There are many books written about the Intelligence Service in Britian during World War II. But the protagonists in this book are women. Our hero in tThere are many books written about the Intelligence Service in Britian during World War II. But the protagonists in this book are women. Our hero in this historical fiction was apparently Fleming’s “Miss Moneypenny”. Ian Flemming appears in this story creating his various plots to trick the Nazis. The book is well written and, as always, I try to figure out who is real and who are the author’s creations.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is eight hours and twenty-eight minutes. Saskia Maarleveld does an excellent job narrating the book. ...more
I am never disappointed in a Mitch Albom book. This is the story of what happened to the Jews living in Greece when the Nazis rolled into the country I am never disappointed in a Mitch Albom book. This is the story of what happened to the Jews living in Greece when the Nazis rolled into the country during World War II. I was hooked by the narrator of the story. It was Truth starting his narration with why he was kicked out of Heaven. Even though the story is about the Holocaust, I did not find it depressing because the narration by TRUTH was focused on truth and the consequences of lying. I found the comparison of events between the late 1930s and today most interesting. I highly recommend this book. I think it is one worth reading more than once and you will learn something new each time.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is seven hours and forty minutes. The author, Mitch Albom, narrated the book.
I read “The White Lady” over a two-day period. I just could not put the book down. This is a historical novel that takes place during WWI through the I read “The White Lady” over a two-day period. I just could not put the book down. This is a historical novel that takes place during WWI through the end of WWII. The story takes place in Belgium, England and France. Jacquelin Winspear in a fantastic storyteller.
Our heroine, Elinor, along with her sister and mother were part of a Belgium resistance group. (This was a real resistance group.) It was financed by Britian and composed of teenagers and adult women who spied on and sabotaged the German Army after its invasion/occupation of Belgium in 1914. The characters are fascinating and so real-life.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is ten hours and six minutes. One of my favorite narrators, Orlagh Cassidy, does a fantastic job narrating the book. ...more
This is a fascinating story of spies, traitors and collaborators during World War II related to the German POW prison Colditz. The recent declassificaThis is a fascinating story of spies, traitors and collaborators during World War II related to the German POW prison Colditz. The recent declassification of military records from World War II has led to an interesting story about Colditz. The book is well researched and written. I found this story to be a nail bitter. I had to keep reminding myself this is non-fiction.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is nine hours and eighteen minutes. Jonathan Keebler does an excellent job narrating the book. ...more
I enjoy reading P. T. Deutermann’s books about World War II. One of the key things I like is they are well researched. Deutermann was a naval officer I enjoy reading P. T. Deutermann’s books about World War II. One of the key things I like is they are well researched. Deutermann was a naval officer and his first-hand knowledge of the navy shows. The characters are interesting and pace is fast. This book is about a ship that specialized in hunting submarines. The ship had just arrived in the Pacific from hunting U-boats in the North Atlantic.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. Peter Berkrot does a great job narrating the book. The book is nine hours and fifty-nine minutes.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I have read everything I can about Chester Nimitz over the years. This book technically is not a biography as I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I have read everything I can about Chester Nimitz over the years. This book technically is not a biography as it only covers one item about Nimitz, his leadership skills.
Nimitz was Commander In-Charge of the Pacific Fleet and the Pacific Ocean Areas from 1941 to 1945. He had a difficult job implementing General George Marshall’s strategic plan for the war on Japan. Adding to his challenges were two difficult men, his boss, Admiral Ernest J. King, and the Army Pacific Theatre Commander, the egocentric General Douglas MacArthur. Nimitz’ leadership skills were on full display in leading his mercurial admirals such as Halsey, McCain, Mitscher, Fletcher and the methodical Spruance.
If you are interested in learning more about Nimitz, I recommend “Nimitz by E. V. Potter, 1976 and “Admiral Nimitz, The Commander of the Pacific Ocean Theatre” by Brayton Harris, 2012.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is fourteen hours and twenty-six hours. L. J. Ganser does an excellent job narrating the book. ...more
I am a big fan of P. T. Deutermann and have read all of his WWII Naval Series. I thoroughly enjoy reading historical novels and often will go and readI am a big fan of P. T. Deutermann and have read all of his WWII Naval Series. I thoroughly enjoy reading historical novels and often will go and read up on the historical event after finishing the novel.
The book is the story of the final battle of the USS Franklin, nicknamed the “Big Ben”. The aircraft carrier USS Franklin’s last battle was on March 19, 1945 off the coast of Japan. She earned the title “The most damaged aircraft carrier that survived”.
Deutermann’s novel provides the view from the sailors on board the Franklin during the March 19, 1945 battle. Some characters are fictional and some like “Father Jo”, Lieutenant Commander Joseph T. O’Callaghan, tell of his actions for which he received the Medal of Honor. Also real is Lieutenant J.G. Donald A. Gray who found and led to safety 300 men from inside the burning ship. Gray also received the Medal of Honor. Deutermann’s story allows the reader some understanding of the extreme battle for survival the men of the Franklin endured.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is eight hours and eleven minutes. Peter Berkrot does an excellent job narrating the book.
I have read all the books in the Maisie Dobbs series. I think it is important to read this series in order as each episode builds on the other. WinspeI have read all the books in the Maisie Dobbs series. I think it is important to read this series in order as each episode builds on the other. Winspear is a master of the historical novel.
Winspear pays tribute to the women ferry pilots of WWII. This story has two components: one about a women ferry pilot; the other about the visit of Eleanor Roosevelt to England. Also, included in the story was information on how the British and Americans treated black American soldiers. Maisie and Billie make a great team investigating crimes. I started this series because it was about WWI, and I hated to see the story advance from that period of history.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is eleven hours and eleven minutes. Orlagh Cassidy does an excellent job narrating this series. ...more
This is the first book I have read by Madeline Martin. I am very impressed and will add her to my list of authors to follow. This is a historical fictThis is the first book I have read by Madeline Martin. I am very impressed and will add her to my list of authors to follow. This is a historical fiction that takes place in London in 1939 to 1941. I have a personal interest in the London Blitz as most of my mother’s family died when a bomb hit their house in London.
This is a story about ordinary people rising to the occasion and managing through adversity. They helped their neighbors and did what the English have always done calmly carrying on through it all. This is also a story about the power of books and the importance of a local bookshop. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and highly recommend it.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is eight hours and thirteen minutes. Saskia Maarleveld does an excellent job narrating the book.
This is an interesting take on an almost forgotten summit meeting in Yalta near the end of WWII.
The book is well written and researched. I learned a fThis is an interesting take on an almost forgotten summit meeting in Yalta near the end of WWII.
The book is well written and researched. I learned a few new items about the meeting in Yalta; but, I also learned something about each of these daughters of Churchill, Roosevelt and Harriman. It was great to obtain a view of each of these famous men through the eyes of their daughters. I read with the benefit of hindsight, therefore, felt Winston Churchill’s frustration even more as he tried to warn Roosevelt about Stalin’s pending power grab and what the fate of Poland and other boarder countries under USSR would be. But no one would listen to Churchill. If you are interested in this period of history, I highly recommend this book.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is fourteen hours and fifty-five minutes. Christine Rendel does a good job narrating the book. Rendel is a British voice-over artist and audiobook narrator.
From 2013 to 2019 I read lots of books, non-fiction and fiction, about World War One to honor the 100th anniversary of the War. During that time, I diFrom 2013 to 2019 I read lots of books, non-fiction and fiction, about World War One to honor the 100th anniversary of the War. During that time, I discovered Jacqueline Winspear’s series of Maisie Dobbs. The series was set during WWI. This book is number sixteen and much has evolved. It is now the beginning of World War Two.
I have enjoyed watching the progress of Maisie over the years. In this book Winspear provides excellent descriptions of the bombings of London and the effects on the people. Maisie is working part time for the government and continuing her work at her detective agency. Winspear is a master storyteller. I highly recommend this series.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is ten hours and twenty-seven minutes. Orlagh Cassidy does an excellent job narrating the series. Cassidy is an actress and audiobook narrator. She is one of my favorite narrators. ...more
Over the years, I have read many biographies of both Eisenhower and Marshall. This book is not a biography of either man but an examination of the relOver the years, I have read many biographies of both Eisenhower and Marshall. This book is not a biography of either man but an examination of the relationship between Eisenhower and Marshall. Marshall developed the strategic military plan for World War II in both theatres of war. Eisenhower implemented that plan in Europe & Africa. Eisenhower worked for General Douglas MacArthur when he was Chief of Staff of the Army; but he never developed a relationship as he did when he worked for General George Marshall when he was Chief of Staff of the Army.
The book is well written and researched. The book begins when Eisenhower starts work for General Marshall in the beginning of 1941 and ends with Marshall as Secretary of Defense and Eisenhower as the first Commander of NATO. Mark Perry does spend sometime on Eisenhower’s role developing NATO.
Mark Perry writes primarily about military topics and has written books about General Douglas MacArthur and many books about the American Civil War including the book “Grant and Twain”.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is seventeen hours and fifty-three minutes. James Anderson Foster does an excellent job narrating the book. Foster is an Audie nominee and winner of multiple Earphone Awards. He also is one of Audible’ s top 20 highest rated narrators. ...more
The book is well written and researched. It was particularly well documented. I found the footnotes, notes and bibliography helpful.
The item that got The book is well written and researched. It was particularly well documented. I found the footnotes, notes and bibliography helpful.
The item that got my attention was in the preface of the book. Loftis said “For many war buffs, the testimony of spies is presumed false until proven true.” Spies never wrote things down or recounted details of their missions. Most of what they did is classified. Loftus took what Aline did and set out to prove what was true and what was false. I found this approach most fascinating. I appreciated the “Dramatis Personal” (a list of people in the story) and “The Rest of the Story” which summarized what happened to the various people. Loftis also included an overview history of Spain and its culture. I highly recommend this book. It is very easy to read.
The book is 349 pages and is to be released in 2021 by Atria Books. I received an Advance Reader’s Edition from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. ...more
This is an interesting short story about how WWII affected the lives of returning veterans and their families. Dale Maharidge grew up with a Marine veThis is an interesting short story about how WWII affected the lives of returning veterans and their families. Dale Maharidge grew up with a Marine veteran father who suffered from rages and abusive alcoholism but rarely spoke about the war. Steve Maharidge had a photo of himself and a marine buddy on the wall but never spoke of it except to say he was dead and it was his fault. After the death of his father, Dale set out to find out about Mulligan and his father. This project took many years and this book is the story of the search. The audiobook contains the taped interviews with various fellow marines and experts in the medical fields and other scientists. The book is well worth the effort to read.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is three hours and three minutes. Dale Maharidge does a good job narrating the book. ...more
If I had read this book a few years ago, I would have said interesting and moved on; but, in light of the current state of the country and world, thisIf I had read this book a few years ago, I would have said interesting and moved on; but, in light of the current state of the country and world, this book took on a whole new meaning. Much of what is in this book is critical to our current situation and the state of democracy in this country. Eisenhower was our last bipartisan president. Ike had no political party preference and for four years prior to his running for president both political parties attempted to get him on their ticket. When he was commander of NATO forces, he felt that democracy was in trouble in America and felt it was his duty to run for president.
The book is well written and researched. Susan Eisenhower is writing about her grandfather and the man she knew as a child. I am going to present a few points I felt were important for our current time. You will need to read the book to understand the full impact. Before deciding on which party to join, Ike interviewed both Stevenson and Robert Taft. Taft was a far-right wing politician; he believed the country should isolate itself from the world; and he favored Joe McCarthy. Ike felt Taft was accelerating the divide in the country. Ike also felt the Democrats had been in power too long. He felt isolationism was no longer possible in a nuclear world. He chose the Republican Party as he felt it was on the wrong track. He won the presidency. He selected his cabinet and staff by who was best for the job not which party they belonged too. Ike stated: the key role of the president was to unify the country. He was adamite that education was critical for a good democracy. He also pushed for civics to be taught in school. He felt everyone needs to know how government works and their obligation to it. He felt that by building a better middle class it was the best way to correct and deal with social and economic problems. He also set about rebuilding the infrastructure as it was vital for defense and commerce.
What really grabbed my attention was his view of the courts. Ike stated that it was critical for a good democracy to have it courts and judicial system non-political. He stated that it was vital for the courts to have a wide variety of viewpoints. He said the Supreme Court must represent the diverse variety of the country and come from all over the country not just one region. He also said the court much keep touch with the majority of the country. Ike stated that no extreme viewpoint should be appointed such as the far-right or far-left, racist or anti-Semitism. He said if one party or extremist viewpoint controlled the Supreme Court, democracy would lose. Both Truman and Eisenhower appointed people to the Supreme Court of opposite political parties. They chose who they thought would be best and would add a different viewpoint. (could you see that happening today) Even though Ike’s presidency was in the 1950s, what he thought about the threats to democracy is important for today. I think that everyone should read this book.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is twelve hours and forty minutes. Bernadette Dunne does a good job narrating the book.
I am a big fan of P. T. Deutermann. I have enjoyed his World War II Series. Unlike most series each of his books in the series is a stand-alone with aI am a big fan of P. T. Deutermann. I have enjoyed his World War II Series. Unlike most series each of his books in the series is a stand-alone with a different protagonist.
Our hero of this story has graduated from the Naval Academy and just completed flight school. He has just arrived at Pearl Harbor to board the aircraft carrier Enterprise. While he waits for the arrival of the Enterprise, Pearl Harbor is attacked by the Japanese. The action is continuous from this point on in the story. I could hardly put the book down. Deutermann was a career naval officer, therefore, the story is very realistic. Looking for a good WWII naval story, try this book.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is ten hours and twenty-two minutes. John Pruden does a great job narrating the book. Pruden is a professional voice actor and audiobook narrator. ...more
This story goes from Guadalcanal to the Leyte Gulf during World War II. Our protagonist is Lieutenant (j.g.) Lincoln Anderson. Anderson is a physicianThis story goes from Guadalcanal to the Leyte Gulf during World War II. Our protagonist is Lieutenant (j.g.) Lincoln Anderson. Anderson is a physician with the Navy Medical Corp. The story opens with the battle of Guadalcanal. He then is assigned to “The Hooligan Navy”, a P.T. Boat Squadron.
I have read a number of Deutermann’s books and have enjoyed them all. The author takes a historical situation and inserts his fictional characters and, of course, he takes some liberties with facts. The book is well written and fast paced. There is good character and plot development. The author provides a picture of what the medical and nursing corps dealt with during WWII. I recommend this book to all WWII fans.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is nine hours and thirty-eight minutes. Peter Berkrot does an excellent job narrating the story. Berkrot is a voice over-actor and audiobook narrator. He has won three EarPhone Awards and has been nominated for the Audie. ...more
C. S. Forester was the pen name of English novelist Cecil Louis Troughton Smith (1899-1966). He wrote one of my favorite books/movies “The African QueC. S. Forester was the pen name of English novelist Cecil Louis Troughton Smith (1899-1966). He wrote one of my favorite books/movies “The African Queen”. “The Greyhound” also published under the name “The Good Shepherd” was published in 1955. This book was also made into a movie.
This story is about the “Battle for the Atlantic” during WWII. The protagonist is Commander George Krause in command of a convoy crossing the Atlantic on the way to England. The convoy is being hunted by a wolf pack of German U-Boats. There is a lot of nail-biting action with destroyers and corvettes hunting the stalking wolfpack. Forester served aboard a destroyer during World War II. I am sure his experiences add to the realistic feel of the story.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is eight hours and twenty-one minutes. Jim Frangione does an excellent job narrating the book. Frangione is an actor and audiobook narrator. He has won numerous Earphone Awards, was nominated for an Audie Award and the Audiofile Magazine voted him “Best Voice of 2015”.
This is a biography of a most interesting woman, Elizabeth Muriel Gregory MacGill (1905-1980). She was the first woman to earn an aeronautical engineeThis is a biography of a most interesting woman, Elizabeth Muriel Gregory MacGill (1905-1980). She was the first woman to earn an aeronautical engineering degree and the first women to receive a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering in Canada. She graduated from the University of Toronto.
She was born in Vancouver, B. C. Both her parents were attorneys. The women in her family were all feminists. On the personal side, she caught polio in 1929 and spent the rest of her life in a leg brace. She never let her disability hinder her. During WWII she did much to make Canada an aircraft construction & design powerhouse. She became an expert on the mass production of airplanes and published on the subject. She headed the production of Hawker Hurricane fighter planes. I found the life of MacGill fascinating. But what annoyed me about the book was the reading of all the footnotes and descriptions of the photographs. Most audiobooks do not read the footnotes nor describe photos, but listeners are referred to a website where they are available to view. The referral to the site was given in this book.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is twelve hours and six minutes. Dawn Harvey does a good job narrating the book (except reading footnotes; and, I assume that was the producers’ decision).Harvey is a Canadian actress, singer, voice-over artist. She has won an Earphone Award and the SOVAS Award for her audiobook narration. She also has a law degree. ...more
This is a bit different than other books on this topic in that it is a collection of stories about various women pilots, many of them were members of This is a bit different than other books on this topic in that it is a collection of stories about various women pilots, many of them were members of the 99. (The 99 was an organization of the first women pilots established by Amelia Earhart.)
The book is well written and researched. I enjoyed the intimate stories of the various women rather than a board explanation of what the women pilots did in WWII. The first group that was developed was the Women Auxiliary Ferry Squadron (WAFS) organized and lead by Nancy Love. This was a smaller group of highly skilled women pilots with more than 500 hours in the more powerful planes. The other group was led by the famous aviatrix, Jacqueline Cochrane, and named Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP). Cochrane recruited not only licensed women pilots but women who wanted to learn to fly and the Army Air Corps trained them. Landdeck told the stories of the experience of fairly famous pilots but also of those who learned to fly in the program. The last section of the book is about their fight to prove they existed and to be recognized as WWII veterans. I am particularly interested in this topic because I have had several friends who were WASPs. Like so many that served in WWII, they have passed on and took their stories with them.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is ten hours and fifty-three minutes. Gabra Zachman does a good job narrating the book. Zachman is an actress and audiobook narrator. ...more
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