Wellington’s Scum
The History and Legacy of the British Army During the Napoleonic Wars
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Buy for $6.95
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Colin Fluxman
About this listen
Today, the British Army is one of the most powerful fighting forces in the world. Its highly trained professional soldiers are equipped with the most advanced military technology ever made. Its international interventions, while controversial both at home and abroad, are carried out with incredible professionalism and little loss of life among British servicemen and servicewomen. Naturally, the history and traditions behind this army are also impressive. Britain has not been successfully invaded in centuries. Its soldiers once created and defended a global empire, and during the Second World War, it was one of the leading nations standing against the brutal Axis forces, leading the way in the greatest seaborne invasion in military history.
But it was not always like this. For most of its history, Britain was a patchwork of competing nations. England, the largest of its constituent countries, was often relatively weak as a land power compared with its European neighbors. Moreover, Britain’s armies, like those of the other European powers, were neither professional nor standing armies for hundreds of years.
The 18th century was a tumultuous period for the British army, one often overlooked in popular accounts of British history. It began with the formal unification of Britain - a period of great success for the nation's armies - led by one of Britain's greatest generals, the Duke of Marlborough. This was followed by a period of global activity and military reform as the British Empire expanded.
In the wake of the French Revolution, other European powers were eager to suppress the revolutionary example before it spread to their nations, and to capitalize on France's turmoil to their advantage. Encouraged by exiled French aristocrats, they went to war to restore the old France, only for the resulting wars to make France more powerful than it had ever been. Under Napoleon, the nation's armies took control of the Iberian and Italian Peninsulas, as well as large swathes of central Europe, and humbled great states such as Prussia and Austria. Though their march against Russia in 1812 ended in disaster, that it happened at all was remarkable.
Wellington famously referred to his men as the scum of the earth, even as he took pride in their skill and successes. This was an army that took rough material and shaped it into something refined and effective. The demoralized army emerging after the American Revolution became something new and powerful, respected around the world. These were the men who had given Britain its era of greatest glory. These were Wellington's scum.
Wellington’s Scum: The History and Legacy of the British Army during the Napoleonic Wars examines the history of the British Army during one of history’s most pivotal eras. You will learn about the British Army during the Napoleonic Wars like never before.
©2018 Charles River Editors (P)2018 Charles River EditorsListeners also enjoyed...
-
Wellington's Rifles
- The Origins, Development, and Battles of the Rifle Regiments in the Peninsular War and at Waterloo
- By: Ray Cusick
- Narrated by: Matthew Lloyd Davies
- Length: 8 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Until now there has not been a serious study of the rifle-armed regiments of the British Army that earned such renown in the Peninsular and Waterloo campaigns. Compiled by a former rifleman, Ray Cusick, who has written extensively on the subject, Wellington's Rifles examines the new rifle regiments, how they came about, their development and their actions.
-
-
What could have been
- By Nurhisham Hussein on 09-06-20
By: Ray Cusick
-
British Legends: The Life and Legacy of Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington
- By: Charles River Editors
- Narrated by: Colin Fluxman
- Length: 1 hr and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
By the time of his death, Wellington had been prime minister twice, a shrewd personal advisor to four British monarchs, and one of the nation's most prominent politicians for three decades. Despite his nearly four decades of peacetime service in and out of politics, Wellington has remained one of the titans of the 19th century because of one June day in 1815. Then, as now, the duke of Wellington is best remembered for defeating Napoleon in the famous battle of Waterloo.
-
-
Dry, no depth
- By Anonymous User on 09-18-23
-
Waterloo
- The History of Four Days, Three Armies, and Three Battles
- By: Bernard Cornwell
- Narrated by: Bernard Cornwell, Dugald Bruce Lockhart
- Length: 8 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the New York Times best-selling author comes the definitive history of one of the greatest battles ever fought - a riveting nonfiction chronicle published to commemorate the two-hundredth anniversary of Napoleon's last stand.
-
-
Not a close run thing!
- By carl801 on 05-13-15
By: Bernard Cornwell
-
The Battle of Leipzig: The History and Legacy of the Biggest Battle of the Napoleonic Wars
- By: Charles River Editors
- Narrated by: Phillip J. Mather
- Length: 1 hr and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Two military setbacks, on a scale unprecedented in history, were required before the high tide of Napoleon's success began to ebb towards the final denouement of the Hundred Days and the famous Battle of Waterloo. The failed Russian invasion set the stage for the second defeat at Leipzig, which essentially sealed the fate of Napoleon's empire. The four-day Battle of Leipzig in October 1813, dubbed the "Battle of the Nations", essentially determined the course the Napoleonic Wars took from that moment forward.
-
The Napoleonic Wars
- By: Alexander Mikaberidze
- Narrated by: Steven Crossley
- Length: 35 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Napoleonic Wars saw fighting on an unprecedented scale in Europe and the Americas. It took the wealth of the British Empire, combined with the might of the continental armies, almost two decades to bring down one of the world's greatest military leaders and the empire that he had created. Napoleon's ultimate defeat was to determine the history of Europe for almost 100 years. From the frozen wastelands of Russia, through the brutal fighting in the Peninsula to the blood-soaked battlefield of Waterloo, this book tells the story of the dramatic rise and fall of the Napoleonic Empire.
-
-
No description of battles
- By John Gaston on 01-15-21
-
All the King's Men
- The British Soldier from the Restoration to Waterloo
- By: Saul David
- Narrated by: Sean Barrett
- Length: 18 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The unabridged, downloadable audiobook edition of Saul David's comprehensive history, All the King's Men: The British Soldier from the Restoration to Waterloo, read by the actor Sean Barrett. "The British soldier," wrote a Prussian officer who served with Wellington, "is vigorous, well fed, by nature highly brave and intrepid, trained to the most vigorous discipline, and admirably well-armed...
-
-
A grand epic
- By Mark Henman on 09-03-12
By: Saul David
-
Wellington's Rifles
- The Origins, Development, and Battles of the Rifle Regiments in the Peninsular War and at Waterloo
- By: Ray Cusick
- Narrated by: Matthew Lloyd Davies
- Length: 8 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Until now there has not been a serious study of the rifle-armed regiments of the British Army that earned such renown in the Peninsular and Waterloo campaigns. Compiled by a former rifleman, Ray Cusick, who has written extensively on the subject, Wellington's Rifles examines the new rifle regiments, how they came about, their development and their actions.
-
-
What could have been
- By Nurhisham Hussein on 09-06-20
By: Ray Cusick
-
British Legends: The Life and Legacy of Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington
- By: Charles River Editors
- Narrated by: Colin Fluxman
- Length: 1 hr and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
By the time of his death, Wellington had been prime minister twice, a shrewd personal advisor to four British monarchs, and one of the nation's most prominent politicians for three decades. Despite his nearly four decades of peacetime service in and out of politics, Wellington has remained one of the titans of the 19th century because of one June day in 1815. Then, as now, the duke of Wellington is best remembered for defeating Napoleon in the famous battle of Waterloo.
-
-
Dry, no depth
- By Anonymous User on 09-18-23
-
Waterloo
- The History of Four Days, Three Armies, and Three Battles
- By: Bernard Cornwell
- Narrated by: Bernard Cornwell, Dugald Bruce Lockhart
- Length: 8 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the New York Times best-selling author comes the definitive history of one of the greatest battles ever fought - a riveting nonfiction chronicle published to commemorate the two-hundredth anniversary of Napoleon's last stand.
-
-
Not a close run thing!
- By carl801 on 05-13-15
By: Bernard Cornwell
-
The Battle of Leipzig: The History and Legacy of the Biggest Battle of the Napoleonic Wars
- By: Charles River Editors
- Narrated by: Phillip J. Mather
- Length: 1 hr and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Two military setbacks, on a scale unprecedented in history, were required before the high tide of Napoleon's success began to ebb towards the final denouement of the Hundred Days and the famous Battle of Waterloo. The failed Russian invasion set the stage for the second defeat at Leipzig, which essentially sealed the fate of Napoleon's empire. The four-day Battle of Leipzig in October 1813, dubbed the "Battle of the Nations", essentially determined the course the Napoleonic Wars took from that moment forward.
-
The Napoleonic Wars
- By: Alexander Mikaberidze
- Narrated by: Steven Crossley
- Length: 35 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Napoleonic Wars saw fighting on an unprecedented scale in Europe and the Americas. It took the wealth of the British Empire, combined with the might of the continental armies, almost two decades to bring down one of the world's greatest military leaders and the empire that he had created. Napoleon's ultimate defeat was to determine the history of Europe for almost 100 years. From the frozen wastelands of Russia, through the brutal fighting in the Peninsula to the blood-soaked battlefield of Waterloo, this book tells the story of the dramatic rise and fall of the Napoleonic Empire.
-
-
No description of battles
- By John Gaston on 01-15-21
-
All the King's Men
- The British Soldier from the Restoration to Waterloo
- By: Saul David
- Narrated by: Sean Barrett
- Length: 18 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The unabridged, downloadable audiobook edition of Saul David's comprehensive history, All the King's Men: The British Soldier from the Restoration to Waterloo, read by the actor Sean Barrett. "The British soldier," wrote a Prussian officer who served with Wellington, "is vigorous, well fed, by nature highly brave and intrepid, trained to the most vigorous discipline, and admirably well-armed...
-
-
A grand epic
- By Mark Henman on 09-03-12
By: Saul David
-
Crucible of War
- The Seven Years' War and the Fate of Empire in British North America, 1754-1766
- By: Fred Anderson
- Narrated by: Paul Woodson
- Length: 29 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this vivid and compelling narrative, the Seven Years' War - long seen as a mere backdrop to the American Revolution - takes on a whole new significance. Relating the history of the war as it developed, Anderson shows how the complex array of forces brought into conflict helped both to create Britain's empire and to sow the seeds of its eventual dissolution. Beginning with a skirmish in the Pennsylvania backcountry involving an inexperienced George Washington, the Iroquois chief Tanaghrisson, and the ill-fated French emissary Jumonville, Anderson reveals a chain of events that would lead to world conflagration.
-
-
A Detailed History
- By Daniel on 07-15-18
By: Fred Anderson
-
Waterloo: The Campaign of 1815
- From Elba to Ligny and Quatre Bras Volume I
- By: John Hussey
- Narrated by: Ric Jerrom
- Length: 34 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The first of two ground-breaking volumes on the Waterloo campaign, this audiobook is based upon a detailed analysis of sources old and new in four languages. It highlights the political stresses between the Allies, the problems of feeding and paying for the Allied forces assembling in Belgium during the undeclared war and how a strategy was thrashed out. It studies the neglected topic of how the Allies beyond the Rhine hampered the plans of Blücher and Wellington, thus allowing Napoleon to snatch the initiative from them.
-
-
Excellent: Where is Volume 2
- By History Reader on 12-11-20
By: John Hussey
-
The Old Lion
- A Novel of Theodore Roosevelt
- By: Jeff Shaara
- Narrated by: Paul Michael
- Length: 15 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In one of his most accomplished, compelling novels yet, acclaimed New York Times bestseller Jeff Shaara accomplishes what only the finest historical fiction can do: He brings to life one of the most consequential figures in U.S. history—Theodore Roosevelt—peeling back the many-layered history of the man and the country he personified.
-
-
Novel of a Great Man
- By William Bas on 05-19-23
By: Jeff Shaara
-
The Last King of America
- The Misunderstood Reign of George III
- By: Andrew Roberts
- Narrated by: Phillipe Stevens
- Length: 36 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Most Americans dismiss George III as a buffoon - a heartless and terrible monarch with few, if any, redeeming qualities. The best-known modern interpretation of him is Jonathan Groff's preening, spitting, and pompous take in Hamilton, Lin-Manuel Miranda's Broadway masterpiece. But this deeply unflattering characterization is rooted in the prejudiced and brilliantly persuasive opinions of 18th-century revolutionaries. After combing through hundreds of thousands of pages of never-before-published correspondence, award-winning historian Andrew Roberts has uncovered the truth.
-
-
Fantastic .. a proud defense of George III
- By Wyatt on 11-12-21
By: Andrew Roberts
-
Andrew Jackson and the Miracle of New Orleans
- The Battle That Shaped America's Destiny
- By: Brian Kilmeade, Don Yaeger
- Narrated by: Brian Kilmeade
- Length: 5 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When the British fought the young United States during the War of 1812, they knew that taking the mouth of the Mississippi River was the key to crippling their former colony. Capturing the city of New Orleans and stopping trade up the river sounded like a simple task - New Orleans was far away from Washington, out of sight and out of mind for the politicians. What the British didn't count on was the power of General Andrew Jackson.
-
-
This was new to me War 1812
- By Suz on 10-27-17
By: Brian Kilmeade, and others
-
The Battle of Verdun: A Captivating Guide to the Longest and Largest Battle of World War 1
- By: Captivating History
- Narrated by: Desmond Manny
- Length: 1 hr and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Today, the landscape is marked by shell craters, pillboxes, and empty trenches. Mother Nature has tried to reclaim the terrain; the trees have grown again, and the ground is covered by lush green grass, but despite her best efforts, the scars on the landscape still remain, a constant reminder of the devastation and misery that was experienced here more than a century ago.
-
-
Read like a Wiki article
- By Roger Evans on 04-02-19
-
Betrayal at Little Gibraltar
- A German Fortress, a Treacherous American General, and the Battle to End World War I
- By: William Walker
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 11 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The year is 1918. German engineers have fortified Montfaucon, a rocky butte in Northern France, with bunkers, tunnels, trenches, and a top-secret observatory capable of directing artillery shells across the battlefield. Following a number of unsuccessful attacks, the French deem Montfaucon impregnable and dub it the Little Gibraltar of the Western Front. Capturing it is a key to success for AEF commander in chief John J. Pershing's 1.2 million troops.
-
-
Compelling narrative, meticulous research
- By JKW on 07-18-16
By: William Walker
-
Washington's Crossing
- By: David Hackett Fischer
- Narrated by: Nelson Runger
- Length: 18 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This New York Times best seller is a thrilling account of one of the most pivotal moments in United States history. Six months after the Declaration of Independence, America was nearly defeated. Then on Christmas night, George Washington led his men across the Delaware River to destroy the Hessians at Trenton. A week later Americans held off a counterattack, and in a brilliant tactical move, Washington crept behind the British army to win another victory. The momentum had reversed.
-
-
Particularly Good Military History
- By William on 10-11-04
-
A Frozen Hell
- The Russo-Finnish Winter War of 1939-1940
- By: William R. Trotter
- Narrated by: Matthew Lloyd Davies
- Length: 11 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1939, tiny Finland waged war - the kind of war that spawns legends - against the mighty Soviet Union, and yet, their epic struggle has been largely ignored. Guerrillas on skis, heroic single-handed attacks on tanks, unfathomable endurance, and the charismatic leadership of one of this century's true military geniuses - these are the elements of both the Finnish victory and a gripping tale of war.
-
-
Causes and consequences of ruso-finish 1939 war
- By William R. Todd-Mancillas (Name includes hyphen and capitalized M). on 04-06-18
-
Washington's Immortals
- The Untold Story of an Elite Regiment Who Changed the Course of the Revolution
- By: Patrick K. O’Donnell
- Narrated by: William Hughes
- Length: 13 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In August 1776, a little over a month after the Continental Congress had formally declared independence from Britain, the revolution was on the verge of a sudden and disastrous end. General George Washington found his troops outmanned and outmaneuvered at the Battle of Brooklyn, and it looked like there was no escape. But thanks to a series of desperate rear-guard attacks by a single heroic regiment, famously known as the Immortal 400, Washington was able to evacuate his men, and the nascent Continental Army lived to fight another day.
-
-
Spectacular
- By Robert Everman on 04-26-16
-
Devil of a Whipping
- The Battle of Cowpens
- By: Lawrence Babits
- Narrated by: Knighton Bliss
- Length: 7 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The battle of Cowpens was a crucial turning point in the Revolutionary War in the South and stands as perhaps the finest American tactical demonstration of the entire war. On January 17, 1781, Daniel Morgan's force of Continental troops and militia routed British regulars and Loyalists under the command of Banastre Tarleton. The victory at Cowpens helped put the British army on the road to the Yorktown surrender and, ultimately, cleared the way for American independence.
-
-
Don't forget the reference downloads!
- By Jeff on 01-22-10
By: Lawrence Babits
-
The Allure of Battle
- A History of How Wars Have Been Won and Lost
- By: Cathal J. Nolan
- Narrated by: Julian Elfer
- Length: 25 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
History has tended to measure war's winners and losers in terms of its major engagements, battles in which the result was so clear-cut that they could be considered "decisive". Cannae, Konigsberg, Austerlitz, Midway, Agincourt - all resonate in the literature of war and in our imaginations as tide-turning. But these legendary battles may or may not have determined the final outcome of the wars in which they were fought. Cathal J. Nolan's The Allure of Battle systematically and engrossingly examines the great battles, tracing what he calls "short-war thinking".
-
-
Missing important facts and not well researched
- By Andrew on 02-24-18
By: Cathal J. Nolan
Related to this topic
-
All the King's Men
- The British Soldier from the Restoration to Waterloo
- By: Saul David
- Narrated by: Sean Barrett
- Length: 18 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The unabridged, downloadable audiobook edition of Saul David's comprehensive history, All the King's Men: The British Soldier from the Restoration to Waterloo, read by the actor Sean Barrett. "The British soldier," wrote a Prussian officer who served with Wellington, "is vigorous, well fed, by nature highly brave and intrepid, trained to the most vigorous discipline, and admirably well-armed...
-
-
A grand epic
- By Mark Henman on 09-03-12
By: Saul David
-
Washington's Immortals
- The Untold Story of an Elite Regiment Who Changed the Course of the Revolution
- By: Patrick K. O’Donnell
- Narrated by: William Hughes
- Length: 13 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In August 1776, a little over a month after the Continental Congress had formally declared independence from Britain, the revolution was on the verge of a sudden and disastrous end. General George Washington found his troops outmanned and outmaneuvered at the Battle of Brooklyn, and it looked like there was no escape. But thanks to a series of desperate rear-guard attacks by a single heroic regiment, famously known as the Immortal 400, Washington was able to evacuate his men, and the nascent Continental Army lived to fight another day.
-
-
Spectacular
- By Robert Everman on 04-26-16
-
The Battle of Leipzig: The History and Legacy of the Biggest Battle of the Napoleonic Wars
- By: Charles River Editors
- Narrated by: Phillip J. Mather
- Length: 1 hr and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Two military setbacks, on a scale unprecedented in history, were required before the high tide of Napoleon's success began to ebb towards the final denouement of the Hundred Days and the famous Battle of Waterloo. The failed Russian invasion set the stage for the second defeat at Leipzig, which essentially sealed the fate of Napoleon's empire. The four-day Battle of Leipzig in October 1813, dubbed the "Battle of the Nations", essentially determined the course the Napoleonic Wars took from that moment forward.
-
Devil of a Whipping
- The Battle of Cowpens
- By: Lawrence Babits
- Narrated by: Knighton Bliss
- Length: 7 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The battle of Cowpens was a crucial turning point in the Revolutionary War in the South and stands as perhaps the finest American tactical demonstration of the entire war. On January 17, 1781, Daniel Morgan's force of Continental troops and militia routed British regulars and Loyalists under the command of Banastre Tarleton. The victory at Cowpens helped put the British army on the road to the Yorktown surrender and, ultimately, cleared the way for American independence.
-
-
Don't forget the reference downloads!
- By Jeff on 01-22-10
By: Lawrence Babits
-
The Allure of Battle
- A History of How Wars Have Been Won and Lost
- By: Cathal J. Nolan
- Narrated by: Julian Elfer
- Length: 25 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
History has tended to measure war's winners and losers in terms of its major engagements, battles in which the result was so clear-cut that they could be considered "decisive". Cannae, Konigsberg, Austerlitz, Midway, Agincourt - all resonate in the literature of war and in our imaginations as tide-turning. But these legendary battles may or may not have determined the final outcome of the wars in which they were fought. Cathal J. Nolan's The Allure of Battle systematically and engrossingly examines the great battles, tracing what he calls "short-war thinking".
-
-
Missing important facts and not well researched
- By Andrew on 02-24-18
By: Cathal J. Nolan
-
The Face of Battle
- By: John Keegan
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 11 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this major and wholly original contribution to military history, John Keegan reverses the usual convention of writing about war in terms of generals and nations in conflict, which tends to leave the common soldier as cipher. Instead, he focuses on what a set battle is like for the man in the thick of it.
-
-
Amazing! But probably better in print.
- By D. Martin on 04-20-13
By: John Keegan
-
All the King's Men
- The British Soldier from the Restoration to Waterloo
- By: Saul David
- Narrated by: Sean Barrett
- Length: 18 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The unabridged, downloadable audiobook edition of Saul David's comprehensive history, All the King's Men: The British Soldier from the Restoration to Waterloo, read by the actor Sean Barrett. "The British soldier," wrote a Prussian officer who served with Wellington, "is vigorous, well fed, by nature highly brave and intrepid, trained to the most vigorous discipline, and admirably well-armed...
-
-
A grand epic
- By Mark Henman on 09-03-12
By: Saul David
-
Washington's Immortals
- The Untold Story of an Elite Regiment Who Changed the Course of the Revolution
- By: Patrick K. O’Donnell
- Narrated by: William Hughes
- Length: 13 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In August 1776, a little over a month after the Continental Congress had formally declared independence from Britain, the revolution was on the verge of a sudden and disastrous end. General George Washington found his troops outmanned and outmaneuvered at the Battle of Brooklyn, and it looked like there was no escape. But thanks to a series of desperate rear-guard attacks by a single heroic regiment, famously known as the Immortal 400, Washington was able to evacuate his men, and the nascent Continental Army lived to fight another day.
-
-
Spectacular
- By Robert Everman on 04-26-16
-
The Battle of Leipzig: The History and Legacy of the Biggest Battle of the Napoleonic Wars
- By: Charles River Editors
- Narrated by: Phillip J. Mather
- Length: 1 hr and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Two military setbacks, on a scale unprecedented in history, were required before the high tide of Napoleon's success began to ebb towards the final denouement of the Hundred Days and the famous Battle of Waterloo. The failed Russian invasion set the stage for the second defeat at Leipzig, which essentially sealed the fate of Napoleon's empire. The four-day Battle of Leipzig in October 1813, dubbed the "Battle of the Nations", essentially determined the course the Napoleonic Wars took from that moment forward.
-
Devil of a Whipping
- The Battle of Cowpens
- By: Lawrence Babits
- Narrated by: Knighton Bliss
- Length: 7 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The battle of Cowpens was a crucial turning point in the Revolutionary War in the South and stands as perhaps the finest American tactical demonstration of the entire war. On January 17, 1781, Daniel Morgan's force of Continental troops and militia routed British regulars and Loyalists under the command of Banastre Tarleton. The victory at Cowpens helped put the British army on the road to the Yorktown surrender and, ultimately, cleared the way for American independence.
-
-
Don't forget the reference downloads!
- By Jeff on 01-22-10
By: Lawrence Babits
-
The Allure of Battle
- A History of How Wars Have Been Won and Lost
- By: Cathal J. Nolan
- Narrated by: Julian Elfer
- Length: 25 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
History has tended to measure war's winners and losers in terms of its major engagements, battles in which the result was so clear-cut that they could be considered "decisive". Cannae, Konigsberg, Austerlitz, Midway, Agincourt - all resonate in the literature of war and in our imaginations as tide-turning. But these legendary battles may or may not have determined the final outcome of the wars in which they were fought. Cathal J. Nolan's The Allure of Battle systematically and engrossingly examines the great battles, tracing what he calls "short-war thinking".
-
-
Missing important facts and not well researched
- By Andrew on 02-24-18
By: Cathal J. Nolan
-
The Face of Battle
- By: John Keegan
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 11 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this major and wholly original contribution to military history, John Keegan reverses the usual convention of writing about war in terms of generals and nations in conflict, which tends to leave the common soldier as cipher. Instead, he focuses on what a set battle is like for the man in the thick of it.
-
-
Amazing! But probably better in print.
- By D. Martin on 04-20-13
By: John Keegan
-
George Washington's Surprise Attack
- A New Look at the Battle that Decided the Fate of America
- By: Phillip Thomas Tucker
- Narrated by: Dennis Holland
- Length: 27 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Like many historical events, the American Revolution is sometimes overlooked, ignored, or minimized by historians due to being shrouded in romantic myth and stubborn stereotypes. Here historian Phillip Thomas Tucker provides an in-depth look at the events of the Battle of Trenton, weeding out fiction and legend and presenting new insights and analysis.
-
-
Unbearably Tedious
- By Barry on 05-10-14
-
The Training Ground
- Grant, Lee, Sherman, and Davis in the Mexican War 1846-1848
- By: Martin Dugard
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 11 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Nearly all of the Civil War's greatest soldiers - Grant, Lee, Sherman, Davis, and Jackson - were forged in the heat of the Mexican War. This is their story. At this fascinating juncture of American history, a group of young men came together to fight as friends - only, years later, to fight again as enemies.
-
-
Another great Mexican War Book
- By William on 07-14-08
By: Martin Dugard
-
The Battle of Verdun: A Captivating Guide to the Longest and Largest Battle of World War 1
- By: Captivating History
- Narrated by: Desmond Manny
- Length: 1 hr and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Today, the landscape is marked by shell craters, pillboxes, and empty trenches. Mother Nature has tried to reclaim the terrain; the trees have grown again, and the ground is covered by lush green grass, but despite her best efforts, the scars on the landscape still remain, a constant reminder of the devastation and misery that was experienced here more than a century ago.
-
-
Read like a Wiki article
- By Roger Evans on 04-02-19
-
Pickett's Charge
- A New Look at Gettysburg's Final Attack
- By: Phillip Thomas Tucker PhD
- Narrated by: Eric Jason Martin
- Length: 19 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Pickett's Charge is a detailed analysis of one of the most iconic and defining events in American history. This book presents a much-needed fresh look, including the unvarnished truths and ugly realities, about the unforgettable story. With the luxury of hindsight, historians have long denounced the folly of Lee's attack, but this work reveals the tactical brilliance of a master plan that went awry. Special emphasis is placed on the common soldiers on both sides, especially the non-Virginia attackers outside of Pickett's Virginia Division.
-
-
Worst CW book ever. Can't rate it low enough. It deserves negative 5 stars in all categories
- By rbergen on 05-10-18
-
A Warrior Dynasty
- The Rise and Fall of Sweden as a Military Superpower 1611-1721
- By: Henrik O. Lunde
- Narrated by: Mark Ashby
- Length: 10 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This audiobook examines the meteoric rise of Sweden as the pre-eminent military power in Europe during the Thirty Years War during the 1600s, and then follows its line of warrior kings into the next century until the Swedes finally meet their demise, in an overreach into the vastness of Russia. A small Scandinavian nation, with at most one and a half million people and scant internal resources of its own, there was small logic to how Sweden could become the dominant power on the Continent.
-
-
An author with an idea but not the skills
- By chris loomis on 08-07-15
By: Henrik O. Lunde
-
The Longest Afternoon
- The 400 Men Who Decided the Battle of Waterloo
- By: Brendan Simms
- Narrated by: Michael Page
- Length: 3 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1815 deposed emperor Napoleon returned to France and threatened the already devastated and exhausted continent with yet another war. Near the small Belgian municipality of Waterloo, two large, hastily mobilized armies faced each other to decide the future of Europe--Napoleon's forces on one side, and the Duke of Wellington's on the other.
-
-
The Germans Won Waterloo
- By Michael on 07-08-15
By: Brendan Simms
-
Moment of Battle
- The Twenty Clashes That Changed the World
- By: James Lacey, Williamson Murray
- Narrated by: Kevin Foley
- Length: 15 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the great clashes of antiquity to the high-tech wars of the twenty-first century, here are the stories of the twenty most consequential battles ever fought, including Marathon, where Greece's "greatest generation" repelled Persian forces three times their numbers-and saved Western civilization in its infancy.
-
-
In Depth
- By L. Sands on 09-26-16
By: James Lacey, and others
-
A History of War in 100 Battles
- By: Richard Overy
- Narrated by: Steven Crossley
- Length: 16 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The object of this audiobook is to introduce listeners to a whole range of military history which has all the drama, dangers, horrors and excitement that we associate with Stalingrad or the Somme. Battles are acute moments of history whenever and wherever they have been fought. Through them we can understand how warfare and world history have evolved. Choosing just 100 battles from recorded human history is a challenge.
-
-
Fascinating perspective o war
- By Roscoe's Masked Avenger on 12-22-16
By: Richard Overy
-
Texian Iliad: A Military History of the Texas Revolution
- Texas Classics
- By: Stephen L. Hardin
- Narrated by: A.T. Chandler
- Length: 8 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Hardly were the last shots fired at the Alamo before the Texas Revolution entered the realm of myth and controversy. French visitor Frederic Gaillardet called it a "Texian Iliad" in 1839, while American Theodore Sedgwick pronounced the war and its resulting legends "almost burlesque."
-
-
Author writes history from a biased view
- By Greg Wilkinson on 04-24-19
-
For God and Kaiser
- The Imperial Austrian Army, 1619-1918
- By: Richard Bassett
- Narrated by: Aaron Blain
- Length: 28 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The definitive history of Austria’s multinational army and its immense role during three centuries of European military history. Among the finest examples of deeply researched military history, For God and Kaiser is a major account of the Habsburg army. It shows how the Imperial Austrian Army, time and again, was a decisive factor in the story of Europe, the balance of international power, and the defense of Christendom...it was the first pan-European army made up of different nationalities and faiths, counting among its soldiers not only Christians but also Muslims, and Jews.
-
-
excellent insight
- By Nicholas on 08-04-19
By: Richard Bassett
-
The American Civil War
- A Military History
- By: John Keegan
- Narrated by: Robin Sachs
- Length: 16 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For the past half century, John Keegan, the greatest military historian of our time, has been returning to the scenes of America’s most bloody and wrenching war to ponder its lingering conundrums: the continuation of fighting for four years between such vastly mismatched sides; the dogged persistence of ill-trained, ill-equipped, and often malnourished combatants; the effective absence of decisive battles among some two to three hundred known to us by name.
-
-
A Novel Approach (As Opposed to Novelistic)
- By margot on 11-18-12
By: John Keegan
-
Long, Obstinate, and Bloody
- By: Lawrence Babits, Joshua Howard
- Narrated by: Rene Ruiz
- Length: 9 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On 15 March 1781, the armies of Nathanael Greene and Lord Charles Cornwallis fought one of the bloodiest and most intense engagements of the American Revolution at the Guilford Courthouse in piedmont North Carolina. Although victorious, Cornwallis declared the conquest of the Carolinas impossible. He made the fateful decision to march into Virginia, eventually leading his army to the Yorktown surrender and clearing the way for American independence.
-
-
Long, Confusing, and Boring
- By Stephen on 02-06-13
By: Lawrence Babits, and others