
Spitfires
The American Women Who Flew in the Face of Danger During World War II
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Narrated by:
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Laurel Lefkow
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By:
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Becky Aikman
About this listen
Bloomsbury presents Spitfires by Becky Aikman, read by Laurel Lefkow.
"A bold and soaring work of history . . . whip-smart, deeply researched, and beautifully written.” —Jonathan Eig, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of King: A Life
“A soaring narrative.”—Keith O'Brien, New York Times bestselling author of Fly Girls
The heart-pounding true story of the daring American women who piloted the most dangerous aircraft of World War II through the treacherous skies of Britain.
They were crop dusters and debutantes, college girls and performers in flying circuses—all of them trained as pilots. Because they were women, they were denied the opportunity to fly for their country when the United States entered the Second World War. But Great Britain, desperately fighting for survival, would let anyone—even Americans, even women—transport warplanes. Thus, twenty-five daring young aviators bolted for England in 1942, becoming the first American women to command military aircraft.
In a faraway land, these “spitfires” lived like women decades ahead of their time. Risking their lives in one of the deadliest jobs of the war, they ferried new, barely tested fighters and bombers to air bases and returned shot-up wrecks for repair, never knowing what might go wrong until they were high in the sky. Many ferry pilots died in crashes or made spectacular saves. It was exciting, often terrifying work. The pilots broke new ground off duty as well, shocking their hosts with thoroughly modern behavior.
With cinematic sweep, Becky Aikman follows the stories of nine of the women who served, drawing on unpublished diaries, letters, and records, along with her own interviews, to bring these forgotten heroines fully to life. Spitfires is a vivid, richly detailed account of war, ambition, and a group of remarkable women whose lives were as unconventional as their dreams.
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Story
For the doomed stand American forces made in the Philippines at the start of World War II, two generals received their country’s highest military award, the Medal of Honor. One was the charismatic and controversial Douglas MacArthur, whose orders forced him to leave his soldiers on the islands to starvation and surrender but whose vow to return echoed around the globe. The other was the gritty Jonathan Mayhew Wainwright, who became a hero to the troops whose fate he insisted on sharing even when it meant becoming the highest-ranking American prisoner of the Japanese.
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Fate of the Generals
- By Doodlealleytap on 06-01-25
By: Jonathan Horn
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The People’s War
- Unheard Stories: Life on the Battlefront and at Home in World War II
- By: John Willis
- Narrated by: John Willis, Christine Kavanagh, Rosina Aichner, and others
- Length: 13 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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In The People's War, John Willis unearths untold stories of everyday bravery, moments of terror, and tales of life-affirming community, that guide us through the years of the Second World War. From soldiers in North Africa and prisoners of war in East Asia, to evacuees in the British countryside and women in the factories, The People's War is a truly ambitious and comprehensive journey through a devastating and pivotal period of our history, as you've never read before.
By: John Willis
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Melting Point
- Family, Memory, and the Search for a Promised Land
- By: Rachel Cockerell
- Narrated by: Henry Goodman, Rachel Cockerell
- Length: 11 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
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In a highly inventive style, Cockerell captures history as it unfolds, weaving together letters, diaries, memoirs, newspaper articles, and interviews into a vivid account. Melting Point follows Zangwill and the Jochelmann family through two world wars, to London, New York, and Jerusalem—as their lives intertwine with some of the most memorable figures of the twentieth century, and each chooses whether to cling to their history or melt into their new surroundings. It is a story that asks what it means to belong, and what can be salvaged from the past.
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terribly annoying narration
- By mtn_lion on 05-23-25
By: Rachel Cockerell
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The True Happiness Company
- A Memoir
- By: Veena Dinavahi
- Narrated by: Veena Dinavahi
- Length: 9 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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It is hard for Veena Dinavahi to live while her classmates keep dying. The high-achieving daughter of loving Indian immigrants, Veena lives in a typical white American suburb—except for its unusually high suicide rate. For years, she tries to manage her mental health in all the right ways, but nothing seems to work. Until, on a late-night Google search, Veena’s mom discovers Bob Lyon—a sixty-year-old white man in the backwoods of Georgia who claims he can make her want to live again. He calls himself “The True Happiness Company” and, as their relationship progresses, “Daddy.”
By: Veena Dinavahi
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Six Minutes to Winter
- Nuclear War and How to Avoid It
- By: Mark Lynas
- Narrated by: Tom Lawrence
- Length: 10 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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The world is currently closer to superpower conflict than at any time since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. World War III is a real possibility, and with 12,000 warheads in the arsenals of more than half a dozen countries, we are standing on a nuclear knife edge. Despite receiving very little attention, nuclear war is a far greater threat to humanity's immediate survival than climate change. While climate heating threatens humanity over many decades, nuclear war could destroy civilisation in just a few hours.
By: Mark Lynas
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Fly Girl
- A Memoir
- By: Ann Hood
- Narrated by: Ann Hood
- Length: 8 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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In 1978, in the tailwind of the golden age of air travel, flight attendants were the epitome of glamor and sophistication. Fresh out of college and hungry to experience the world―and maybe, one day, write about it―Ann Hood joined their ranks. After a grueling job search, Hood survived TWA’s rigorous Breech Training Academy and learned to evacuate seven kinds of aircraft, deliver a baby, mix proper cocktails, administer oxygen, and stay calm no matter what the situation.
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We’ll written, not what I expected
- By Jonathan on 07-07-22
By: Ann Hood
With German bombs dropping, they lived in constant danger. Some took solace in by partying and taking lovers, others liked solitude, all had “a love affair with the sky”. It was not an easy life but it was an exciting one. You could be stationed at a modest cottage or the lavish estate of an English Lord.
The British were fascinated by the Americans and had no idea where to place them in the social hierarchy. This gave them the opportunity to be whoever they wanted.
From heiresses, social climbers to abused women who reinvented themselves;
It would seem an impossible task to keep track of so many fascinating characters, but the author does it with ease and makes you care.
Would make a great movie or miniseries
Edge of your seat true adventure
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Great history!
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Spitfires
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