Kenneth A Heskett
- 2
- reviews
- 9
- helpful votes
- 12
- ratings
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The Longest Day
- June 6, 1944
- By: Cornelius Ryan
- Narrated by: Clive Chafer
- Length: 8 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,249
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 1,134
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,127
> The Longest Day is Cornelius Ryan’s unsurpassed account of D-day, a book that endures as a masterpiece of military history. In this compelling tale of courage and heroism, glory and tragedy, Ryan painstakingly re-creates the fateful hours that preceded and followed the massive invasion of Normandy to retell the story of an epic battle that would turn the tide against world fascism.
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2 out of 5 stars
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Horrendous narration makes it impossible to listen
- By Mary on 03-18-12
- The Longest Day
- June 6, 1944
- By: Cornelius Ryan
- Narrated by: Clive Chafer
The classic account of D-Day still holds up.
Reviewed: 04-24-15
Who was your favorite character and why?
"Pips" Priller is presented as a prickly and quarrelsome person, whose personal competence is above reproach. His presentation in this book is mirrored in the movie adaption, with frustration on the part of the pilot and his superiors.
What does Clive Chafer bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
The British and Irish accents he lends to some of the characters gives a nuanced and humanistic view of the men who fought in this battle.
If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?
An ensemble cast of performers bring one of the greatest battles in history to life.
Any additional comments?
Written only ten years after the battle this book documents, The Longest Day is a classic history of this battle. The books holds up over the decades because of its focus on the men and their fight, rather than the strategy, tactics, and politics of the battle that are covered in later, or more scholarly, accounts. I have read other accounts of D-Day and there are some details in this book that I have not seen elsewhere.
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The Last 100 Days
- The Tumultuous and Controversial Story of the Final Days of World War II in Europe
- By: John Toland
- Narrated by: Ralph Cosham
- Length: 27 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 843
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 760
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 763
A dramatic countdown of the final months of World War II in Europe, The Last 100 Days brings to life the waning power and the ultimate submission of the Third Reich. To reconstruct the tumultuous hundred days between Yalta and the fall of Berlin, John Toland traveled more than 100,000 miles in twenty-one countries and interviewed more than six hundred people - from Hitler's personal chauffeur to Generals von Manteuffel, Wenck, and Heinrici.
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4 out of 5 stars
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More the sum of the parts
- By Mike From Mesa on 08-27-15
- The Last 100 Days
- The Tumultuous and Controversial Story of the Final Days of World War II in Europe
- By: John Toland
- Narrated by: Ralph Cosham
A human & in-depth look at the end of WWII in ETO.
Reviewed: 04-24-15
If you could sum up The Last 100 Days in three words, what would they be?
Intriguing, poor audio
What did you like best about this story?
A comprehensive look at the last 100 Days of Hilter's Third Reich and readers will find themselves fascinated by the events of these last months which are often forgotten in many histories. The use of interviews and diaries give a human voice to the British, Germans, and Americans. Unfortunately, the Russians are rarely presented as anything more than an alien noun and remain a mystery.
What aspect of Ralph Cosham’s performance would you have changed?
The audio quality varies as re-recordings are obvious and the transitions are jarring. The performer has a lisp that was at first annoying, but gradually grows on the listener.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
The presentation of the Yalta conference demonstrated that the "Big Three", Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin were men who could be given to fits of humor as well as frustration.
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7 people found this helpful