
Big Week
The Biggest Air Battle of World War II
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Narrated by:
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Grover Gardner
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By:
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James Holland
About this listen
During the third week of February 1944, the combined Allied air forces based in Britain and Italy launched their first round-the-clock bomber offensive against Germany. Their goal: to smash the main factories and production centers of the Luftwaffe while also drawing German planes into an aerial battle of attrition to neutralize the Luftwaffe as a fighting force prior to the cross-channel invasion, planned for a few months later. Officially called Operation ARGUMENT, this aerial offensive quickly became known as “Big Week,” and it was one of the turning-point engagements of World War II.
In Big Week, acclaimed World War II historian James Holland chronicles the massive air battle through the experiences of those who lived and died during it. Prior to Big Week, the air forces on both sides were in crisis. Allied raids into Germany were being decimated, but German resources - fuel and pilots - were strained to the breaking point. Ultimately new Allied aircraft - especially the American long-range P-51 Mustang - and superior tactics won out during Big Week. Through interviews, oral histories, diaries, and official records, Holland follows the fortunes of pilots, crew, and civilians on both sides, taking readers from command headquarters to fighter cockpits to anti-aircraft positions and civilian chaos on the ground, vividly recreating the campaign as it was conceived and unfolded. In the end, the six days of intense air battles largely cleared the skies of enemy aircraft when the invasion took place on June 6, 1944 - D-Day.
Big Week is both an original contribution to WWII literature and a brilliant piece of narrative history, recapturing a largely forgotten campaign that was one of the most critically important periods of the entire war.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
©2018 James Holland. Recorded by arrangement with Atlantic Monthly Press, an imprint of Grove Atlantic, Inc. (P)2018 Audible, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
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Critic reviews
"The story swings from technical details about how much fuel a bomber can carry to the tactics of a dogfight. [Narrator Grover] Gardner lives up to the challenge, smoothly moving between a cool and steady delivery of narrative and tense portrayals of those in the thick of the action. Listeners hear the joy of victory and the anguish of losing a brother, literally and figuratively, through Gardner's soulful narration. Both history buffs and reluctant historians will enjoy this audio adventure." (AudioFile Magazine)
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Story
Pacific War expert Mark Stille examines the key aspects of battle of Leyte Gulf, the largest naval encounter in history and probably the most decisive naval battle of the entire Pacific War, with new and insightful analysis and dismantles the myths surrounding the respective actions and overall performances of the two most important commanders in the battle, and the “lost victory” of the Japanese advance into Leyte Gulf that never happened.
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Perhaps a little scholarly
- By Michael Kiehn on 11-14-24
By: Mark E. Stille
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On Desperate Ground
- The Marines at the Reservoir, the Korean War's Greatest Battle
- By: Hampton Sides
- Narrated by: David Pittu
- Length: 12 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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Hampton Sides' superb account of this epic clash in the Korean War relies on years of archival research, unpublished letters, declassified documents, and interviews with scores of marines and Koreans who survived the siege. While expertly detailing the follies of the American leaders, On Desperate Ground is an immediate, grunt's-eye view of history, enthralling in its narrative pace and powerful in its portrayal of what ordinary men are capable of in the most extreme circumstances.
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typical armchair critic armed with hign site
- By Brent on 10-03-18
By: Hampton Sides
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The Air War Through German Eyes
- How the Luftwaffe Lost the Skies over the Reich
- By: Jonathan Trigg
- Narrated by: Kris Dyer
- Length: 14 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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Written from the "other side" and told as much as possible through the words of the veterans, this is an important book on one of the most controversial campaigns of the Second World War.
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Somewhat interesting but repetitive & misses stuff
- By B Taub on 08-24-24
By: Jonathan Trigg
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Grey Wolf, Grey Sea
- Aboard the German Submarine U-124 in World War II
- By: E.B. Gasaway
- Narrated by: David de Vries
- Length: 7 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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The history of one of World War II's most successful submarines, U-124, is chronicled in Grey Wolf, Grey Sea, from its few defeats to a legion of victories. Kapitanleutnant Jochen Mohr commanded his German submarine and navigated it through the treacherous waters of one of the most destructive, savage wars the world has known.
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excellent book
- By evan on 07-30-23
By: E.B. Gasaway
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Pacific Crucible: War at Sea in the Pacific, 1941-1942
- By: Ian W. Toll
- Narrated by: Grover Gardner
- Length: 22 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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On the first Sunday in December 1941, an armada of Japanese warplanes appeared suddenly over Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and devastated the U.S. Pacific Fleet. Six months later, in a sea fight north of the tiny atoll of Midway, four Japanese aircraft carriers were sent into the abyss. Pacific Crucible tells the epic tale of these first searing months of the Pacific war, when the U.S. Navy shook off the worst defeat in American military history and seized the strategic initiative.
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Astonishingly good.
- By Mike From Mesa on 09-01-12
By: Ian W. Toll
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Sicily '43
- The First Assault on Fortress Europe
- By: James Holland
- Narrated by: Al Murray
- Length: 19 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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On July 10, 1943, the largest amphibious invasion ever mounted took place, larger even than the Normandy invasion 11 months later: 160,000 American, British, and Canadian troops came ashore or were parachuted onto Sicily, signaling the start of the campaign to defeat Nazi Germany on European soil. Operation HUSKY, as it was known, was enormously complex, involving dramatic battles on land, in the air, and at sea. Yet, despite its paramount importance to ultimate Allied victory, and its drama, very little has been written about the 38-day Battle for Sicily.
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Great writing, great narration, interesting topic
- By ItalCali on 08-02-21
By: James Holland
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Masters of the Air
- America’s Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany
- By: Donald L. Miller
- Narrated by: Joe Barrett
- Length: 24 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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Masters of the Air is the deeply personal story of the American bomber boys in World War II who brought the war to Hitler’s doorstep. With the narrative power of fiction, Donald Miller takes you on a harrowing ride through the fire-filled skies over Berlin, Hanover, and Dresden and describes the terrible cost of bombing for the German people.
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Depth of Detail was incredible!
- By Gentry S on 03-19-24
By: Donald L. Miller
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Clean Sweep
- VIII Fighter Command Against the Luftwaffe, 1942–45
- By: Thomas McKelvey Cleaver, BrigGen Clarence E. "Bud" Anderson USAF (Ret.) - foreword
- Narrated by: Lance C. Fuller
- Length: 18 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
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On August 7, 1942, two events of major military importance occurred on separate sides of the planet. In the South Pacific, the United States went on the offensive, landing the First Marine Division at Guadalcanal. In England, 12 B-17 bombers of the new Eighth Air Force’s 97th Bombardment Group bombed the Rouen–Sotteville railroad marshalling yards in France. While the mission was small, the aerial struggle that began that day would ultimately cost the United States more men killed and wounded by the end of the war in Europe than the Marines would lose in the Pacific War.
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may be factual but poorly written
- By Bill Mackey on 01-08-24
By: Thomas McKelvey Cleaver, and others
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A Wing and a Prayer
- The “Bloody 100th” Bomb Group of the US Eighth Air Force in Action over Europe in World War II
- By: Harry H. Crosby
- Narrated by: Chris Monteiro
- Length: 10 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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They began operations out of England in the spring of '43. They flew their Flying Fortresses almost daily against strategic targets in Europe in the name of freedom. Their astonishing courage and appalling losses earned them the name that resounds in the annals of aerial warfare and made the "Bloody Hundredth" a legend. Harry H. Crosby—soon to be portrayed by Anthony Boyle in the miniseries Masters of the Air developed by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg—arrived with the very first crews, and left with the very last.
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love love love the history
- By Kindle Customer on 01-20-24
By: Harry H. Crosby
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The Thirty Years War
- Europe's Tragedy
- By: Peter H. Wilson
- Narrated by: Matthew Waterson
- Length: 33 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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The Thirty Years War devastated seventeenth-century Europe, killing nearly a quarter of all Germans and laying waste to towns and countryside alike. Peter Wilson offers the first new history in a generation of a horrifying conflict that transformed the map of the modern world.
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Less caffeine, narrator
- By Jeff Joyner on 02-12-24
By: Peter H. Wilson
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The Rising Sun
- The Decline and Fall of the Japanese Empire, 1936-1945
- By: John Toland
- Narrated by: Tom Weiner
- Length: 41 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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This Pulitzer Prize-winning history of World War II chronicles the dramatic rise and fall of the Japanese empire, from the invasion of Manchuria and China to the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Told from the Japanese perspective, The Rising Sun is, in the author’s words, "a factual saga of people caught up in the flood of the most overwhelming war of mankind, told as it happened - muddled, ennobling, disgraceful, frustrating, full of paradox."
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A political as well as military history
- By Mike From Mesa on 07-30-15
By: John Toland
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Fifty-Three Days on Starvation Island
- The World War II Battle That Saved Marine Corps Aviation
- By: John R Bruning
- Narrated by: Brian Troxell
- Length: 19 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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On August 20, 1942, twelve Marine dive-bombers and nineteen Marine fighters landed at Guadalcanal. Their mission: defeat the Japanese navy and prevent it from sending more men and supplies to "Starvation Island," as Guadalcanal was nicknamed. The Japanese were turning the remote, jungle-covered mountain in the south Solomon Islands into an air base from which they could attack the supply lines between the U.S. and Australia.
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A unique perspective
- By Item arrived onetime and has functioned perfectly. on 05-23-24
By: John R Bruning
What listeners say about Big Week
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- Nashville Cat
- 11-17-18
War in the Air: Sets stage with gripping narrative
There are many good books on the WWII air war in western Europe. I have read many American and German personal accounts and some general overview books as well. This book is the best to give you a sense of what it was like to fly 25 missions with less than 5% chance of surviving. And tells you what it is like to be a German fighter pilot having to fly two or three missions a day with dwindling resources. This is all pre-D-Day when the bombers were used as bait so the Germans would lose air superiority by the time of the invasion. There are some narratives from German civilians as to what it is like to have bombs fall all around you. The story is told at many levels from Jimmy Doolittle (yes,THAT Jimmy Doolittle) down to a tail-gunner sergeant. And we go from the mad man with the mustache who wants jet fighters to be bombers.down to German "aces" ( the Germans actually didn't use that term) who watch their comrades blown out of the sky. It goes on for months and much of the book is taken up with setting the stage which is vital and informative. By the time you get to Big Week at the last fourth of the book you are a veteran and you are right there as each day brings great success and great heartbreak. You root for the various true life people whose stories are told from their diaries. It is all weaved together.very well.and is well done at all levels. Bravo!
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26 people found this helpful
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- Reverand Trask
- 04-18-20
Riveting History
History told in a way that gave me perspective without knowing I received the edification
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1 person found this helpful
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- T. Piscitelli
- 03-14-23
A great story of a forgotten battle
this book treats both sides equally to tell the whole story. It was well worth the time it took to listen to it.
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- John
- 12-24-18
Not Just About "Big Week"
This book provides a good summary of the air war in the European theater in World War II. Its title is misleading, because it is not just about "Big Week"--the great offensive before D Day. It covers the events leading up to Big Week as the climax. To that end, the title somewhat undersells the book.
The book is quite good, although there is not much here that is not covered in other books. It is well written and generally enjoyable. Definitely worth a listen, particularly if you have not already read other books about the air war in Europe.
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11 people found this helpful
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- old dog
- 07-23-19
World War II HEROS AND AIRCRAFY
For those interested in World War II aircraft
and aerial battles this is the book for you.
an excellent overview of aircraft a models used
by the allies and Germany. also provides
excellent information about famous pilots
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- Rick
- 01-31-19
the most detail of the allied air war I've read
It was the most detail of the allied air war I've read including g the Luftwaffa
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- matt
- 07-16-19
Amazing listen
Great book, very engaging and easy to follow lots of intrigue and amazing war story's of heroism and bravery, definitly a must read if your into the history of air Combat of WW2
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- J. S. Lenore
- 03-05-22
Decent
This is more of a character study of multiple fliers who were involved in Big Week, rather than an in-depth examination of Operation Argument and its reasons for occurring. Still, it wasn't a bad look at the 8th, just not what I thought I'd be getting when I picked it up. I guess that's why you don't judge a book by its cover.
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- James G.
- 12-25-18
Helpful in understanding much diminished German airpower during D-Day landings
I just read D-Day Through German Eyes and almost to man they mentioned the lack of German air support. This book explains why. Found the book extremely well written. Lastly, any book narrated by Grover Gardner is well done.
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- Gloria
- 02-20-19
Marvelous!
For some it may be a bit plodding with all the airplane descriptions. But not for me. And when it comes to the air battles it is scintillating!
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