groups to embrace revolution? At what point does a society decide to revolt? Delve into these questions and more. Taught by Professor Lynne Ann Hartnett of Villanova University, these 24 eye-opening lessons will give you new insights into the forces that have shaped our political and cultural world.
-
-
Exceptionally helpful lessons for those of us who didn’t pay attention in history class
- By Judy C Cody on 08-14-21
By: Lynne Ann Hartnett, and others
-
Crimes of the Century
- A Selective History of Infamy
- By: Richard B. Spence, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Richard B. Spence
- Length: 5 hrs and 35 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Delve into some of the most infamous, ghastly, and mysterious crimes of the last hundred-odd years in Crimes of the Century: A Selective History of Infamy. Taught by Professor Richard B. Spence of the University of Idaho, this enthralling course gives you a dozen case studies of murders most foul. From an intriguing Irish domestic murder to a world-shaking political assassination, this course gives you an inside look at some of the most heinous and maddeningly unknowable crimes in modern history.
-
-
Provocative
- By William R. Todd-Mancillas (Name includes hyphen and camptalized M) on 08-03-21
By: Richard B. Spence, and others
-
American Military History: From Colonials to Counterinsurgents
- By: Wesley K. Clark, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Wesley K. Clark
- Length: 11 hrs and 29 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Wars have played a crucial role in defining the United States and its place in the world. No one is better equipped to analyze this subject in depth than retired US Army Gen. Wesley K. Clark - decorated combat veteran, author, Rhodes Scholar, and former NATO Supreme Commander. In this course, Gen. Clark explores the full scope of America's armed conflicts, from the French and Indian War in the mid-18th century to the Global War on Terrorism in the 21st.
-
-
Boring, should have been titled "Battle Summaries"
- By Ben Chen on 10-12-18
By: Wesley K. Clark, and others
-
Taking Control of Your Personal Data
- By: Jennifer Golbeck, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Jennifer Golbeck
- Length: 5 hrs and 15 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
We have never before in human history been able to share so much about ourselves so quickly. Neither have we ever been so exposed to forces that want to take advantage of that capability. Taking Control of Your Personal Data will open your eyes to the surprising extent of that exposure and will discuss your options for keeping your personal data as safe as possible. Your instructor, Professor Jennifer Golbeck of the College of Information Studies at University of Maryland, College Park, will show you what really goes on behind the scenes with the data you share all day long.
-
-
Great listen for all types.
- By Ralph H Carothers III on 02-17-20
By: Jennifer Golbeck, and others
-
World War II: Up Close and Personal
- By: Keith Huxen, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Keith Huxen
- Length: 11 hrs and 28 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the icy front lines of Soviet Russia to the bombing campaigns against Britain to the American submarines lurking beneath the choppy waters of the Pacific, step into the shoes of remarkable everyday men and women in World War II: Up Close and Personal. Your lecturer is Dr. Keith Huxen, a historian and project director at The Henry M. Jackson Foundation, which supports the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency.
-
-
Fascinating, Captivating, Heartbreaking
- By BookAddict12 on 12-02-21
By: Keith Huxen, and others
-
England, the 1960s, and the Triumph of the Beatles
- By: Michael Shelden, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Michael Shelden
- Length: 5 hrs and 9 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
How did four young men from a faded old seaport in Northern England lead such an epic musical and cultural revolution? Why could the story of the Beatles only have happened in such a charged decade? What remains to be said about this British band that hasn’t been said before? Questions like these lie at the beating heart of these 12 lessons that offer a fresh look at how this celebrated band became one of the most compelling voices against the status quo.
-
-
Delightful and smart
- By MP on 12-12-20
By: Michael Shelden, and others
-
The Great Revolutions of Modern History
- By: Lynne Ann Hartnett, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Lynne Ann Hartnett
- Length: 12 hrs and 32 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The great revolutions of the past 300 years have profoundly shaped the social, cultural, political, and military landscape of the 21st century. These epic changes tore down established orders and built new ones in their place. What drives individuals and groups to embrace revolution? At what point does a society decide to revolt? Delve into these questions and more. Taught by Professor Lynne Ann Hartnett of Villanova University, these 24 eye-opening lessons will give you new insights into the forces that have shaped our political and cultural world.
-
-
Exceptionally helpful lessons for those of us who didn’t pay attention in history class
- By Judy C Cody on 08-14-21
By: Lynne Ann Hartnett, and others
-
Crimes of the Century
- A Selective History of Infamy
- By: Richard B. Spence, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Richard B. Spence
- Length: 5 hrs and 35 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Delve into some of the most infamous, ghastly, and mysterious crimes of the last hundred-odd years in Crimes of the Century: A Selective History of Infamy. Taught by Professor Richard B. Spence of the University of Idaho, this enthralling course gives you a dozen case studies of murders most foul. From an intriguing Irish domestic murder to a world-shaking political assassination, this course gives you an inside look at some of the most heinous and maddeningly unknowable crimes in modern history.
-
-
Provocative
- By William R. Todd-Mancillas (Name includes hyphen and camptalized M) on 08-03-21
By: Richard B. Spence, and others
-
American Military History: From Colonials to Counterinsurgents
- By: Wesley K. Clark, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Wesley K. Clark
- Length: 11 hrs and 29 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Wars have played a crucial role in defining the United States and its place in the world. No one is better equipped to analyze this subject in depth than retired US Army Gen. Wesley K. Clark - decorated combat veteran, author, Rhodes Scholar, and former NATO Supreme Commander. In this course, Gen. Clark explores the full scope of America's armed conflicts, from the French and Indian War in the mid-18th century to the Global War on Terrorism in the 21st.
-
-
Boring, should have been titled "Battle Summaries"
- By Ben Chen on 10-12-18
By: Wesley K. Clark, and others
-
The Real History of Pirates
- By: Professor Manushag N. Powell, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Manushag N. Powell
- Length: 11 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There’s an apocryphal story that Alexander the Great once captured a notorious pirate named Diomedes. The great conqueror decided to interview the doomed pirate, asking him what he thought gave him the right to seize the property of other people. The pirate responded by asking the emperor what he thought gave him the right to take property that doesn’t belong to him, including entire countries. The story goes that Alexander thought the pirate very clever, granting him freedom instead of execution.
-
-
Not an intro, but some interesting perspective
- By N. D. Hemingway on 06-21-21
By: Professor Manushag N. Powell, and others
-
England: From the Fall of Rome to the Norman Conquest
- By: Jennifer Paxton, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Jennifer Paxton
- Length: 11 hrs and 59 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
England: From the Fall of Rome to the Norman Conquest takes you through the mists of time to the rugged landscape of the British Isles. Over the course of 24 sweeping lectures, Professor Jennifer Paxton of The Catholic University of America surveys the forging of a great nation from a series of warring kingdoms and migrating peoples. From Germanic tribes to Viking invasions to Irish missionaries, she brings to life an underexamined time and place.
-
-
Brilliant.
- By Nican Tlaca on 03-10-22
By: Jennifer Paxton, and others
-
World War II: A Military and Social History
- By: Thomas Childers, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Thomas Childers
- Length: 15 hrs and 7 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Between 1937 and 1945, approximately 55 million people perished in the series of interrelated conflicts known as the Second World War. No continent was left untouched, no ocean unaffected. The war led to the eclipse of Europe and the emergence of the United States and the Soviet Union as global superpowers; ushered in the atomic age; produced, in the Holocaust, the most horrific crime ever committed in the history of Western civilization, and led to the end of Europe's colonial empires around the world.
-
-
Misleading title, but a good course
- By O. D. S on 07-15-15
By: Thomas Childers, and others
-
The Black Death: New Lessons from Recent Research
- By: Dorsey Armstrong, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Dorsey Armstrong
- Length: 2 hrs and 43 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In The Black Death: New Lessons from Recent Research, celebrated medievalist Dorsey Armstrong shares the fascinating new story of this old pandemic—revealed by dedicated researchers working with 21st-century technologies and a knowledge of language and history that now provide input from all geographic areas of the medieval world. In seven engaging lectures, Professor Armstrong corrects explanations of the pandemic that are now known to be inaccurate and offers a more robust description of plague biology than has ever been known.
-
-
Excellent followup to original course
- By Douglas Vaughan on 05-27-22
By: Dorsey Armstrong, and others
-
After the Plague
- By: Simon Doubleday, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Simon Doubleday
- Length: 10 hrs and 24 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As the Black Death swept across Europe, killing up to a half of the population in certain areas, a young Geoffrey Chaucer came of age in England. While he and his family avoided the worst of the disease, all were shaped by its presence and impact on the British island. With expert Simon Doubleday, professor of history at Hofstra University, in After the Plague, examine medieval literature like The Canterbury Tales for firsthand accounts from minority voices not typically heard from in the period.
-
-
Interesting
- By Constance A. Mosher on 06-20-22
By: Simon Doubleday, and others
-
The Middle Ages Around the World
- By: Joyce E. Salisbury, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Joyce E. Salisbury
- Length: 12 hrs and 15 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Middle Ages was a time of major historical shifts and transformations. This amazing era reverberates with discoveries, innovations, events, and historical processes that are integral to the world we know now. In these 24 enthralling lectures, Professor Salisbury leads you on a sumptuous tour of this incredible historical epoch, making clear that the remarkable historical currents and advances of the Middle Ages unfolded not only in the West, but across the globe, from Europe, Africa, and the Middle East to Asia, the Americas, and beyond.
-
-
Truly World History
- By Julia Irzyk on 05-08-22
By: Joyce E. Salisbury, and others
-
The Mongol Empire
- By: Craig Benjamin, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Craig Benjamin
- Length: 11 hrs and 34 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Mongol Empire was the largest empire the world has ever seen, forged by conquests across Eurasia in the 13th and 14th centuries. Yet despite the unparalleled brutality of the Mongols, they played a key role in launching civilization’s evolution into the modern world. In 24 half-hour lectures delivered by award-winning teacher and historian Craig Benjamin of Grand Valley State University, explore the paradox of the Mongols’ extreme barbarity combined with their enlightened religious attitudes and respect for high civilization, in The Mongol Empire.
-
-
Well Summarized but lacking human touch
- By Calvin M. on 10-01-20
By: Craig Benjamin, and others
-
12 Women Who Shaped America: 1619 to 1920
- By: Allison K. Lange, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Allison K. Lange
- Length: 5 hrs and 38 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Histories of the United States often overlook the women who shaped the nation. Museums, textbooks, historical sites, and even documentaries omit essential parts of the whole because they leave out her story. Join Allison K. Lange, historian and professor, as she guides you through the fascinating lives of 12 early Americans, all of them women.
-
-
Professor is knowledgeable
- By Kindle Customer on 03-27-22
By: Allison K. Lange, and others
-
Liberty on Trial in America
- Cases that Defined Freedom
- By: Douglas O. Linder, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Douglas O. Linder
- Length: 11 hrs and 54 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
You would think that when the United States of America was formed, our citizenry could finally enjoy a plethora of hard-won liberties. But that was not the case. While the new Americans no longer suffered from taxation without representation, many of the liberties we enjoy today were not part of their lives. In Liberty on Trial in America: Cases that Defined Freedom, you will learn how liberty increased in our country when individuals sued for those freedoms, when cases were brought specifically to test the limits of the Constitution with its Amendments....
-
-
The worst GC I've heard so far
- By Anonymous User on 11-30-21
By: Douglas O. Linder, and others
-
America After the Cold War
- The First Thirty Years
- By: Patrick N. Allitt, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Patrick N. Allitt
- Length: 5 hrs and 47 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The 30 years of contemporary US history following the fall of the Soviet Union tend to get short shrift, perhaps because this period of history is still being written, or perhaps because the end of the Cold War is a natural stopping point, an inflection point when one story ends and something new - something unpredictable - begins. Nonetheless, events of today have been profoundly shaped by the past several decades, and one must understand this recent history to understand the world today.
-
-
Very consistent
- By J B Tipton on 05-05-20
By: Patrick N. Allitt, and others
-
A New History of the American South
- By: Edward L. Ayers, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Edward L. Ayers
- Length: 10 hrs and 45 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
To know the history of the American South, within its own context, is to come to terms with one of modern history’s most astonishing, polarizing, and illuminating stories. In these 24 lectures, you’ll relive the unforgettable drama of the South, from the rise and fall of the slave South to the making of the New South, examining the full scope of a historical epoch that still affects life in the United States today.
-
-
A very narrow view of southern history
- By Ralph Alderson on 06-09-20
By: Edward L. Ayers, and others
-
The Agency: A History of the CIA
- By: Hugh Wilford, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Hugh Wilford
- Length: 11 hrs and 32 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There’s a fundamental tension buried within the heart of the CIA’s mission to protect the American people: between democratic accountability and the inherent need for secrecy. Ultimately, it’s US citizens who bear the responsibility of staying informed about what the CIA has done and continues to do. In these 24 engrossing lectures, explore the roles the CIA has played in recent American history, from the eve of the Cold War against communism to the 21st-century War on Terror.
-
-
Interesting history of Our Spies, modest bias
- By BF Palo Alto on 04-14-19
By: Hugh Wilford, and others
Publisher's Summary
World War II is one of the most harrowing and impactful events in human history. Our imaginations may be captured by the sweeping military battles, but the story of war is the story of humans, everyday people trying to do their bit in a world falling apart around them.
In France, for instance, you’ll find a young, unassuming mother who became the leader of the largest and most important Allied spy network in occupied France. In Poland, a brilliant, young mathematician successfully broke Germany’s Enigma code, laying the groundwork for the famed British codebreaking operation at Bletchley Park. In Belgium, a 23-year-old nurse from Brussels created an escape line that smuggled hundreds of shot-down British and American airmen out of enemy territory and back to freedom.
What did these three very different people have in common? They were all unsung heroes of war, men and women of courage and conscience who helped change the course of history but who, for various reasons, have slipped into history’s shadows. Unsung Heroes of World War II: Europe is your chance to meet these and other everyday heroes who have never been given the credit they deserved. Taught by historian Lynne Olson, author of seven acclaimed books about World War II, these 12 scintillating lectures offer a trove of stories across Europe and America that you likely have never heard before.
Delve into a world of citizens holding onto illicit radios so they can listen to broadcasts from the BBC, a beacon of liberty for those living in occupied territory. Mingle with spies listening to secrets, gathering intelligence, and taking risks to share information with the Allies. Meet the politicians behind the scenes who orchestrated great events. With a storyteller’s true gift for setting a scene and an eye for interesting details, Professor Olson takes you into the shadows of history to introduce you to some of the most courageous figures in the war - all of whom did their best to defeat tyranny and restore freedom in their own countries and the world at large.
Disclaimer: Please note that this recording may include references to supplemental texts or print references that are not essential to the program and not supplied with your purchase.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
More from the same
What listeners say about Unsung Heroes of World War II: Europe
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Tommy D'Angelo
- 10-16-20
Great Lectures and So-So Lectures
When I saw this course I shook my head. Yet another course on World War II when there are so many other historical topics people would love to see? Haven't we heard everything there is to know about this well-studied war? Despite so much existing material out there on World War II this course does provide fresh, unknown but thrilling stories of some of the lesser known heroes of the war. Specifically lectures 1, 4, 5, 10, and 12 were keepers in which Historian Olson wraps the good deeds of these heroes in a good story, really helping to paint a realistic picture of how it was like to live the events being relayed. These lectures provide good insight into the unknown stories of resistance movements (exiled royalty and secret escape lines) and the underappreciated difference-makers (Polish pilots and Polish cryptographers).
At the time time the other seven lectures are so-so. They didn't engage or interest me as much as the other five. While Historian Olson is a good storyteller, there are times when she relates things in a somewhat hackneyed, old fashioned manner that didn’t exactly connect. It may just be a style thing vs. "telling a tall tale" (I didn't get the sense she was putting words in anyone's mouths). I will say she speaks clearly and at the right pace which are huge assets for a presenter (and not always present in other professors!).
All in all I would recommend this course. But I would say focus on lectures 1, 4, 5, 10, and 12. Those are the shining stars and worthy of a spot in anyone's library.
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Sandra Burns-Bradley
- 12-27-21
History
The past is so very important.
These stories should be heard and studied by all.
Excellent presentation.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Western Backpacker
- 08-17-21
Unsung Heroes
many good stories about lesser-known people who contributed to victory in World War II.
the final story of the Three Dutch sisters was probably the best although it is tough to rate one above the other. the Polish cryptographer is finally receiving his due credit for work and breaking the Enigma.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- AKayPru
- 01-09-21
I really enjoyed the professor and the topic.
I really enjoyed this series of lectures. I usually go for Great Courses audiobooks that are 12 hrs or more, but was intrigued by the topic so I gave this one a try. It had a lot of good info for such a short lecture series. I enjoyed the way the professor presented each new topic and am interested in learning more about some of the people she highlighted, which, to me, means that this audiobook was successful. I love to learn and am so glad I purchased this book.