This excellent full-cast production uses the recollections of those who participated in D-Day—its planning, training, and actual combat—to tell the story of the largest amphibious assault in history, which took place in Normandy, France, on June 6, 1944. The author, Edoardo Ballerini, and nearly 25 other narrators portray the 700 roles in this book. Also included are actual recordings of FDR, Churchill, Eisenhower, and part of a later speech by Ronald Reagan. Sadly, none of the members of the 116th Infantry Regiment, a Virginia National Guard unit that still had a high proportion of its personnel from Virginia during WWII, speak with a Southern accent. Nonetheless, this moving history, which makes it seem like one is hearing from the actual participants, is difficult to pause.
Pub Date: June 4, 2024
Duration: 19 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9781797176314
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Kristin Atherton is the absolute right choice to narrate this riveting and complex history of the rise of global terrorism. The research provided here is ambitious, providing a clear-eyed, deeply considered history of the nature of terrorist acts, the motivations for which were hard for news broadcasts of the 1970s to fully capture. Atherton's narration never wavers as Burke covers the well-known events of airplane hijackings, the Munich Olympic attacks, and the Beirut bombings of 1983, "the bloodiest year." The result is an insightful history that gives context to events that may have seemed disparate to casual observers. Atherton maintains a comprehensive, consistent voice throughout this long, gripping audiobook.
Pub Date: Jan. 13, 2026
Duration: 25 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217018796
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Tim Campbell's sonorous voice is a splendid match for Wellerstein's account of the decision to drop the atomic bombs on Japan in 1945. Wellerstein, a scholar of the history of nuclear weapons and the creator of the website NUKEMAP, delves deep into American nuclear policy. His conclusion is that President Harry S. Truman was almost entirely out of the decision loop. After the bombings, Truman made sure that American nuclear policy was firmly under the control of the president. While somewhat staccato, Campbell's delivery is never hurried or hard to follow. His voice has a slight gravelly quality, but is quite winsome and appropriately expressive throughout. Campbell's narration quickly draws the listener into this history.
Pub Date: Dec. 9, 2025
Duration: 11 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063379459
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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