Troublesome Young Men
The Rebels Who Brought Churchill to Power and Helped Save England
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Narrated by:
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Dennis Kleinman
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By:
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Lynne Olson
About this listen
On May 7, 1940, the House of Commons began perhaps the most crucial debate in British parliamentary history. On its outcome hung the future of Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain's government and also of Britain - indeed, perhaps, the world. Troublesome Young Men is Lynne Olson's fascinating account of how a small group of rebellious Tory MPs defied the Chamberlain government's defeatist policies that aimed to appease Europe's tyrants and eventually forced the prime minister's resignation.
Some historians dismiss the "phony war" that preceded this turning point as a time of waiting and inaction, but Olson makes no such mistake, and describes in dramatic detail the public unrest that spread through Britain then, as people realized how poorly prepared the nation was to confront Hitler, how their basic civil liberties were being jeopardized, and also that there were intrepid politicians willing to risk political suicide to spearhead the opposition to Chamberlain - Harold Macmillan, Robert Boothby, Leo Amery, Ronald Cartland, and Lord Robert Cranborne among them. The political and personal dramas that played out in Parliament and in the nation as Britain faced the threat of fascism virtually on its own are extraordinary - and, in Olson's hands, downright inspiring.
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"A well-written, fast-paced book that reads like a political thriller...Troublesome Young Men is an extraordinary tale of political courage in perilous times - and a wonderfully written book." (Terry Hartle, Christian Science Monitor)
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Incivility in Politics - A Real Shocker!
- By Carole T. on 04-24-13
By: Lynne Olson
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Lioness
- Golda Meir and the Nation of Israel
- By: Francine Klagsbrun
- Narrated by: Jo Anna Perrin
- Length: 32 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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Golda Meir was a world figure unlike any other. Born in tsarist Russia in 1898, she immigrated to America in 1906 and grew up in Milwaukee, where from her earliest years she displayed the political consciousness and organizational skills that would eventually catapult her into the inner circles of Israel's founding generation. Moving to mandatory Palestine in 1921 with her husband, the passionate socialist joined a kibbutz but soon left and was hired at a public works office by the man who would become the great love of her life.
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The persistent mispronunciations of Hebrew and Yiddish words ruined this performance
- By YH-O on 12-30-18
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The Wise Men
- Six Friends and the World They Made
- By: Evan Thomas, Walter Isaacson
- Narrated by: Jonathan Reese
- Length: 33 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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Six close friends shaped the role their country would play in the dangerous years following World War II. They were the original best and brightest, whose towering intellects, outsize personalities, and dramatic actions would bring order to the postwar chaos, and whose strong response to Soviet expansionism would leave a legacy that dominates American policy to this day. In April 1945, they converged to advise an untutored new president, Harry Truman.
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Dull with poor narration
- By KD6161 on 03-31-17
By: Evan Thomas, and others
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The General
- Charles De Gaulle and the France He Saved
- By: Jonathan Fenby
- Narrated by: Robin Bloodworth
- Length: 28 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
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No leader of modern times was more uniquely patriotic than Charles de Gaulle. As founder and first president of the Fifth Republic, General de Gaulle saw himself as "carrying France on [his] shoulders." In his 20s, he fought for France in the trenches and at the epic battle of Verdun. In the 1930s, he waged a lonely battle to enable France to better resist Hitler's Germany. Thereafter, he twice rescued the nation from defeat and decline by extraordinary displays of leadership, political acumen, daring, and bluff, heading off civil war and leaving a heritage adopted by his successors of right and left.
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Book Great Read. Narrator Horrible-slow dead voice
- By marigoyle on 10-23-13
By: Jonathan Fenby
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Adolf Hitler
- By: John Toland
- Narrated by: Ralph Cosham
- Length: 44 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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Based on previously unpublished documents, diaries, notes, photographs, and dramatic interviews with Hitler's colleagues and associates, this is the definitive biography of one of the most despised yet fascinating figures of the 20th century. Painstakingly documented, it is a work that will not soon be forgotten.
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Strange Person
- By Mark on 11-25-14
By: John Toland
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Gorbachev
- His Life and Times
- By: William Taubman
- Narrated by: Henry Strozier
- Length: 32 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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When Mikhail Gorbachev became the leader of the Soviet Union in 1985, the USSR was one of the world's two superpowers. By 1989, his liberal policies of perestroika and glasnost had permanently transformed Soviet Communism and had made enemies of radicals on the right and left. By 1990 he, more than anyone else, had ended the Cold War, and in 1991, after barely escaping from a coup attempt, he unintentionally presided over the collapse of the Soviet Union he had tried to save.
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The Man Who Changed The Course Of History
- By Jean on 12-30-17
By: William Taubman
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1932
- The Rise of Hitler and FDR - Two Tales of Politics, Betrayal, and Unlikely Destiny
- By: David Pietrusza
- Narrated by: David Stifel
- Length: 19 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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Two Depression-battered nations confronted destiny in 1932, going to the polls in their own way to anoint new leaders, to rescue their people from starvation and hopelessness. America would elect a Congress and a president - ebullient aristocrat Franklin Roosevelt or tarnished "Wonder Boy" Herbert Hoover. Decadent, divided Weimar Germany faced two rounds of bloody Reichstag elections and two presidential contests - doddering reactionary Paul von Hindenburg against rising radical hate-monger Adolf Hitler.
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What a waste of time
- By Pam Sullivan on 07-06-19
By: David Pietrusza
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Gandhi & Churchill
- By: Arthur Herman
- Narrated by: John Curless
- Length: 29 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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In this fast-paced epic, best-selling historian and master storyteller Arthur Herman spotlights two giants of the 20th century. Gandhi & Churchill shows how their 40-year rivalry revolutionized India and the British Empire, paving the way for a new era. Gandhi championed India's independence, Churchill the British Empire.
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A motif that works well
- By Maine Dave on 11-30-09
By: Arthur Herman
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Young Titan
- The Making of Winston Churchill
- By: Michael Shelden
- Narrated by: John Curless
- Length: 14 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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In modern memory, Winston Churchill remains the man with the cigar and the equanimity among the ruins. Few can remember that at the age of 40 he was considered washed up, his best days behind him. In Young Titan, historian Michael Shelden has produced the first biography focused on Churchill’s early career, the years between 1901 and 1915 that both nearly undid him but also forged the character that would later triumph in the Second World War.
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sorry
- By Kemper 16 on 11-14-24
By: Michael Shelden
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The Conquerors
- Roosevelt, Truman, and the Destruction of Hitler's Germany, 1941-1945
- By: Michael Beschloss
- Narrated by: Michael Beschloss
- Length: 6 hrs and 22 mins
- Abridged
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From Michael Beschloss, one of America's most respected historians, The Conquerors reveals one of the most important stories of World War II. As Allied soldiers fought the Nazis, Franklin Roosevelt and, later, Harry Truman fought in private with Churchill and Stalin over how to ensure that Germany could never threaten the world again.
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Poor narration
- By Gary Bradt on 02-01-03
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Darkest Hour
- How Churchill Brought England Back from the Brink
- By: Anthony McCarten
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 6 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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May 1940. Britain is at war, Winston Churchill has unexpectedly been promoted to prime minister, and the horrors of Blitzkrieg witness one Western European democracy fall after another in rapid succession. Facing this horror, with pen in hand and typist-secretary at the ready, Churchill wonders what words could capture the public mood when the invasion of Britain seems mere hours away. It is this fascinating period that Anthony McCarten captures in this deeply researched and wonderfully written new book, The Darkest Hour.
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Gripping
- By Jean on 12-06-17
By: Anthony McCarten
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De Gaulle
- By: Julian Jackson
- Narrated by: James Adams
- Length: 41 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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In a definitive biography of the mythic general who refused to accept Nazi domination of France, Julian Jackson captures this titanic figure as never before. Drawing on unpublished letters, memoirs, and resources of the recently opened de Gaulle archive, he reveals how this volatile visionary put a broken France back at the center of world affairs.
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Extremely British approach to de Gaulle
- By Keith on 05-31-19
By: Julian Jackson
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Here is the behind-the-scenes story of how the United States forged its wartime alliance with Britain, told from the perspective of three key American players in London: Edward R. Murrow, Averell Harriman, and John Gilbert Winant. Drawing from a variety of primary sources, Olson skillfully depicts the dramatic personal journeys of these men who, determined to save Britain from Hitler, helped convince a cautious Franklin Roosevelt and a reluctant American public to support the British at a critical time.
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Incivility in Politics - A Real Shocker!
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Last Hope Island
- Britain, Occupied Europe, and the Brotherhood That Helped Turn the Tide of War
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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
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Churchill
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In Churchill, Johnson applies a wide lens and an unconventional approach to illuminate the various phases of Churchill's career. From his adventures as a young cavalry officer in the service of the Empire to his role as an elder statesman prophesying the advent of the Cold War, Johnson shows how Churchill's immense adaptability combined with his natural pugnacity to make him a formidable leader for the better part of a century.
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Superlative Account of Churchill
- By Darrell on 12-08-09
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Masters and Commanders
- How Four Titans Won the War in the West, 1941-1945
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- Length: 26 hrs and 23 mins
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An epic joint biography, Masters and Commanders explores the degree to which the course of the Second World War turned on the relationships and temperaments of four of the strongest personalities of the 20th century: political masters Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt and the commanders of their armed forces, General Sir Alan Brooke and General George C. Marshall.
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Holocaust?
- By binkabul on 09-21-20
By: Andrew Roberts
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Madame Fourcade's Secret War
- The Daring Young Woman Who Led France's Largest Spy Network Against Hitler
- By: Lynne Olson
- Narrated by: Kimberly Farr
- Length: 16 hrs and 9 mins
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Overall
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In 1941 a 31-year-old Frenchwoman, a young mother born to privilege and known for her beauty and glamour, became the leader of a vast intelligence organization - the only woman to serve as a chef de résistance during the war. Strong-willed, independent, and a lifelong rebel against her country’s conservative, patriarchal society, Marie-Madeleine Fourcade was temperamentally made for the job. No other French spy network lasted as long or supplied as much crucial intelligence. Fourcade was captured twice by the Nazis - and both times she managed to escape.
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Marvelous book, inappropriate narrator
- By Phoebs on 03-07-19
By: Lynne Olson
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Citizens of London
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Here is the behind-the-scenes story of how the United States forged its wartime alliance with Britain, told from the perspective of three key American players in London: Edward R. Murrow, Averell Harriman, and John Gilbert Winant. Drawing from a variety of primary sources, Olson skillfully depicts the dramatic personal journeys of these men who, determined to save Britain from Hitler, helped convince a cautious Franklin Roosevelt and a reluctant American public to support the British at a critical time.
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If we are together nothing is impossible
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Those Angry Days
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At the center of the debate over American intervention in World War II stood the two most famous men in America: President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who championed the interventionist cause, and aviator Charles Lindbergh, who as unofficial leader and spokesman for America's isolationists emerged as the president's most formidable adversary. Their contest of wills personified the divisions within the country at large, and Lynne Olson makes masterly use of their dramatic personal stories to create a poignant and riveting narrative.
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Last Hope Island
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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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- By DanD on 06-25-17
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Churchill
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- Narrated by: Simon Prebble
- Length: 4 hrs and 40 mins
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In Churchill, Johnson applies a wide lens and an unconventional approach to illuminate the various phases of Churchill's career. From his adventures as a young cavalry officer in the service of the Empire to his role as an elder statesman prophesying the advent of the Cold War, Johnson shows how Churchill's immense adaptability combined with his natural pugnacity to make him a formidable leader for the better part of a century.
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Superlative Account of Churchill
- By Darrell on 12-08-09
By: Paul Johnson
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Masters and Commanders
- How Four Titans Won the War in the West, 1941-1945
- By: Andrew Roberts
- Narrated by: Nigel Patterson
- Length: 26 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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An epic joint biography, Masters and Commanders explores the degree to which the course of the Second World War turned on the relationships and temperaments of four of the strongest personalities of the 20th century: political masters Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt and the commanders of their armed forces, General Sir Alan Brooke and General George C. Marshall.
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Holocaust?
- By binkabul on 09-21-20
By: Andrew Roberts
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Madame Fourcade's Secret War
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- Narrated by: Kimberly Farr
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In 1941 a 31-year-old Frenchwoman, a young mother born to privilege and known for her beauty and glamour, became the leader of a vast intelligence organization - the only woman to serve as a chef de résistance during the war. Strong-willed, independent, and a lifelong rebel against her country’s conservative, patriarchal society, Marie-Madeleine Fourcade was temperamentally made for the job. No other French spy network lasted as long or supplied as much crucial intelligence. Fourcade was captured twice by the Nazis - and both times she managed to escape.
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Marvelous book, inappropriate narrator
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Empress of the Nile
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In the 1960s, the world’s attention was focused on a nail-biting race against time: the international campaign to save a dozen ancient Egyptian temples from drowning in the floodwaters of the gigantic new Aswan High Dam. But the coverage of this unprecedented rescue effort completely overlooked the daring French archaeologist who made it all happen. Without the intervention of Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt, the temples—including the Temple of Dendur, now at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art—would currently be at the bottom of a vast reservoir.
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Interesting but annoying
- By evan k pinto on 03-27-24
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Paris 1919
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Winner of the Samuel Johnson Prize, renowned historian Margaret MacMillan's best-selling Paris 1919 is the story of six remarkable months that changed the world. At the close of WWI, between January and July of 1919, delegates from around the world converged on Paris under the auspices of peace. New countries were created, old empires were dissolved, and for six months, Paris was the center of the world.
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Good book, well narrated
- By W. F. Rucker on 02-07-09
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The Irregulars
- Roald Dahl and the British Spy Ring in Wartime Washington
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Prior to the U.S. entering WWII, a small coterie of British spies in Washington, D.C., was formed. They called themselves the Baker Street Irregulars after the band of street urchins who were the eyes and ears of Sherlock Holmes in some Arthur Conan Doyle stories.
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Spying in Washington
- By Sara on 10-03-14
By: Jennet Conant
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Ministers at War
- Winston Churchill and His War Cabinet
- By: Jonathan Schneer
- Narrated by: Matthew Brenher
- Length: 12 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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Performance
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Story
In May 1940, with France on the verge of defeat, Britain alone stood in the path of the Nazi military juggernaut. Survival seemed to hinge on the leadership of Winston Churchill, whom the king reluctantly appointed prime minister as Germany invaded France. Churchill's reputation as one of the great 20th-century leaders would be forged during the coming months and years as he worked tirelessly first to rally his country and then to defeat Hitler.
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Welcome addition to the literature of World War II
- By Mike From Mesa on 05-02-15
By: Jonathan Schneer
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The Definitive FDR
- Roosevelt: The Lion and the Fox (1882-1940) and Roosevelt: The Soldier of Freedom (1940-1945)
- By: James MacGregor Burns
- Narrated by: David Stifel
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- Unabridged
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Franklin Delano Roosevelt was the longest serving president in US history, reshaping the country during the crises of the Great Depression and World War II. James MacGregor Burns's magisterial two-volume biography tells the complete life story of the fascinating political figure who instituted the New Deal. The Lion and the Fox details Roosevelt's youth, education, and his rise to national prominence, through his first two terms as president. The Soldier of Freedom is a moving profile of a leader gifted with rare political talent in an era of extraordinary challenges.
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Dedicated Author
- By Michael on 01-13-24
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End of a Berlin Diary
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- By: William L. Shirer
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- Unabridged
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A radio broadcaster and journalist for Edward R. Murrow at CBS, William L. Shirer was new to the world of broadcast journalism when he began keeping a diary while on assignment in Europe during the 1930s. Shirer’s Berlin Diary, which is considered the first full record of what was happening in Germany during the rise of the Third Reich, appeared in 1941. Shirer returned to the European front in 1944 to cover the end of the war. End of a Berlin Diary chronicles this year-long study of Germany after Hitler.
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Mr Shrier might is an excellent Historian but pass
- By Clarence Nelson on 07-19-20
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Mary Churchill’s War
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- By: Mary Churchill, Emma Soames - editor, Erik Larson - introduction
- Narrated by: Beth Eyre, Emma Soames
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- Unabridged
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In 1939, seventeen-year-old Mary found herself in an extraordinary position at an extraordinary time: it was the outbreak of World War II and her father, Winston Churchill, had been appointed First Lord of the Admiralty; within months he would become prime minister. The young Mary Churchill was uniquely placed to observe this remarkable historical moment, and her diaries—most never published until now—provide an immediate view of the great events of the war, as well as intimate moments with her father. These diaries also capture what it was like to be a young woman during wartime.
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Love Mary Soames
- By Robert on 11-21-22
By: Mary Churchill, and others
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The Mantle of Command
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Based on years of archival research and interviews with the last surviving aides and Roosevelt family members, Nigel Hamilton offers a definitive account of FDR’s masterful - and underappreciated - command of the Allied war effort. Hamilton takes listeners inside FDR’s White House Oval Study - his personal command center - and into the meetings where he battled with Churchill about strategy and tactics and overrode the near mutinies of his own generals and secretary of war.
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Great Book, Terrible Narration
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By: Nigel Hamilton
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Five Days in London, May 1940
- By: John Lukacs
- Narrated by: Geoffrey Howard
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- Unabridged
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In the days between May 24th and 28th, 1940, the British War Cabinet held a historical debate over whether to negotiate with Hitler or to continue the war. In this magisterial work, John Lukacs demonstrates the decisive importance of those five days. Lukacs takes us hour by hour into the critical unfolding of events at 10 Downing Street, where Churchill, who had only been prime minister for a fortnight, painfully considered his war responsibilities.
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Less Than Meets the Eye
- By Michael Moore on 01-06-09
By: John Lukacs
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The Birth of Classical Europe
- A History from Troy to Augustine
- By: Simon Price, Peter Thonemann
- Narrated by: Don Hagen
- Length: 14 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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To an extraordinary extent we continue to live in the shadow of the classical world. At every level, from languages to calendars to political systems, we are the descendants of a “classical Europe,” using frames of reference created by ancient Mediterranean cultures. As this consistently fresh and surprising new audio book makes clear, however, this was no less true for the inhabitants of those classical civilizations themselves, whose myths, history, and buildings were an elaborate engagement with an already old and revered past - one filled with great leaders and writers....
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Excellent overview of the Classical World
- By David I. Williams on 01-12-14
By: Simon Price, and others
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Yalta
- The Price of Peace
- By: S. M. Plokhy
- Narrated by: Henry Strozier
- Length: 22 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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Award-winning Harvard historian S.M. Plokhy delivers a “convincing revisionist analysis” ( Publishers Weekly) of the February 1945 Yalta conference. Bolstered by Soviet wiretaps, Plokhy’s engrossing narrative of Stalin, Churchill, and FDR’s negotiations reveals the West did better than previously thought.
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The depth and breadth of understanding
- By Robin LaCorte on 06-27-19
By: S. M. Plokhy
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Traitor King
- The Scandalous Exile of the Duke & Duchess of Windsor
- By: Andrew Lownie
- Narrated by: Andrew Lownie
- Length: 8 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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December 11, 1936. The King of England, Edward VIII, has given up his crown, foregoing his duty for the love of Wallis Simpson, an American divorcee. Their courtship has been dogged by controversy and scandal, but with Edward's abdication, they can live happily ever after.
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All That is Glamour can be Rotten
- By Joe France on 08-26-22
By: Andrew Lownie
What listeners say about Troublesome Young Men
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Alessandro.a.iuppa
- 01-02-19
One of the best
I’ve read other books by Olson, all excellent. This book was by far the best-I felt as if I was in the Parliament during their pre war deliberations. I can’t recommend this one enough!
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- CalicoCat
- 01-09-19
Finally, this WW2 cornerstone book is on audible!
The giants of the British government in the 1920-1950's period are presented here in masterfully drawn bios. This is a terrific springboard to Olson's fine "Citizens of London" and "Last Hope Island". Each book carries the reader strongly forward into WW2 in page-turner fashion. This densely written volume sets the stage in pre-war England focusing on a much more entrenched appeasement government than you'd think -- complete with dirty tricks and press intimidation. Foundational reading for students of WW2 history.
The book has been out for some time; and, it's a relief to finally find it on Audible with an excellent narrator. Dennis Kleinman is a fine choice for this reading. London flavor comes through as main characters navigate the city and Parliament. There's a nod to some of the earliest women to be admitted as MP's as well featuring an especially good profile written about the Dutchess of Atholl. These important British figures are written with heart and thoughtful perspective.
Sources and notes are carefully presented.
(Note: period photos of some of the key MP's are found on the author's website.)
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- Kindle Customer
- 07-19-19
the men and the events the saving of the world
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. when I saw Churchill on the cover I knew I wanted to read it however my anticipation was enhanced and accelerated when I discovered this was not a review of what I knew but it was an adventure into almost ignorant of. a quarterback in a football game throws a phenomenal pass and all attention goes on the receiver and of course the quarterback. what is forgotten about is the men in the line who made this play possible. this is about those men who stood against appeasement and lifted Winston Churchill on their shoulders. they are the ones who made the saving of the world from fascism possible and their lives are worth reading about.
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- Another Voice
- 10-15-24
The detailed historical record of a grave time in British history
Fabulous, well researched and written history of the fall of Neville Chamberlain and the rise of Winston Churchill in 1939 pre war England.
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- Grifter
- 05-24-21
good listen, great book
some of the narration was a little off. don't let that stop you this is a great book.
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- BlucheGirl
- 03-18-23
One of the best books I’ve read
So much more to the story of Chamberlain’s appeasement and Lynne Olson brilliantly tells us the rest of the story. Highly recommended for lovers of WW2 history. Excellent narration.
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- Julie Hardesty
- 05-19-19
How amazing was narrator Dennis Kleinman
The story was a dense look into the circumstances around Winston Churchill becoming Prime Minister of England. The details for someone on the other side of the pond bogged me down a bit. Had in not been for the narrator of the incredible Dennis Kleinman, I might have turned it off. Dennis was able to bring these characters back to life and made the telling that much more enjoyable! I look forward to more books narrated by Dennis Kleinman!
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- Bookworm
- 01-29-24
Excellent History of an Important Period
I enjoyed this audiobook greatly, and my enjoyment was enhanced by the wonderful English diction and pacing of the reader. His evocation of the voices of Winston Churchill and Neville Chamberlain was spot on. However, I was surprised that, notwithstanding his obvious talent, he failed to use the correct pronunciation of the names of several key individuals in the story. For instance:
1. He pronounced the surname of Alexander Cadogan as [CADD'-UH-GAN] instead of the correct [KUH-DUG'-UHN].
2. He pronounced the surname of Duncan Sandys as [SAN'-DEES] instead of the correct [SANDZ].
3. He prounounced the first name of Anthony Eden as [AN'-THONY] instead of the more usual in Great Britain [AN'-TONY].
Although the reader has great British diction, I understand that he grew up in South Africa, which probably explains why his pronunciation of some proper British names was slightly off. After all, he read the names exactly as they are spelled.
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- Morton Kondracke
- 02-18-20
Another Lynne Olson triumph!
She is the master accessible historian of WW2. Her books are thorough, eminently readable and enlightening. I’ve read five now and recommend them all highly. This is one of the best, close to “Those Angry Days,” story of interventionist vs isolationist struggle in US.
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4 people found this helpful
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- Nostromo
- 11-30-18
Spectacular Narrative History Book
This is the first book by Lynne Olson that I have had the opportunity to read/listen to. I was very pleased when Audible finally made this book is available. The book is an extremely good book of narrative history that would have made Barbara Tuchman proud (she being the author of the Guns of August which is arguably the greatest narrative history book ever written). The story focuses on the group of Tory Members of Parliament who had the courage and strength to bring down the Neville Chamberlain government in May 1940. Historically, WInston Churchill has been the MP who has received the lion's share of the credit for turning the British government from an appeaser movement that gave away Europe to Adolph Hitler to a war footing government that confronted him head on. During the book we are introduced to the MP's who truly paved the way for Churchill and Olson does a fabulous job of painting their character portraits- from Anthony Eden (who has the opportunity to lead the revolt and become Prime Minister but who lacked the courage to take on Chamberlain) to Richard Law, Robert Boothby, Harold McMillan, Harold Nicholson, Duff Cooper Leo Amery (who had the great speech quoting Oliver Cromwell that brought the government down) to Lord Salisbury, and tragically the Duchess of Atholl who as a female Tory member of Parliament and who after reading Mein Kempf bravely confronted the Tory Hierarchy and lost her seat in Parliament. Perhaps the most tragic but courageous figure in the book is Ronald Cartland, who as junior Tory MP had the courage to stand up and condemn Chamberlain (breaking with tradition for a Member of Parliament) and then volunteered to fight in France only to be killed while leading his men in a rearguard action while the British Army retreated to Dunkirk. Olson does an excellent job of providing us with a detailed portrait of each of these personages and by the time I finished reading the book I appreciated how much Churchill owed to these heroes. The narration by Dennis Kleinman was very good and the wait to hear this book was well worth it. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wishes to understand more about the rise of Churchill and the movement to move Britain closer to war.
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11 people found this helpful