The Great Leader and the Fighter Pilot
The True Story of the Tyrant Who Created North Korea and the Young Lieutenant Who Stole His Way to Freedom
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Narrated by:
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Mark Bramhall
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By:
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Blaine Harden
About this listen
From the best-selling author of Escape from Camp 14, the murderous rise of North Korea's founding dictator and the fighter pilot who faked him out
In The Great Leader and the Fighter Pilot, New York Times best-selling author Blaine Harden tells the riveting story of how Kim Il Sung grabbed power and plunged his country into war against the United States while the youngest fighter pilot in his air force was playing a high-risk game of deception - and escape.
As Kim ascended from Soviet puppet to godlike ruler, No Kum Sok noisily pretended to love his Great Leader. That was until he swiped a Soviet MiG-15 and delivered it to the Americans, not knowing they were offering a $100,000 bounty for the warplane (the equivalent of nearly $1 million today). The theft - just weeks after the Korean War ended in July 1953 - electrified the world and incited Kim's bloody vengeance.
During the Korean War, the United States brutally carpet bombed the North, killing hundreds of thousands of civilians and giving the Kim dynasty, as Harden reveals, the fact-based narrative it would use to this day to sell paranoia and hatred of Americans.
Drawing on documents from Chinese and Russian archives about the role of Mao and Stalin in Kim's shadowy rise as well as from never-before-released US intelligence and interrogation files, Harden gives us a heart-pounding escape adventure and an entirely new way to understand the world's longest-lasting totalitarian state.
©2015 Blaine Harden (P)2015 Penguin AudioListeners also enjoyed...
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Critic reviews
An Amazon Best Book of 2015
"A fascinating retelling of a tale from the early years of the Cold War....[an] artful narrative." (The New York Times)
"Blaine Harden has done more than anyone else to bring [North Korea] to a mass audience.... Thrilling stuff." (The Washington Post)
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Great read
- By Kindle Customer on 05-26-19
By: Winston Groom
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The German Aces Speak II
- World War II Through the Eyes of Four More of the Luftwaffe's Most Important Commanders
- By: Colin D. Heaton, Anne-Marie Lewis, Dr. Dennis Showalter - foreword, and others
- Narrated by: P.J. Ochlan
- Length: 10 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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In The German Aces Speak II, Heaton and Lewis paint a picture of the war through the eyes of four more of Germany's most significant pilots, put together from numerous interviews personally conducted by Heaton from the 1980s through the 2000s. The four ex-Luftwaffe fighter aces bring the past to life as they tell their stories about the war, their battles, their off-duty lives, their lives after the war, and perhaps most importantly, how they felt about serving under the Nazi leadership of Hermann Göring and Adolf Hitler.
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Too Slow!
- By zur45 on 05-01-20
By: Colin D. Heaton, and others
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Spymistress
- The True Story of the Greatest Female Secret Agent of World War II
- By: William Stevenson
- Narrated by: Nicholas Camm
- Length: 12 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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A rousing tale of espionage and unsung valor, this is the captivating true story of Vera Atkins, Great Britain's spymistress from the age of 25. With her fierce intelligence, blunt manner, personal courage, and exceptional informants, Vera ran countless missions throughout the 1930s. After rising to the leadership echelon in the Special Operations Executive (SOE), a covert intelligence agency formed by Winston Churchill, she became head of a clandestine army in World War II.
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Great Story - Unfortunately Monotone Performance
- By Glenn on 03-29-14
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The Women Who Flew for Hitler
- A True Story of Soaring Ambition and Searing Rivalry
- By: Clare Mulley
- Narrated by: Christa Lewis
- Length: 15 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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Hanna Reitsch and Melitta von Stauffenberg were talented, courageous, and strikingly attractive women who fought convention to make their names in the male-dominated field of flight in 1930s Germany. With the war, both became pioneering test pilots and were awarded the Iron Cross for service to the Third Reich. But they could not have been more different, and neither woman had a good word to say for the other.
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Vividly Told Duel Biography
- By Jean on 09-11-17
By: Clare Mulley
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Hell Above Earth
- The Incredible True Story of an American WWII Bomber Commander and the Copilot Ordered to Kill Him
- By: Stephen Frater
- Narrated by: Pete Larkin
- Length: 9 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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Hell Above Earth tells an unforgettable story of two World War II American bomber pilots who forged an unexpected but enduring bond in the flak-filled skies over Nazi Germany. But there's a twist: one of them was related to the head of the Luftwaffe, Reich Marshal Herman Goering, and the other had secret orders from FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover to kill him if anything went wrong during their missions.
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A very unusual story
- By David on 10-15-12
By: Stephen Frater
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Last Hope Island
- Britain, Occupied Europe, and the Brotherhood That Helped Turn the Tide of War
- By: Lynne Olson
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey, Kimberly Farr
- Length: 18 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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A groundbreaking account of how Britain became the base of operations for the exiled leaders of Europe in their desperate struggle to reclaim their continent from Hitler, from the New York Times best-selling author of Citizens of London and Those Angry Days.
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Not What I Expected--More What I Needed to Know
- By DanD on 06-25-17
By: Lynne Olson
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Disciples
- The World War II Missions of the CIA Directors Who Fought for Wild Bill Donovan
- By: Douglas Waller
- Narrated by: George Newbern
- Length: 16 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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They are the most famous and controversial directors the CIA has ever had - Allen Dulles, Richard Helms, William Colby, and William Casey. Disciples is the story of these dynamic agents and their daring espionage and sabotage in wartime Europe under OSS Director Bill Donovan.
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A "Boys in the Boat" for WWII Intrigue
- By Annie M. on 03-21-16
By: Douglas Waller
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Agent Garbo
- The Brilliant, Eccentric Secret Agent Who Tricked Hitler & Saved D-Day
- By: Stephan Talty
- Narrated by: Clinton Wade
- Length: 8 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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Before he remade himself as the master spy known as Garbo, Juan Pujol was nothing more than a Barcelona poultry farmer. But as Garbo, he turned in a masterpiece of deception that changed the course of World War II. Posing as the Nazis’ only reliable spy inside England, he created an imaginary million-man army, invented armadas out of thin air, and brought a vast network of fictional subagents to life. The scheme culminated on June 6, 1944, when Garbo convinced the Germans that the Allied forces approaching Normandy were just a feint - the real invasion would come at Calais.
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Good story, writing overly dramatic
- By Matthew on 08-13-13
By: Stephan Talty
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Above and Beyond
- By: Casey Sherman
- Narrated by: Maxwell Hamilton
- Length: 12 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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From the authors of the best-selling The Finest Hours comes the riveting, deeply human story of President John F. Kennedy and two U-2 pilots, Rudy Anderson and Chuck Maultsby, who risked their lives to save America during the Cuban Missile Crisis. During the ominous two weeks of the Cold War's terrifying peak, two things saved humanity: the strategic wisdom of John F. Kennedy and the U-2 aerial spy program. On October 27, 1962, Kennedy, strained from back pain, sleeplessness, and days of impossible tension, was briefed about a missing spy plane.
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Narrator’s mispronunciations detracted from the story
- By Stephen E. Smith on 08-01-18
By: Casey Sherman
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Flyboys
- A True Story of Courage
- By: James Bradley
- Narrated by: Author
- Length: 14 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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Flyboys is the true story of young American airmen who were shot down over Chichi Jima. Eight of these young men were captured by Japanese troops and taken prisoner. Another was rescued by an American submarine and went on to become president. The reality of what happened to the eight prisoners has remained a secret for almost 60 years.
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Not as advertised
- By M. Mccann on 07-10-17
By: James Bradley
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Vietnam
- An Epic Tragedy, 1945-1975
- By: Max Hastings
- Narrated by: Max Hastings, Peter Noble
- Length: 33 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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Vietnam became the Western world’s most divisive modern conflict, precipitating a battlefield humiliation for France in 1954, then a vastly greater one for the US in 1975. Max Hastings has spent the past three years interviewing scores of participants on both sides, as well as researching a multitude of American and Vietnamese documents and memoirs, to create an epic narrative of an epic struggle. Here are the vivid realities of strife amid jungle and paddies that killed two million people.
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A more nuanced view than Ken Burns' companion book
- By Vu on 10-21-18
By: Max Hastings
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Hit the Target
- Eight Men Who Led the Eighth Air Force to Victory over the Luftwaffe
- By: Bill Yenne
- Narrated by: Corey M. Snow
- Length: 10 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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Less than a month after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the US Army formed its first air force designated to operate overseas, the Eighth. Within four months they had set up base in England. Three months later they were bombing German targets in occupied Europe. The Eighth was the first bomber command on either side to commit to strategic daylight bombing. It was a major change in tactics - and the men of the Eighth paid the price in both lives and blood.
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Lots of history, kinda boring.
- By Annie on 11-12-23
By: Bill Yenne
What listeners say about The Great Leader and the Fighter Pilot
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Anonymous User
- 04-18-20
loved!!!
This book was absolutely extraordinary. worth the read and the audio that went with it made it even better !!!
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- Ernest
- 08-04-15
An important story.
This story is very important for Americans because most of us know very little about the formation of North Korea. Knowing some of the history helps in understanding their actions today.
The other half of the story adds a wonderful personal touch to the book. I enjoyed learning about this pilots journey to reach America.
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- Jfm
- 08-09-15
Great story
Didn't expect to hear so much about Kim il sung as well as the Korean War in general. I recommend this audiobook. The performance was really clear and comprehendible.
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3 people found this helpful
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- Destiny
- 05-06-15
Wonderful written book
The tie between the fighter pilot and the North Korean leader was on point. I wanted to understand how this country came to be. This book did not disappoint.
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- Carl V. LaGrotteria
- 03-27-15
Outstanding character development !
The book develops the main character flawlessly. there is also a ck ear picture
of the ineptitude government in North Korea.
it's hard to believe that the dictators in North Korea :continue to survive in a state of economic decay and enslavement of the people. great read filled with copious historical information. I highly recommend this book. Carl
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- K. Apgar
- 04-02-15
Fantastic listen
A great story that lends itself to a fantastic Audible experience. Mark Bramhall is officially my favorite Audiblizer. Nicely done.
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- Taylor Of The Nati
- 11-27-16
Didn't expect such a gripping story
love love love it. I had listened to and thoroughly enjoyed Escape from Camp 14, another of the authors books, but I still didn't expect this to be so good. My standard for a good audio book is if it keeps me driving around town just to listen. This one hit that mark. I found myself running numerous errands that I either made up, or had been putting off for some time, just to keep listening. Worth a listen not only for the historical perspective about the founder of the DPRK, but also the very personal story about a man who had had enough and decided to take his chances with his enemy.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Evan
- 03-31-15
Must read!! Amazing insight into N. Korea
What a story! I'm 34, born and raised in California, so needless to say I do not know a lot about the history of North Korea. Learned a lot from this book. Kenneth is an amazing man, thanks for sharing your story.
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- Eric
- 04-27-17
Well worth a listen.
A short book that was well written and we'll told. A beautful way to get a good synopsis of Korea.
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- Guerin Shea
- 03-25-15
Tale of two citizens
Breezily finished this fine work in 6 days. I loved the excellent illustration of the immense chasm of the lives of "The Great Leader" and an ordinary airman who saw through the deceit and with remarkable courage left his home to start a new life. The only thing lacking for me was that I wanted a more complete picture of Kim Il Sung, but even 70 years after his rise to absolute power that still isn't available to us.
I heartily recommend this book - it is a testament to both the damnable shame of human oppression and the indomitable resilience of the human spirit.
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