
Operation Overflight
A Memoir of the U-2 Incident
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Narrated by:
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Jon Lindstrom
About this listen
U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers is a central character in the movie Bridge of Spies starring Tom Hanks. In his classic 1970 memoir, Powers reveals the full story behind what happened in the most sensational espionage case in Cold War history. After his U-2 reconnaissance plane was shot down, Powers was captured on May 1, 1960 and endured 61 days of rigorous interrogation by the KGB, a public trial, a conviction for espionage, and the start of a 10-year sentence. After nearly two years, the US government obtained his release from prison in a dramatic exchange for convicted Soviet spy Rudolph Abel.
The narrative is a tremendously exciting suspense story about a man who was labeled a traitor by many of his countrymen but who emerged a Cold War hero.
©1970, 2015 Frances Gary Powers (P)2015 Random House AudioListeners also enjoyed...
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Rocket Men
- The Daring Odyssey of Apollo 8 and the Astronauts Who Made Man's First Journey to the Moon
- By: Robert Kurson
- Narrated by: Ray Porter, Robert Kurson
- Length: 12 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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By August 1968, the American space program was in danger of failing in its two most important objectives: to land a man on the moon by President Kennedy's end-of-decade deadline and to triumph over the Soviets in space. With its back against the wall, NASA made an almost unimaginable leap: It would scrap its usual methodical approach and risk everything on a sudden launch, sending the first men in history to the moon - in just four months.
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The Men Who Saved 1968
- By Gillian on 04-04-18
By: Robert Kurson
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Custer's Trials
- A Life on the Frontier of a New America
- By: T.J. Stiles
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 23 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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Winner of the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for History. In this magisterial biography, T. J. Stiles paints a portrait of Custer both deeply personal and sweeping in scope, proving how much of Custer’s legacy has been ignored. He demolishes Custer’s historical caricature, revealing a volatile, contradictory, intense person - capable yet insecure, intelligent yet bigoted, passionate yet self-destructive, a romantic individualist at odds with the institution of the military (he was court-martialed twice in six years).
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Custer and his times
- By Mike From Mesa on 11-17-15
By: T.J. Stiles
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An Unsung Hero
- Tom Crean – Antarctic Survivor
- By: Michael Smith
- Narrated by: Gerry O'Brien
- Length: 11 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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Tom Crean was the farmer’s son from Kerry who sailed on three major expeditions to the unknown Antarctic over a century ago. He served with both Captain Robert Scott and Sir Ernest Shackleton, spent longer on the ice than either and outlived them both. But Tom Crean returned to Ireland and never spoke about his exploits, taking his incredible story to the grave - until the publication of An Unsung Hero, which unearthed his story and saw him rightfully placed amongst the annals of the great explorers.
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Not much new here
- By Lucy D on 06-21-23
By: Michael Smith
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Devotion
- An Epic Story of Heroism, Friendship, and Sacrifice
- By: Adam Makos
- Narrated by: Dominic Hoffman
- Length: 14 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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Devotion tells the inspirational story of the U.S. Navy’s most famous aviation duo, Lieutenant Tom Hudner and Ensign Jesse Brown, and the Marines they fought to defend. A white New Englander from the country-club scene, Tom passed up Harvard to fly fighters for his country. An African American sharecropper’s son from Mississippi, Jesse became the navy’s first Black carrier pilot, defending a nation that wouldn’t even serve him in a bar.
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BUY A HIGHER CALL FIRST - IS MUCH BETTER
- By Count B on 06-29-18
By: Adam Makos
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Big Week
- The Biggest Air Battle of World War II
- By: James Holland
- Narrated by: Grover Gardner
- Length: 15 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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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-points of World War II.
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War in the Air: Sets stage with gripping narrative
- By Nashville Cat on 11-17-18
By: James Holland
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Against the Ice
- The Classic Arctic Survival Story
- By: Ejnar Mikkelsen, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau - foreword, Maurice Michael - translator
- Narrated by: Tristan Wright
- Length: 7 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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Ejnar Mikkelsen was devoted to Arctic exploration. In 1910 he decided to search for the diaries of the ill-fated Mylius-Erichsen expedition, which had set out to prove that Robert Peary’s outline of the East Greenland coast was a myth, erroneous and presumably self-serving. Iver Iversen was a mechanic who joined Mikkelsen in Iceland when the expedition’s boat needed repair.
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Accent
- By Sarabeth on 03-03-22
By: Ejnar Mikkelsen, and others
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Showdown
- Thurgood Marshall and the Supreme Court Nomination That Changed America
- By: Wil Haygood
- Narrated by: Dominic Hoffman
- Length: 14 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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Thurgood Marshall brought down the separate-but-equal doctrine, integrated schools, and not only fought for human rights and human dignity but also made them impossible to deny in the courts and in the streets. In this stunning new biography, award-winning author Wil Haygood surpasses the emotional impact of his inspiring best seller The Butler to detail the life and career of one of the most transformative legal minds of the past 100 years.
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Haygood is master of the ticktock narrative
- By Jean on 12-12-15
By: Wil Haygood
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The Rasputin File
- By: Edvard Radzinsky, Judson Rosengrant - translator
- Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini
- Length: 22 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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For almost a century, historians could only speculate about the role Grigory Rasputin played in the downfall of tsarist Russia. But in 1995 a lost file from the state archives turned up, a file that contained the complete interrogations of Rasputin's inner circle. With this extensive and explicit amplification of the historical record, Edvard Radzinsky has written a definitive biography, reconstructing in full the fascinating life of an improbable holy man who changed the course of Russian history.
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Good old Radzinsky
- By Babs on 03-13-18
By: Edvard Radzinsky, and others
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Paradise Falls
- The True Story of an Environmental Catastrophe
- By: Keith O'Brien
- Narrated by: Eileen Stevens
- Length: 13 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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Lois Gibbs, Luella Kenny, and other mothers loved their neighborhood on the east side of Niagara Falls. It had an elementary school, a playground, and rows of affordable homes. In the spring of 1977, pungent odors began to seep into these little houses, and it didn’t take long for worried mothers to identify the curious scent. It was the sickly-sweet smell of chemicals.
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Incredible work of everyday people
- By J. C. Edens on 11-20-24
By: Keith O'Brien
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The American Miracle
- Divine Providence in the Rise of the Republic
- By: Michael Medved
- Narrated by: Michael Medved
- Length: 15 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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The history of the United States displays an uncanny pattern: At moments of crisis, when the odds against success seem overwhelming and disaster looks imminent, fate intervenes to provide deliverance and progress. Historians may categorize these incidents as happy accidents, callous crimes, or the products of brilliant leadership, but the most notable leaders of the past 400 years have identified this good fortune as something else - a reflection of divine providence.
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Amazing Book
- By Larry on 12-01-16
By: Michael Medved
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The Job
- True Tales from the Life of a New York City Cop
- By: Steve Osborne
- Narrated by: Steve Osborne
- Length: 9 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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Steve Osborne has seen a thing or two in his 20 years in the NYPD - some harmless things, some definitely not. In "Stakeout" Steve and his partner mistake a Manhattan dentist for an armed robbery suspect and reduce the man down to a puddle of snot and tears when questioning him. In "Mug Shot" the mother of a suspected criminal makes a strange request and provides a sobering reminder of the humanity at stake in his profession.
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Great Book for Traveling
- By Johnnie Walker on 05-15-16
By: Steve Osborne
What listeners say about Operation Overflight
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- Anonymous User
- 12-01-17
I couldn't put it down.
This is a facinating story and gives insight into not only the espionage of the cold war, but life in prison for the unjustly tried. interesting and Insightful.
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- NeverB4
- 08-23-19
Excellent Piece of History
What a fascinating and sad story about the reality of one of the greatest stories in America's history. My thoughts and prayers go out to the family who, without question, paid the ultimate sacrifice.
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- Slavi
- 12-25-20
Incredible
Best book on my Audible. Kept my interest. It's a true story of an American Hero.
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1 person found this helpful
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- June Heaton
- 04-01-21
Excellent
Must read for anyone interested in the cold war. It was good to hear the first hand experience of Gary Powers.
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- Jacquelyn
- 02-28-18
What A TOTAL Tragedy !
Bad enough Powers was shot down and spent almost 2 years in jail. He went by the book, revealed minimal information to his captors and went according to orders.
Powers gets home and is treated worse over all by the U.S. by not supporting him in the long run in his further employment or retirement. Awards were withheld that he of all people was very worthy of receiving. Politics, politics, politics and CYA by the American Gov’t from the time he is shot down to beyond his passing on in a most useless death. Very shameful on behalf of the U.S. gov’t.
I learned a lot from this book. It had some pretty incredible surprises and disappointments for Powers. I feel very badly he was treated this way. Even Eisenhower wasn’t informed on many parts of Powers’ mission. If it was that bad then, it’s scary how bad it could be now.
EXCELLENT book but very heart breaking for Powers.
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3 people found this helpful
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- Cato Moen
- 06-16-16
A Hero.
A good book with a sad story. Book to be read to know the history
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- JP
- 07-12-17
Astonding
This is brilliant brilliant book. And the epilogue by his son is a must read.
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3 people found this helpful
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- Jahn
- 12-25-17
Fascinating account
This is a fascinating account of the U2 incident. As someone quite familiar with the event, the insiders perspective this book provides is a real treat. Unexpectedly well written and structured book. I don’t have any particular dislikes other than some sensitive information being withheld as during the time of writing some items that have since been declassified were still classified at the time. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in cold war history or insights into prison life in Russia.
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- MajorChris
- 02-03-25
Outstanding Firsthand Account
Written by Francis Gary Powers, Operation Overflight is essentially a 344-page, or 14-hour and 26-minute, primary source document detailing one of the Cold War’s most infamous US failures and the resulting fallout between the United States and the USSR. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of this book!
The story is well known so I won’t get into it, but the first-hand details presented by Powers are what I found super interesting – for instance: his invitation and induction into the world of aviation espionage; the first time he laid eyes on and flew the U-2; the aircraft’s awkward cockpit, avionics, photographic equipment, and the U-2’s peculiar very high altitude performance envelope; Powers’ extraordinary high altitude flightsuit designed for missions at the edge of space – where a flightsuit failure during an emergency cockpit depressurization meant immediate death (as the pilot’s blood would instantly boil), U-2 pilots’ uncommon aeromedical preflight routine, Powers’ shoot down, his resistance under Soviet interrogation, and his treatment upon US repatriation.
Operation Overflight is an exceptional read and essential for Cold War and aviation buffs – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
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- Devin Creech
- 05-18-16
very fulfilling story!
I enjoy how they pay tribute to Kelly Johnson (Skunk Works) with the over fly and also Francis Gary Powers with the U-2.
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2 people found this helpful