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  • Ardennes 1944

  • Hitler's Last Gamble
  • By: Antony Beevor
  • Narrated by: Sean Barrett
  • Length: 14 hrs and 40 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (632 ratings)
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Ardennes 1944 cover art

Ardennes 1944

By: Antony Beevor
Narrated by: Sean Barrett
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Editor reviews

In complete and unabridged historical audiobook, Ardennes 1944: Hitler's Last Gamble, written by military historian Antony Beevor and narrated by British voice actor Sean Barrett, informs the listener on one of the largest battles of the Second World War, The Ardennes. It has been extremely well-researched by Beevor. Hear about the battle between Hitler’s Wehrmacht Army and the Russian Red Army that led to the divide of Berlin. This book is both hugely informative and deeply moving as over a million men fought for the protection of their families on both sides of a war in its final defeat. Available now from Audible.

Summary

Penguin presents the unabridged, downloadable audiobook edition of Ardennes 1944 by Antony Beever, read by Sean Barrett.

On 16 December 1944, Hitler launched his last gamble in the snow-covered forests and gorges of the Ardennes on the Belgian/German border.

Although Hitler's generals were doubtful of success, younger officers and NCOs were desperate to believe that their homes and families could be saved from the vengeful Red Army approaching from the east. The Ardennes offensive, with more than a million men involved, became the greatest battle of the war in Western Europe.

In January 1945, when the Red Army launched its onslaught towards Berlin, the once-feared German war machine was revealed to be broken beyond repair. The Ardennes was the battle which finally broke the Wehrmacht.

©2015 Anthony Beevor (P)2015 Penguin Audio
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History

What listeners say about Ardennes 1944

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Very good indeed.

This is an excellent listen. Sean Barrett is a very fine narrator whose splendid command of language always pleases, and Antony Beevor takes a subject which has become generally reduced to narratives of the siege of Bastogne and explores it in its entirety. A skilful introduction outlines the state of the war in the west, putting the german attack into context, and introduces all the major players before describing the battle's events in a clear and stimulating manner. Hard to fault and much to enjoy.

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9 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Antony Beevor wins again

Antony Beevor has a unique method of reeling you in , I first read his book Stalingrad and was instantly hooked on his narrative which made a factual story read like a great novel .

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3 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Rather buy the Kindle / Paperback version

This extraordinarily detailed account was (in my mind) largely wasted in an Audio Book format. Without the maps that come in the book, much of the detail - both geography and movements of the various military units - became a confusing string of places and unit names without context. Perhaps a student of the history of WWII would be better able to decipher and picture the unfolding of the battle - unfortunately I was not.

That said, I found the narrative detailing life on the front fascinating and grim - experiences and scenes that are unimaginable in our lives today.

I ended up abandoning the book half-way through, but would certainly turn to a paperback - thoroughly enjoyed Beevor's Stalingrad in that format.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

From Bastogne to Hell and back

Excellent account of one of the most famous offensives of WWII. Excellently read of course from a great narrator. I've doubted the U.S. for a long time but will always be thankful of the major part they played in the final push. Bravo Beevor.

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2 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Fascinating but some issues for an audiobook

Beevor's books are always fascinating. This is no exception.

But there is one large problem with this as an audio book. The text is full of references to villages, towns, topographical features. Naturally. It's really hard to follow without a map.

The audio is good but I felt I might have prefers a printed text.

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2 people found this helpful

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Detailed and absorbing

I'd been meaning to read both Antony Beevor and Max Hastings for quite some time and in fact I read a Hastings book first and found it to be a little dry. Maybe I'm wrong but I think that any male with an interest in the WW2 also has a technical interest in the vehicles, weapons and equipment used; or at least I do. Beevor's books seem to contain the interesting detail so notably absent in Max Hastings books, which I think is important. There's a rich technical history to accompany the historical events and this helps you understand the arms race and the technical as well as personal difficulties encountered by all sides. I found Ardennes 1944 to be incredibly well researched and the main historical thread is interlaced with interesting facts and individual tales of personal heroism and tragedy. Oh, and it's read by the master, Sean Barrett so what more could you want.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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  • J
  • 09-10-15

A Genre Leading Masterpiece

An outstanding and refreshing look at one of the most famous battles which took place during the Second World War. Whilst this is a subject that has been written about numerous times by authors around the world Max Hastings as succeeded in raising the bar with his efforts.

With a balanced and well researched look at the battle of the bugle the author has be extremely successful in avoiding the pitfalls that many have fallen into of focusing purely on the American forces and their successes in stopping the offensive. By using a more balanced approach to this battle Max Hastings has been able to articulate and explain the battle in such a way that is easy to understand and follow without it become a never ending list of unit names and numbers.

I would recommend this audiobook without hesitate to anyone with an interest in military history, especially those with a passion for learning about World War 2.

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Biased.

One-sided account of human egotism where morality it seems applies only to the loosing side.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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Great book

Great book with an easy to follow narrative. Some of the voice actors accents are questionable, especially Sepp Dietrich. But overall very good

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

The best you can do is shake your head and wonder how they did it at all

The only way to sum up the content of this book is to wonder how a bunch of playground bullies and silly old ladies masquerading as generals managed to win a war at all. The book itself is informatie and very detailed. The narator once good is past his best in this one but still manages to give a sense of the incompetence of generals battling as much with one another in a playground game of sulking and pedantry to manage somehow to achieve a decisibe victory. One wonders how they did it but of course desperation and incompetence are what most characterize the second world war. Overall a very good book but it might have been better read.

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