
The Battle of Manila
Poisoned Victory in the Pacific War
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Narrated by:
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Christopher Grove
About this listen
In 1945 the United States and Japan fought the largest and most devastating land battle of their war in the Pacific, a month-long struggle for the city of Manila. It was a key piece of the campaign to retake control of the Philippine Islands, which itself signified the culmination of the war, breaking the back of Japanese strategic power and sealing its outcome.
In The Battle of Manila, Nicholas Sarantakes offers the first in-depth account of this crucial campaign from the American, Japanese, and, significantly, Filipino perspective. Their effective use of these weapons was an important factor in limiting U.S. casualties, even as it may also have contributed to a catastrophic loss of civilian lives.
Among other aspects of the conflict, The Battle of Manila explores the importance of the Filipino guerillas on the ground, the use of irregular warfare, the effective use of intelligence, the impact of military education, and the limits of Japanese resistance.
Ultimately, Sarantakes shows Manila to be a major turning in both World War II and American history. This fascinating account shines a light on one of the war's most under-represented and highly significant moments.
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We Shall Never Speak of This Again
- The Plight of the Irish in the 19th Century
- By: James Dan Casey
- Narrated by: James Dan Casey
- Length: 6 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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One million Irish starved or died of disease while another million fled to North America, enduring a harrowing voyage fraught with danger and mortal disease. The Famine devastated Ireland and her people, while intensifying their hatred of England. This book will identify those responsible and determine their culpability.
By: James Dan Casey
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The Old Breed... The Complete Story Revealed
- A Father, a Son, and How WWII in the Pacific Shaped Their Lives
- By: W. Henry Sledge
- Narrated by: Charles Constant
- Length: 11 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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The Old Breed... The Complete Story Revealed brings to life an abundance of new material from the original manuscript of Eugene Sledge's classic memoir With the Old Breed at Peleliu and Okinawa. By interspersing his own personal anecdotes throughout, Henry Sledge takes his father's work and gives it newfound context, sharing memories of conversations between father and son. The result is a flowing narrative that portrays an intimate look at a WWII veteran and his struggles to adapt to civilian life following the war.
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Smaller points
- By Anonymous User on 07-05-25
By: W. Henry Sledge
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Fleet Air Arm Boys: Air Defence Fighter Aircraft Since 1945
- True Tales from Royal Navy Aircrew, Maintainers and Handlers
- By: Steve Bond
- Narrated by: Roger Davis
- Length: 13 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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A history of the Royal Navy’s FAA since 1945, featuring a survey of the aircraft flown, the conflicts fought, and the daily life of those in service. The RAF’s continuing role in the projection of air power in the defence of the United Kingdom and its overseas interests since the end of the Second World War is well known. However, the same cannot always be said about the Royal Navy’s Fleet Air Arm (FAA).
By: Steve Bond
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Korea
- War Without End
- By: Richard Dannatt, Robert Lyman
- Narrated by: Mark Elstob
- Length: 14 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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Korea: War Without End examines the stand-off between East and West in Korea that ultimately defined the second half of the 20th century. It provides a critical analysis of the lack of preparation by the West for war; the results of the North Korean invasion in June 1950; the counter-stroke by MacArthur in September and then the strategic overreach which led to communist China’s involvement on the North Korean side, and the rapid escalation to consideration of the use of nuclear weapons.
By: Richard Dannatt, and others
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Shifting Sands
- A Human History of the Sahara
- By: Judith Scheele
- Narrated by: Lucy Paterson
- Length: 13 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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Shifting Sands is about that other Sahara, not the empty wasteland of the romantic imagination but the vast and highly differentiated space in which Saharan peoples and, increasingly, new arrivals from other parts of Africa live, work, and move. It takes us from the ancient Roman Empire through the bloody colonial era to the geopolitics of the present, questioning easy clichés and exposing fascinating truths along the way.
By: Judith Scheele
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Submersed
- Wonder, Obsession, and Murder in the World of Amateur Submarines
- By: Matthew Gavin Frank
- Narrated by: Mark Deakins
- Length: 11 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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Submersed begins with an investigation into the beguiling subculture of DIY submersible obsessives: men and women—but mostly men—who are so compelled to sink into the deep sea that they become amateur backyard submarine-builders. Matthew Gavin Frank explores the origins of the human compulsion to sink to depth, from the diving bells of Aristotle and Alexander the Great to the Confederate H. L. Hunley, which became the first submersible to sink an enemy warship before itself being sunk during the Civil War.
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Their Accomplices Wore Robes
- How the Supreme Court Chained Black America to the Bottom of a Racial Caste System
- By: Brando Simeo Starkey
- Narrated by: Kevin R. Free
- Length: 24 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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A magisterial new history of the role of the Supreme Court as an ally in implementing and preserving a racial caste system in America, Their Accomplices Wore Robes takes listeners from the Civil War era to the present and describes how the Supreme Court—even more than the presidency or Congress—aligned with the enemies of Black progress to undermine the promise of the Constitution’s Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments.
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The Great Miscalculation
- The Race to Save New York City's Citicorp Tower
- By: Michael M. Greenburg
- Narrated by: Mitch Crawford
- Length: 7 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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The Citicorp Center, a fifty-nine-story skyscraper built in 1977, immediately became one of the most recognizable features on the New York City skyline with its distinctive inclined roof and oddly placed support columns. Designed by one of the top structural engineers in the field, William LeMessurier, the tower would become the crown jewel of his professional career; In essence, he created a skyscraper on stilts. The building was a modern marvel—until it was revealed that it had a one in sixteen chance of collapse.
What truly sets this book apart is its fairness and nuance—particularly in its treatment of the American commanders. Rather than falling into the trap of hagiography or undue criticism, Sarantakes presents General MacArthur and his subordinates with careful attention to context, intentions, and consequences. His analysis is both fair and firm, holding leaders accountable where necessary, while also acknowledging the extreme complexity of the situation they faced.
Moreover, the book excels in offering a well-rounded perspective. It brings to light the experiences of Filipino civilians, Japanese soldiers, and American troops alike, weaving together these narratives into a cohesive and powerful whole. Sarantakes does not shy away from the horrors of the battle—particularly the atrocities committed by the retreating Japanese forces—but he also explores the broader implications of the destruction, occupation, and liberation with empathy and rigor.
For readers seeking a definitive and balanced treatment of the Battle of Manila, this book is essential. It is a sobering, enlightening, and ultimately indispensable contribution to World War II historiography.
A Masterful, Balanced Account of a Pivotal Battle
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