The Heart of Hell
The Untold Story of Courage and Sacrifice in the Shadow of Iwo Jima
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Narrated by:
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Joe Barrett
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By:
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Mitch Weiss
About this listen
The Battle of Iwo Jima, a major event in the Pacific Theater of World War II - and one of the bloodiest in United States history - began on February 19, 1945. But what happened two days earlier has largely been a footnote - until now....
On February 17, Landing Craft Infantry 449 was among a dozen gunboats helping to prepare the area for their invasion two days later. US military leaders thought that they had weakened Japanese forces in the area. However, from the towering slopes of Mount Suribachi, Japanese forces opened fire, forcing the US commanders to recalculate battlefield plans. They shelled and bombed the newly discovered enemy positions. It was a move that saved countless lives two days later, when tens of thousands of marines stormed the beach.
The Heart of Hell is the untold story of the crew of Landing Craft Infantry 449. Based on 130 exclusive interviews with sailors who survived the battle, the families of the men killed in the fight, and more than 1,500 letters the sailors mailed to loved ones during their long months at sea, this is a story of duty, brotherhood, love, and courage.
©2016 Mitch Weiss (P)2016 TantorListeners also enjoyed...
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- By: Guy Gugliotta, John Yeoman, Neva Sullaway
- Narrated by: David Colacci, Susan Ericksen
- Length: 11 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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Developed specifically for the Vietnam War, Swift Boats were versatile craft "big enough to outrun anything they couldn't outfight" but too small to handle even a moderate ocean chop, too loud to sneak up on anyone, and too flimsy to withstand the mildest of rocket attacks. This made more difficult an already tough mission: navigating coastal waters for ships and sampans smuggling contraband to the Viet Cong, disrupting enemy supply lines on the rivers and canals of the Mekong Delta, and inserting SEALs behind enemy lines.
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Ride with the Swift Boats
- By Robert Lion on 05-01-18
By: Guy Gugliotta, and others
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PT 105
- By: Dick Keresey
- Narrated by: Sean Pratt
- Length: 8 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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Admittedly small and vulnerable, PT boats were, nevertheless, fast - the fastest craft on the water during World War II - and Dick Keresey's account of these tough little fighters throws new light on their contributions to the war effort. As captain of PT 105, the author was in the same battle as John F. Kennedy when Kennedy's PT 109 was rammed and sunk. The famous incident, Keresey says, has often been described inaccurately and the PT boat depicted as unreliable and ineffective.
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Highly recommended I couldn't stop listening!
- By Curtis Graf on 08-17-17
By: Dick Keresey
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Easy Company Soldier
- The Legendary Battles of a Sergeant from WW II's 'Band of Brothers'
- By: Don Malarkey, Bob Welch
- Narrated by: John Bedford Lloyd
- Length: 8 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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Sgt. Don Malarkey takes us not only into the battles fought from Normandy to Germany, but into the heart and mind of a soldier who beat the odds to become an elite paratrooper and lost his best friend during the nightmarish engagement at Bastogne. Drafted in 1942, Malarkey arrived at Toccoa Camp in Georgia and was one of six soldiers who earned their Eagle wings and went to England in 1943 to provide ground cover for the largest amphibious military attack in history: Operation Overlord.
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Solid American Greatness
- By David Ewing on 09-28-10
By: Don Malarkey, and others
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Operation Broken Reed
- By: Arthur Boyd
- Narrated by: Christopher Curry
- Length: 8 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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At the height of the Korean War, President Truman launched one of the most important intelligence-gathering operations in history. So valuable were the mission's findings about the North Korean-Soviet-Chinese alliance that it is no stretch to say they prevented World War III.
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I'm not sure what to believe
- By Rodney on 02-06-14
By: Arthur Boyd
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Day of Infamy
- By: Walter Lord
- Narrated by: Grover Gardner
- Length: 6 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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Day of Infamy is Walter Lord's gripping, vivid re-creation of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on Sunday, December 7, 1941. The listener accompanies Admiral Nagumo's task force as it sweeps toward Hawaii; looks on while warning after warning is ignored on Oahu; and is enmeshed in the panic, confusion, and heroism of the final attack.
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Engaging Story, Great Reading
- By Chas on 12-07-04
By: Walter Lord
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In Harm's Way
- The Sinking of the U.S.S. Indianapolis and the Extraordinary Story of Its Survivors
- By: Doug Stanton
- Narrated by: Mark Boyett
- Length: 8 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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On July 30, 1945, the USS Indianapolis was torpedoed in the South Pacific by a Japanese submarine. An estimated 300 men were killed upon impact; close to 900 sailors were cast into the Pacific Ocean, where they remained undetected by the navy for nearly four days and nights. Battered by a savage sea, they struggled to stay alive, fighting off sharks, hypothermia, and dementia. By the time rescue arrived, all but 317 men had died. The captain's subsequent court-martial left many questions unanswered
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Captivating
- By Clarence Sparks on 10-22-16
By: Doug Stanton
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The First Heroes
- The Extraordinary Story of the Doolittle Raid
- By: Craig Nelson
- Narrated by: Raymond Todd
- Length: 17 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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Immediately after Japan's December 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt sought to restore the honor of the United States with a dramatic act of vengeance: a retaliatory bombing raid on Tokyo itself. In those early days of World War II, America was ill-prepared for any sort of warfare. But FDR was not to be dissuaded, and at his bidding a squadron of scarcely trained army fliers, led by the famous daredevil Jimmy Doolittle, set forth on what everyone regarded as a suicide mission.
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Heroic Attempt
- By William on 07-20-04
By: Craig Nelson
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U.S.S. Seawolf
- Submarine Raider of the Pacific
- By: Gerold Frank, James D. Horan, Joseph Eckberg
- Narrated by: Tom Perkins
- Length: 7 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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The USS Seawolf was one of the greatest submarine raiders of all time. Having narrowly avoided the attack on Pearl Harbor the Seawolf set out for the seas of the Pacific to wreak havoc on Japanese shipping. Joseph Melvin Eckberg was on the Seawolf from her maiden voyage and remained with her until January 1943. As chief radioman he was instrumental in assisting Captain Frederick Warder to find and destroy enemy targets. From the claustrophobia of being trapped under water and the overwhelming fear of depth charges to the joys of aiding the war-effort and the camaraderie on the ship.
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Unfortunately not very good
- By Jason on 03-29-18
By: Gerold Frank, and others
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The Winds of War
- By: Herman Wouk
- Narrated by: Kevin Pariseau
- Length: 45 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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Herman Wouk's sweeping epic of World War II stands as the crowning achievement of one of America's most celebrated storytellers. Like no other books about the war, Wouk's spellbinding narrative captures the tide of global events - and all the drama, romance, heroism, and tragedy of World War II - as it immerses us in the lives of a single American family drawn into the very center of the war's maelstrom.
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A Masterpiece
- By Robert on 05-24-13
By: Herman Wouk
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Red Blood, Black Sand
- Fighting Alongside John Basilone from Boot Camp to Iwo Jima
- By: Chuck Tatum
- Narrated by: Norman Dietz
- Length: 12 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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When Chuck Tatum began Marine boot camp, he was just a smart-aleck teenager eager to serve his country. Little did he know that he would be training under a living legend of the Corps - Medal of Honor recipient John Basilone, who had almost single-handedly fought off a Japanese force of three thousand on Guadalcanal.
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not as good as helmet or old breed
- By C. Kenny on 01-21-17
By: Chuck Tatum
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So Close to Home
- A True Story of an American Family’s Fight for Survival During World War II
- By: Michael J. Tougias, Alison O’Leary
- Narrated by: Elijah Alexander
- Length: 7 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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On May 19, 1942, a U-boat in the Gulf of Mexico stalked its prey 50 miles away from New Orleans. Captained by 29-year-old Iron Cross recipient Erich Würdemann, the submarine set its sights on the freighter Heredia with 59 souls onboard. Most of the crew were merchant seamen, but there were also a handful of civilians, including the Downs family, consisting of the parents, Ray Sr. and Ina; along with their two children, eight-year-old Ray Jr., nicknamed "Sonny", and 11-year-old Lucille.
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Couldn't Stop Listening
- By Reader7347 on 03-08-18
By: Michael J. Tougias, and others
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What listeners say about The Heart of Hell
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- Adam
- 08-08-23
Excellent and heartbreaking story
This is an excellent book that shows the war from the perspectives of the sailors of an oft forgotten unit of the Navy, the LCI-Gs. By the end, you will have a new respect for those who served upon the LCIs and probably feel a little bit of the heartbreak of war.
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- Randall
- 09-23-16
Heroes all of them
I am amazed each time I read of these heroes of WWII. How they gave their all to win the war. My heart aches for both the dead and the wounded. They are heroes, all of them! All gave some, some gave all!
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- Amazon Customer
- 11-30-21
The Best WWII History I have read
While the story line was great, the development of of the men was what made this book.
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- Kindle Customer
- 09-29-24
Truly an Inspirational story
A little known heroic battle that deserves to be better known given the selfless sacrifice of men who deserve to be recognized.
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- Luther A. Young
- 05-03-17
Fantastic Book !!!
Fantastic book very well written and very riveting !! The book flows very well and keeps you excited. Knowledge of US Marines and IwoJima is beyond GREAT . Highly recommend !!!
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- Amazon Customer
- 11-22-21
Touching the Heart
Without a doubt, the best book I have ever read regarding World War II.
A straightforward, honest and touching account of real people caught up in a dark time. Weiss so articulately recounts the stories and let’s the stories speak for themselves. No embellishments, no over-dramatization. Sensitive and respectful.
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- Amnica
- 12-06-23
Haunting!
So vivid and detailed in its descriptions on the lives and happy moments of these young men. Their bravery and horrors of their final moments is compelling.
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- Craig
- 07-30-16
Important History, but Not a Compelling Story
First, let me say that what happened to these sailors during the Battle of Iwo Jima was horrific. I am not discounting their tragedy one iota.
However, this story is essentially a summary of family and love letters that document the feelings, fears, and emotions of the men of Landing Craft Infantry 449 as they prepared for the Iwo Jima invasion. Their actual time at "battle stations" was about nine minutes. So, essentially, twelve of the fourteen hours of this audiobook is a recitation of what is contained in those letters sent home and those sent to the sailors of Landing Craft Infantry 449.
I listened because I respect and honor the work these men did in supporting UD Teams, but as a recapitulation of the Battle for Iwo Jima, this book is not an important work. It is a history that binds together human dramas outside the battle zone (other than the nine minutes of terror).
Listen to this book if you want to know the intimacies of about a dozen men. If you want a book that documents Iwo Jima as a strategic target and the men who fought to take that island I suggest, "Flags of Our Fathers," by James Bradley and Ron Powers.
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7 people found this helpful