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They Will Have to Die Now
- Mosul and the Fall of the Caliphate
- Narrated by: Ray Porter
- Length: 9 hrs and 40 mins
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Publisher's summary
James Verini arrived in Iraq in the summer of 2016 to write about life in the Islamic State. He stayed to cover the jihadis' last great stand, the Battle of Mosul, not knowing it would go on for nearly a year, nor that it would become, in the words of the Pentagon, "the most significant urban combat since WWII."
They Will Have to Die Now takes the listener into the heart of the conflict against the most lethal insurgency of our time. We see unspeakable violence, improbable humanity, and occasional humor. We meet an Iraqi major fighting his way through the city with a bad leg; a general who taunts snipers; an American sergeant who removes his glass eye to unnerve his troops; a pair of Moslawi brothers who welcomed the Islamic State, believing, as so many Moslawis did, that it might improve their shattered lives. Verini also relates the rich history of Iraq, and of Mosul, one of the most beguiling cities in the Middle East.
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- Unabridged
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Using humor, pop culture, and even musical references, Michael Friedman re-creates the wartime experience in a narrative that is part memoir, part journalism, part military history. The years in question were pivotal ones, seeing the perfection of a type of warfare that would eventually be exported to Afghanistan and Iraq and has come to seem like the only kind of warfare in existence - wars in which there is never any clear victory, but not quite enough lives are lost to rally the country against it.
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Israeli Defense Fighter’s Story of War in Lebanon
- By Debbie on 05-02-19
By: Matti Friedman
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The Spymaster of Baghdad
- A True Story of Bravery, Family, and Patriotism in the Battle Against ISIS
- By: Margaret Coker
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
- Length: 10 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
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The Spymaster of Baghdad tells the dramatic yet intimate account of how a covert Iraqi intelligence unit called “the Falcons” came together against all odds to defeat ISIS. The Falcons, comprised of ordinary men with little conventional espionage background, infiltrated the world’s most powerful terrorist organization, ultimately turning the tide of war against the terrorist group and bringing safety to millions of Iraqis and the broader world.
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Worth every penny
- By Michelle on 04-20-21
By: Margaret Coker
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Imperial Grunts
- On the Ground with the American Military, from Mongolia to the Philippines to Iraq and Beyond...
- By: Robert D. Kaplan
- Narrated by: John H. Mayer
- Length: 18 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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Plunging deep into midst of some of the hottest conflicts on the globe, Robert D. Kaplan takes us through mud and jungle, desert and dirt to the men and women on the ground who are leading the charge against threats to American security. These soldiers, fighting in thick Colombian jungles or on dusty Afghani plains, are the forefront of the new American foreign policy, a policy being implemented one soldier at a time.
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Excellent book
- By Rob on 10-03-05
By: Robert D. Kaplan
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The Mirror Test
- America at War in Iraq and Afghanistan
- By: J. Kael Weston
- Narrated by: J. Kael Weston
- Length: 22 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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J. Kael Weston spent seven years on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan working for the US State Department in some of the most dangerous frontline locations. Upon his return home, while traveling the country to pay respect to the dead and wounded, he asked himself: When will these wars end? How will they be remembered and memorialized? What lessons can we learn from them?
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A Must Read
- By Jessica Myrick on 06-04-16
By: J. Kael Weston
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The Fifth Act
- America's End in Afghanistan
- By: Elliot Ackerman
- Narrated by: Elliot Ackerman
- Length: 6 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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Elliot Ackerman left the American military ten years ago, but his time in Afghanistan and Iraq with the Marines and later as a CIA paramilitary officer marked him indelibly. When the Taliban began to close in on Kabul in August 2021 and the Afghan regime began its death spiral, he found himself pulled back into the conflict. Afghan nationals who had worked closely with the American military and intelligence communities for years now faced brutal reprisal and sought frantically to flee the country with their families.
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A painful but necessary read
- By Tom Hanks on 08-22-22
By: Elliot Ackerman
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The Forever War
- By: Dexter Filkins
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 11 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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Through the eyes of Dexter Filkins, we witness the chain of events that began with the rise of the Taliban in the 1990s, continued with the attacks of 9/11, and moved on to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The Forever War allows us a visceral understanding of today's battlefields and of the experiences of the people on the ground, warriors and innocents alike. It is a brilliant, fearless work, not just about America's wars after 9/11, but ultimately about the nature of war itself.
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A memorable "read"
- By TCinDC on 02-16-09
By: Dexter Filkins
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Bringing Mulligan Home
- The Other Side of the Good War
- By: Dale Maharidge
- Narrated by: Pete Larkin
- Length: 9 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
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Sgt. Steve Maharidge, like many of his generation, hardly ever talked about the war. The only sign he'd served in it was a single black and white photograph of himself and another soldier tacked to the wall of his basement workshop. After Steve Maharidge's death, his son Dale, now an adult, began a 12-year quest to understand his father's preoccupation with the photo. What had happened during the battle for Okinawa, and why had his father remained silent about his experiences and the man in the picture, Herman Mulligan? In his search for answers, Maharidge sought out the survivors of Love Company.
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Very good book
- By chris on 02-10-16
By: Dale Maharidge
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No Turning Back
- Life, Loss, and Hope in Wartime Syria
- By: Rania Abouzeid
- Narrated by: Susan Nezami
- Length: 14 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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Based on more than five years of clandestine reporting on the front lines, No Turning Back is an utterly engrossing human drama full of vivid, indelible characters that shows how hope can flourish even amid one of the 21st century's greatest humanitarian disasters.
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SYRIA'S FAMILY BUSINESS
- By chetyarbrough.blog on 12-03-22
By: Rania Abouzeid
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Truth Worth Telling
- By: Scott Pelley
- Narrated by: Scott Pelley
- Length: 16 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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A 60 Minutes correspondent and former anchor of the CBS Evening News, Scott Pelley writes as a witness to events that changed our world. In moving, detailed prose, he stands with firefighters at the collapsing World Trade Center on 9/11, advances with American troops in combat in Afghanistan and Iraq, and reveals private moments with presidents (and would-be presidents) he’s known for decades. Pelley also offers a resounding defense of free speech and a free press as the rights that guarantee all others.
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A great listen... worth your time
- By Christina on 05-26-19
By: Scott Pelley
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The Nine Lives of Pakistan
- Dispatches from a Precarious State
- By: Declan Walsh
- Narrated by: Roger Clark
- Length: 11 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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Declan Walsh is one of the New York Times's most distinguished international correspondents. His electrifying portrait of Pakistan over a tumultuous decade captures the sweep of this strange, wondrous, and benighted country through the dramatic lives of nine fascinating individuals. On assignment as the country careened between crises, Walsh traveled from the raucous port of Karachi to the salons of Lahore, and from Baluchistan to the mountains of Waziristan. He met a diverse cast of extraordinary Pakistanis....
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A Fascinating Look at a Troubled Country
- By Dipam on 07-11-21
By: Declan Walsh
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Say Nothing
- A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland
- By: Patrick Radden Keefe
- Narrated by: Matthew Blaney
- Length: 14 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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Jean McConville's abduction was one of the most notorious episodes of the vicious conflict known as The Troubles. Everyone in the neighborhood knew the I.R.A. was responsible. But in a climate of fear and paranoia, no one would speak of it. In 2003, five years after an accord brought an uneasy peace to Northern Ireland, a set of human bones was discovered on a beach. McConville's children knew it was their mother when they were told a blue safety pin was attached to the dress--with so many kids, she had always kept it handy for diapers or ripped clothes.
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On a par with I'll Be Gone in the Dark, plus...
- By Grace O'Malley on 03-01-19
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A Train Near Magdeburg
- A Teacher's Journey into the Holocaust
- By: Matthew Rozell
- Narrated by: Nick Cracknell
- Length: 11 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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From the author of The Things Our Fathers Saw in the World War II eyewitness history series comes this book, offering the true story behind an iconic photograph taken at the liberation of a death train, deep in the heart of Nazi Germany. It's brought to life by the history teacher who discovered it and went on to reunite hundreds of Holocaust survivors with the actual American soldiers who saved them.
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important story
- By Amazon Customer on 04-04-20
By: Matthew Rozell
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What listeners say about They Will Have to Die Now
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Szimonisz Family
- 10-18-20
Best narrarated book I've ever heard
I listen to a lot of audio books, and this was by far the best narrarated one I've heard. The story itself is enthralling (though graphic, so skip if you're squeamish) and emotional, and the combination of a fantastically written book and expert narraration is unbeatable. Strongly recommend for anyone wanting to learn more about the rise of ISIS, Iraqi history, and the Battle for Mosul.
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- k7thorn
- 12-14-19
Personal and informative thru a great performance.
Porters performance felt natural, yet captivating, with energy and an astonishing array of voices for the characters that Verini encountered. Verini delivers a great balance of historical background and personal experiences to enlighten the reader of the very real world that many people endure but most Americans cannot fathom.
I had to listen to the whole book a second time before I was ready to consider starting another book.
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- david h
- 11-11-22
Great history told engagingly
As a resident of Baghdad since mid-2020 I thoroughly enjoyed this account of the events that preceded my arrival only a few years, and that deeply affected my work colleagues. I'm grateful to James Verini for putting time into researching and recounting the history of Mosul and the groups involved, and explaining it in the horrible context he experienced. The narration was a little too dramatic for my taste, at times almost sarcastic and condescending, but perhaps that's what Verini felt too. Whilst Verlini is mostly respectful of the Iraqis, who are really delightful people, and also appropriately disparaging of America's recent engagements here, I felt a slight disrespect for Islam and the Arab world throughout. This is absent from, for example, Tim Mackintosh Smith's wonderful book simply called "Arabs", which I highly recommend (better in.print I think). No doubt Verini's first hand experience of the violence of the ISIS caliphate influenced his focus on violence throughout the history of Mosul, but it's obviously not the defining characteristic of those periods of history in that town.
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- "usab"
- 02-06-21
Great Read
Excellent history of the defeat of ISIS in Mosul, Iraq in 2016. The author displays deep insight into causes of the recent conflict. Although many of my veteran friends who have read the book thinks the author disrespects the American military, I disagree. There is no doubt however, that our foreign policy in the region was disastrous. Of course, our misadventures in the Middle East didn’t start with the “War on Terror “. The book gives a summary of the West’s mistakes, including Pico-Sykes and the Balfour Declaration. In addition, the book does a good job in describing the history of Mosul and ancient civilizations including the Assyrian.
Missing from the book was the destruction of the monastery of St Elijah by ISIS in 2014. As a Medical Corps Army officer in Mosul in 2007, the visit to that 1400 year old Christian church was profound.
Bottom line, an excellent read that I’d highly recommend.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Richard C.
- 02-05-20
A must read
This should be required reading for all Americans. The author brings you into this tortured country brought down by American arrogance and we get to know and feel real people suffering though this “end of times”
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- SH
- 08-29-20
Well written. Well performed
I enjoyed this book thoroughly. I was very interested in the in depth, deep historical information that was presented. Some of the details were gory but true to a combat zone. The relationships, interactions and dialogues were fascinating and gave a personal dimension to the storyline.
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- Mellie
- 10-22-24
The human cost of American hegemony..
Several times I listened and found I had tears in my eyes learning the truth about what we, as the United States, do to other countries while crowing how we are the good guys. It's hard to sit with, but important to know the truth. It still continues to this day. One country, as described by Abu Omar (I believe that was his name) is still our "bad child." And the cycle of violence and destruction continues. We can't even solve our own problems but we are always putting our nose into other country's business. We just create so much destruction and pain. Countries like Iraq deserve to live their lives in peace. The citizens have the same desires for safety and taking care of their families just as we do in the west. We just leave wakes of destruction. It made my soul ache hearing that these people just wanted to have their side told. They deserve so much more.
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- TFMethane
- 04-12-21
really solid performance keeps you engaged
as with any book about a battle, it's hard to see the map in your head. the author does a reasonable job of explaining it in words, but it doesn't lend itself easily to the audio format, as it's not so easy to pace yourself differently when necessary to take in those geography information dumps that happen periodically.
but the performer does a good job of using slightly different, and not offensively overdone accents to help you in understand who is speaking during the dialogue.
Listening tip: the author follows a couple families and a few commanders through the whole book. take the time to make sure you know who he's talking about when he introduces new characters, as he's going to follow them again later.
don't worry too too much if you have a hard time keeping track of the map or the characters... the stories are powerful enough to experience even without it.
I really appreciated the historical summary, and the discussion about the diversity of opinion among the different groups involved in the conflict and the politics. it meshes with other books I've read about the Islamic state's although the author does not present himself as an expert on Islam, islamism, or jihadism. he does a good job of hitting the key bits of those elements so you have what you need to understand the players.
finally, I have to complement the author's writing. he uses English to its fullest. he's comfortable with profanity and eryudite language, and everything in between. it helps him to translate not only the meaning of his arabic speaking subjects, but also to approximate their voices as if they were native English speakers. his character sketches are well done, but he gives a voice to each character... and in the case of both Omar and Aya, the change in voice helps their character arcs, which helps really drive the whole narrative. well done.
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- anonymous
- 07-09-21
amazing history of Mosul and the Assyrian empire
really enjoyed this amazing story yet sad story of fallen human warfare. the history of Nineveh was
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- Bob R
- 03-09-24
Excellent story of people and history
Really liked it at first. Kind of dragged a little later. Great human stories and great history. I had just finished a book on Vietnam by Max Hastings and man, this book, telling the same type story. differnt location. youd think the west would learn. It's an eternal, internal, conflict. No westerner is going to help.
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