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Tailspin

By: John Armbruster
Narrated by: Brandon Pollock
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Publisher's summary

World War II tail gunner Gene Moran fell four miles through the sky without a parachute and lived. Captured by the Germans, he survived a harrowing eighteen months as a prisoner of war, including a six-hundred-mile death march in 1945 across Central Europe.

When Gene returned home, he kept those memories locked up for nearly seventy years. His nine children knew little of their dad's war story. But when John, a young history teacher, learns of Gene's amazing fall, he's desperate to learn more. Finally, Gene agrees.

So begins a series of "Thursdays with Gene" interviews. Gene, nearing his ninetieth birthday, recounts incredible tales. But John has no idea what wounds he's reopening. Gene's nightmares and grief return. But both men persevere, bonded by their close and growing friendship.

As the interviews go on, John faces an ordeal of his own. His wife is fighting brain cancer. What will happen to his wife and his two young children? John must continue uncovering Gene's story of survival as he himself confronts the greatest trial of his life.

Tailspin is more than a war story. It's a story of two men's separate journeys confronting trauma and loss. It's a story of resilience and hope.

©2022 John Armbruster (P)2022 Tantor
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What listeners say about Tailspin

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Strength encourage

To imagine that this is just one story of the war. To imagine that thousands of young men went to battle and lived this life. What a wonderful story and I feel special to have been given the chance to understand what one soldier went through. To all of you, thank you for your service.

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Outstanding! Must read for any WW2 buff

One of the best if not the best. it's a tear jerker though. be prepared with tissue.

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Great book

a glimpse of German POW camps and the brutality. A snap shot of the greatest generation! Tough. Raw courage. Unique survival of a fall to earth.

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piece of history

a somber tale of triumph, pain, and grit. thankful these accounts weren't lost to time.

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Must Read

This book is well written and riveting. Mr. Moran's story is beautifully and respectfully told. It touched my heart. I will be reading this again.

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A riveting story.

I liked the way the author wove the war story in with the writing and interview process with Eugene.
The narrator had a pleasant voice. He needs to work on his pronunciation of some common words as well as town names.

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Incredible story

Incredible story and the way the author overlays it with current and his personal story was very well done.

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I felt like I was there.

It had to end and I wished for more. I felt like part of this family.

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Wow.

You were quite a man Gene. I wish I’d known you. You went thru more than a crowd of people ever will. You made it.

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Narration made the story a struggle to hear.

The narrator continually mispronounced several key words that were heard multiple times throughout the story.

As a frequent visitor to the SW Wisconsin region, that was a small disappointment to an otherwise FANTASTIC story.

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