Anonymous

mysterious - perfectly cypher

Reviewed: 07-30-24

love it. the first person adds a layer of personality that doesn’t exist many places in the world of Black Library. excellent ending.

the truth will not set free.

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the krieg are core

Reviewed: 05-09-24

not your typical imperial guard story. the krieg are core and i love it. timothy watson respectable too.

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Ekaddon the G

Reviewed: 02-03-24

I’ve listened to the entire series multiple times at this point and more and more I appreciate the supporting cast.

Ekaddon is a real one. So much to love about his character.

Also probably the highlight of Perturabo’s character arc.

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Been waiting for this!

Reviewed: 01-24-24

A thoroughly fascinating view into the Judgment of Marshall Petain. I loved this but it’s worth noting that the actual “trial” is only a part of the book. I found the last part the most interesting as Jackson went into detail examining Petains legacy on French politics.

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a rare gem from a bygone age

Reviewed: 01-22-24

Written close enough to 1916 you can still feel the emotion of all the main characters, this was a gem. John Lee great always.

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2 people found this helpful

whoa

Reviewed: 01-01-24

had no idea what i was getting into and loved every second of it

justice for classicists everywhere!

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wow

Reviewed: 05-20-21

absolutely tremendous - so glad i stumbled upon this gem. fantastic narration and a remarkable story.

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YES YES YES

Reviewed: 11-09-19

Dan is a master story teller. As a Hardcore History junkie, many themes of the fantastic podcast re-emerge inThe End Is Always Near but they do so fittingly in order to paint a broader picture of the central tenet the author sets out to achieve. For those not familiar with Hardcore History or Dan, or even those typically uninterested in History, The End Is Always Near is a timely, well crafted cautionary tale. Thank you for all the great work you do, Dan.

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Well-Written Yet Perhaps Overly Ambitious

Reviewed: 08-29-19

Roberts' sets out to put together a definitive one volume, history of the Second World War. In and of itself, he undertook a tremendously ambitious effort while remaining relatively true to the actual narrative of World War II. Yet, like those before him who have tried, he falls short in completing his overarching goal of narrating the entire story of the Second World War.

Make no mistake, for those who are interested in learning about the Second World War and its watershed moments, key players and the technological advancements that made it all possible; Roberts' provides a tremendous book. His insight and research of the German OKW (High Command), as well as the countless personalities that provide the additional color not often found in traditional historical works, can be found in the quotes of all the major German, British and American generals.

Yet, as other history's of the Second World War have often been guilty of; Roberts falls into the trap of not diving deep enough into the Pacific Theatre (in its entirety; nor the Japanese Empire in comparison to Nazi Germany,) as well as voices from the Russian High Command.

The result of this is that the story is predominantly told, and well-told at that, through the lens of a historiographer examining Nazi Germany's World War II and the British Empire's response whilst giving way midway through to the American presence which became significant in the latter half of the war.

This is a very well done, single-piece history of the Second World War and for those looking for a detailed account of the affair, you will find it here. If you are well studied on the topic and looking to glean new, unique insight on the subject; Roberts may not have provided the material that you are looking for.

All that said, I enjoyed it despite being quite well versed in the narrative of the War and I do recommend it.

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A Stunningly Revealing of the story of Napoleon

Reviewed: 08-06-19

I have spent the better part of my life pursuing academia yet despite having a bachelor's as well as a master's degree in History, yet I found myself absolutely blown away by how shockingly little attention the Napoleonic era ever truly received in my formal education. Prior to enjoying this fantastic book, I can honestly say that I had not fairly given Napoleon nor the story of his rise to power, the building of his empire and certainly was ignorant to the personality of the Corsican.

Of course, after listening to Roberts' narration I understand why. Having fought the British for nearly his entire life and ultimately being defeated by the forces of nearly all Europe on two occasions, as an American I can understand why such little energy has ever been paid to portraying Napoleon as anything more than that which the British would prefer him to be remembered as, Roberts', to be fair, is certainly a passionate enthusiast of Bonaparte's, yet this doesn't diminish the reality that contrary to common conception, Napoleon was far more than the short, angry Frenchman who foolishly allowed his forces to be destroyed by the Russian Winter.

Roberts' places heavy emphasis on the thousands of dispatches that Napoleon wrote throughout his amazing life to truly bring the man to life and at its conclusion, I can't deny feeling frankly terribly wrong in my general assumptions and regretting that I had not earlier spent time learning about the Corsican. Roberts' shows what a charismatic, daring and beloved man Napoleon was by not only his soldiers but the French people. It is tremendous how Roberts' even sheds light on what a witty yet deeply emotional man Napoleon was, both guilty of teasing his soldiers and being the victim of their jest in return while also keenly aware of his place in History and being deeply inspired by the great conquerors of antiquity, such as Caesar & Alexander, whom he revered from the time he was a boy.

Roberts' goes beyond simply providing a biography of Napoleon, he truly brings the man to life and the result is that despite the reputation so heartily cultivated through decades of conflict against the British and the subsequent trickle-down effect that has had on traditional Western history, here was a man well beyond his years with a brilliant mind both tremendously progressive for his time yet deeply inspired by history itself and not impervious to the adverse affects of absolute power.

There are countless quotes which show Napoleon's true character to be a man well beyond his time and even his eventual British captors could not deny his undeniable amicability. The narration is very well done and perfect for the time period. Upon completion of this book, I was left feeling disappointed that traditional academia had never spent nearly the amount of time that should be reserved for such an iconic individual and the exploits of the Napoloenic era.

Having been fortunate enough to spend significant time in Europe, I never had felt particularly drawn to Paris or France itself as my studies inherently made me impartial to the places where I had lived, Rome & Istanbul. After completing Robert's epic story of Napoleon, I am already looking forward to reading the names of all the great Marshals of Napoleon's brilliant military campaigns engraved on the Arc de Triomphe.

Whether you believe that you are completely knowledgeable about Napoleon and his accomplishments, as I myself certainly was, or if you're simply interested in learning more about a man to whom looms so large in history, I highly encourage you to give Napoleon a listen. Allow Roberts' to bring to life one of the most marvelously fascinating individuals in all of History and I doubt you will regret the time you've invested.

I look forward to reading this again. There are far too many perfectly apt quotes given to us by Napoleon for me to not go back and make sure that I write themselves down myself.

Vive l'Empereur.

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