Bullets and Barbed Wire
A Gripping Exploration of WWII in the Pacific Theater - from Guadalcanal to Cape Gloucester
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Narrated by:
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Gary Williams
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By:
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Daniel Wrinn
About this listen
Discover a newfound appreciation for the war in the Pacific.
From the shores of Cape Gloucester to the quiet atolls and islands of the Solomon Sea, the Second World War left a profound mark on this sheltered corner of the globe, which would be felt for decades to come. Caught in the center of a vicious struggle between two superpowers, these islands would form an unconventional battleground for the US Marines and the Japanese Navy.
This book offers you a new look at the WWII Pacific Theater, providing an enlightening glimpse into the battles and campaigns during the Allied offensive. With a breakdown of three significant US campaigns:
- Operation Watchtower, a riveting exploration of the spark that set off the Allied offensive in the Pacific islands, detailing the grueling struggle for the island of Guadalcanal and its vital strategic position
- Operation Galvanic, an incredible account of the battle for the Tarawa Atoll and base that would give them a stepping stone into the heart of Japanese-controlled waters
- And Operation Backhander, which offers a gripping retelling of the war for Cape Gloucester, New Guinea, and the Bismarck Sea
Each of these momentous operations are fascinating feats of strategy, planning, and bravery, handing the Allies what would eventually become a victory over the Pacific Theater and an end to Imperialist Japanese expansion.
This brilliant audiobook sheds light on this often-overlooked facet of WWII, providing students, history fans, and World War II buffs alike with a captivating breakdown of history and combat that defined the beginning of the US offensive in the Pacific.
©2020 Griffin Smith (P)2020 Griffin SmithListeners also enjoyed...
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Story
On 1 April, 1945, the largest amphibious assault of the Pacific Theater began. The battle for the island of Okinawa would last for the next 82 days. Through the course of this dramatic battle, over 20,000 Americans would lose their lives, and over 75,000 Japanese were killed in one of the bloodiest clashes of World War II. Okinawa: The Last Battle is a remarkably detailed account of this monumental event by four soldiers who witnessed the action first-hand.
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Good Okinawa History
- By Derail on 03-10-20
By: Roy E. Appleman, and others
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Normandy '44
- D-Day and the Epic 77-Day Battle for France
- By: James Holland
- Narrated by: John Sackville
- Length: 24 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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D-Day, June 6, 1944, and the 76 days of bitter fighting in Normandy that followed the Allied landing, have become the defining episode of World War II in the west - the object of books, films, television series, and documentaries. Yet as familiar as it is, as James Holland makes clear in his definitive history, many parts of the OVERLORD campaign, as it was known, are still shrouded in myth and assumed knowledge.
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Excellent account of Normandy but be weary...
- By S. H. Moore on 02-22-20
By: James Holland
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South Pacific Cauldron
- World War II's Great Forgotten Battlegrounds
- By: Alan Rems
- Narrated by: Michael Prichard
- Length: 10 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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Unlike most other World War II accounts, this work covers the South Pacific operations in detail. The audiobook includes many now-forgotten operations that deserve to be well remembered. Significantly, the official Australian history of World War II correctly observed that Australia's part in the Pacific war is barely mentioned in American histories. This volume finally brings the major Australian contribution to the fore.
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A little dry but informative
- By Damien on 02-20-15
By: Alan Rems
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D-Day in the Pacific
- The Battle of Saipan
- By: Harold J. Goldberg
- Narrated by: Gary D. MacFadden
- Length: 10 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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In June 1944, the attention of the nation was riveted on the events unfolding in France. But in the Pacific, the Battle of Saipan was of extreme strategic importance. D-Day in the Pacific: The Battle of Saipan is a gripping account of one of the most dramatic engagements of World War II. The conquest of Saipan and the neighboring island of Tinian was a turning point in the war in the Pacific, making the American victory against Japan inevitable.
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Written like an amateur's account of his battle
- By jack on 12-18-13
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Midnight in the Pacific
- Guadalcanal -- The World War II Battle That Turned the Tide of War
- By: Joseph Wheelan
- Narrated by: Kevin Stillwell
- Length: 16 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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Published on the 75th anniversary of the battle and utilizing vivid accounts written by the combatants at Guadalcanal, along with marine corps and army archives and oral histories, Midnight in the Pacific is both a sweeping narrative and a compelling drama of individual marines, soldiers, and sailors caught in the crosshairs of history.
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Don't start here or you'll be confused.
- By Doctor Bob on 08-13-17
By: Joseph Wheelan
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Eagle Against the Sun
- The American War With Japan
- By: Ronald H. Spector
- Narrated by: Tom Perkins
- Length: 23 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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Spector reassesses US and Japanese strategy and offers some provocative interpretations. He shows that the dual advance across the Pacific by MacArthur and Nimitz was less a product of strategic calculation and more a pragmatic solution to bureaucratic, doctrinal, and public relations problems facing the Army and Navy. He also argues that Japan made its fatal error not in the Midway campaign but in abandoning its offensive strategy after that defeat and allowing itself to be drawn into a war of attrition.
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OK as an overview, but too little detail
- By Mike From Mesa on 03-21-22
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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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War at the End of the World
- Douglas MacArthur and the Forgotten Fight for New Guinea 1942-1945
- By: James P. Duffy
- Narrated by: Joe Barrett
- Length: 14 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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One American soldier called it "a green hell on Earth". Monsoon-soaked wilderness, debilitating heat, impassable mountains, torrential rivers, and disease-infested swamps - New Guinea was a battleground far more deadly than the most fanatical of enemy troops. Japanese forces numbering some 600,000 men began landing in January 1942, determined to seize the island as a cornerstone of the empire's strategy to knock Australia out of the war.
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The WW2 New Guinea Campaign
- By William R. Todd-Mancillas (Name includes hyphen and capitalized M). on 09-26-18
By: James P. Duffy
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Where the Iron Crosses Grow
- The Crimea 1941-44
- By: Robert Forczyk
- Narrated by: Michael Prichard
- Length: 13 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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The Crimea was one of the crucibles of the war on the Eastern Front, where first a Soviet and then a German army were surrounded, fought desperate battles, and were eventually destroyed. The fighting in the region was unusual for the Eastern Front in many ways, in that naval supply, amphibious landings, and naval evacuation played major roles, while both sides were also conducting ethnic cleansing as part of their strategy - the Germans eliminating the Jews and the Soviets purging the region of Tartars.
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names, places,troop strength and commanders
- By richard on 02-19-15
By: Robert Forczyk
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The Tank Killers
- A History of America's World War II Tank Destroyer Force
- By: Harry Yeide
- Narrated by: Bob Souer
- Length: 9 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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The Tank Killers follows the men who fought in the tank destroyers from the formation of the force in 1941 through the victory over the Third Reich in 1945. It is a story of the American Tank Destroyer Force in North Africa, Italy, and the European Theater during World War II, and of American flexibility and pragmatism in military affairs.
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Dry and without detail
- By Vernon D. Burt on 08-06-18
By: Harry Yeide
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By Water Beneath the Walls
- The Rise of the Navy SEALs
- By: Benjamin H. Milligan
- Narrated by: Kaleo Griffith
- Length: 22 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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How did the US Navy - the branch of the US military tasked with patrolling the oceans - ever manage to produce a unit of raiders trained to operate on land? And how, against all odds, did that unit become one of the world’s most elite commando forces, routinely striking thousands of miles from the water on the battlefields of Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, even Central Africa?
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Extra. Ordinary.
- By Anonymous User on 12-15-21
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But Not in Shame
- The Six Months After Pearl Harbor
- By: John Toland
- Narrated by: Traber Burns
- Length: 18 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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What were the events which determined the Pearl Harbor catastrophe? What were the last few days on Wake Island like? What really occurred on the infamous Bataan Death March, and why did it happen? How did MacArthur make his dramatic escape from Corregidor? And what is the story behind the greatest capitulation in American history, General Wainwright’s forced surrender of the Philippines?
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Great story
- By dexter on 03-03-20
By: John Toland
What listeners say about Bullets and Barbed Wire
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- J.Brock
- 04-25-21
Great narrative
Daniel Wrinn knows how to write a concise overview of the Pacific theatre, specifically the Guadalcanal campaign and the aftermath. It’s a nonstop volley if back and forth between the US and Japan. Each chapter is well purposed. This is a great read. And Gary Williams’ narration is spot on. Well done.
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- Mary Karowski
- 03-23-21
A great examination of a piece of history
The pacific theater has always been of special Interest to me as my grandfather taught in it. I even have a book that was about his unit and their actions. This particular book that you are reading about now is very well written and conveys not only the pet the battles played in the war, the tech, the units, etc but it also gives many anecdotal incidents of the personal performance of many troops and their personal impacts on the battles. Perhaps the best thing I can say about this book as I listen to many of them (and force my kids to listen while I drive) is as follows. My 16 year old teen son who is not a reader: “hey dad, this one is really cool” can you pause it so I can listen from here when you pick me up from work later?” Enjoy it. We did. I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator or publisher
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1 person found this helpful
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- S. H. Moore
- 03-17-21
Excellent coverage, not to in-depth but not overly shallow.
This book covers three battles. One pivotal, one of debatable importance, and one most people haven’t heard of. Each battle gets about 2 hours of coverage and is an excellent balance between to much detail and leaving out important information. Look there are 30 hour books on Guadalcanal alone. I think Mr Wrinn did an excellent job here covering the personalities involved and the land, air, and sea aspect of the Pacific war. We know why decisions were made and what both sides were thinking and how everything played out. But it’s not just from an operational overview standpoint. There is plenty of on the ground commentary as well to keep you engaged. Would especially recommend if interested in Cape Glouster campaign.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
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4 people found this helpful
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- Aurora Dawn
- 03-20-21
Overview of the WWII Pacific Theatre of Operations
I really enjoyed this interesting and informative look at WWI's Pacific campaigns, mostly with regard to the marine units involved in the fighting although there is some information on the naval battles and air operations that went hand in hand with the heavy slogging in the jungles of the south Pacific. Wrinn talks about not only what happened during the war, but the major players, including how they came to figure in the battles and what happened to them after. He also provides brief information on the weapons and equipment the military forces relied upon.
There are, undoubtedly, more detailed documents on individual players, battles and military ordinance available, but this book provides an excellent overview for the casual reader or a jumping off point and overview for the more scholarly student and Wrinn has a rare talent for taking what could be a dry account of place names and body counts and bringing it to life .
I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to know a bit more about American action in the south Pacific during the Second World War.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Gilbert M. Stack
- 02-17-21
Fighting for the Islands of the Pacific
This is a gripping account of three battles for Pacific Islands during World War II. Taken together they show the evolution of Allied fighting strategy in the Pacific as the U.S. marines learned how to handle their Japanese opponents.
Despite a thick level of detail, this book reads very quickly. It’s an exciting account and often tragic as there are a significant number of men who die after we’ve followed their actions. I’ve read a lot of books on World War II and this one really brings you onto the sand and into the jungle, making you understand the stakes and the challenges as it accounts the actions of these very courageous men.
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- Amazon Customer
- 10-23-21
A summarized history with a terrible narrator.
it's a decent enough short history of the Pacific island hopping campaign, going into detail about the battles themselves.
The narration was rather horrendous; mispronouncing names and common words alike. Plus the microphone picked up a multitude of annoying whistling and other air noises from the narrator's speech.
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- Lee
- 09-29-21
Good investigation into specifics
Really enjoyed this. Unfortunately, we are on the road and having maps to follow of the areas covered would have made it more enjoyable. I can listen again once we stay put somewhere. 🙂
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