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Unconditional Surrender
- Narrated by: Christian Rodska
- Length: 8 hrs and 17 mins
- Categories: Literature & Fiction, Classics
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Undergoing training on the Isle of Mugg, Guy Crouchback is now attached to a commando unit where the ministry whisky flows freely and HM Forces have to show proper respect to the Laird. But the comedy of Mugg is followed by the bitterness of Crete: the indignity of withdrawal or surrender.
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Guy Crouchback, determined to get into the war, takes a commission in the Royal Corps of Halberdiers. His spirits high, he sees all the trimmings but none of the action. And his first campaign, an abortive affair on the West African coastline, ends with an escapade which seriously blots his Halberdier copybook. Men at Arms is the first book in Waugh’s brilliant trilogy, Sword of Honour, which chronicles the fortunes of Guy Crouchback.
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Summary
Guy Crouchback has lost his Halberdier idealism. A desk job in London gives him the chance of reconciliation with his former wife. Then, in Yugoslavia, as a liaison officer with the partisans, he finally becomes aware of the futility of a war he once saw in terms of honour.
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What listeners say about Unconditional Surrender
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Cassandra
- 18-09-19
Outstanding reading of outstanding novel sequence
This is the final volume in The Sword of Honour Trilogy. This is late Waugh; more considered & more humane than his early satires, but still sharply & mordantly observant of human vanity & folly. While the first two books contain scenes of absurd & surreal humour, the final part of the second book and the whole of the third are much more somber, reflecting on the costs of war ...with truth often the first casualty. Christian Rodska’s narration is excellent - he does the voices so well it’s almost like listening to a dramatisation. Very highly recommended.
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- Ms. S. J. McReynolds
- 02-05-19
Sharp satire but utter poignancy
Confession: I love Waugh's style, themes and devilish sense of the absurd. This is the final expression of his genuius - his best novel that covers the futilty of war, the bizarre machinations of bureaucracy and the promotion of villains and incompetents in all walks of life. Add to this the wonderful characterisations - one-eyed, mad Ritchie-Hook, lunatics Apthorpe and Ludovic, and of course our chivalric, diffident hero - and you have a near perfect mix of comedy and tragedy.
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- Roo
- 12-02-18
Outstanding book
I listened to the BBC Classic serial of the sword of honour trilogy back in the early 1970’s and was hooked on Evelyn Waugh. These were in the days when there were true classics broadcast in several parts rather than the dumbed down fare in two 45 minute sound bites which passes as ‘inform educate and entertain’. To my knowledge this has never been repeated So this unabridged version read by Christian Rodska is a real treat. Excellent.
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- mr t l cooper
- 11-12-17
Superb narration of a masterpiece
Any additional comments?
I cannot imagine the narration being bettered. Waugh's characters come to life, the comic scenes are delivered deadpan and are all the funnier, and overall the pacing is superb. Nor do we lose sight of Guy Crouchback's sad trajectory through the war. One of the best audiobooks I have listened to.
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- Nicholas P.
- 11-09-17
exceptional
again Christian Rodska delivers an exceptional rendition that should serve as a benchmark for all readers and producers.
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- S. L. BESFORD-FOSTER
- 31-03-17
Great story: brilliant narration
Waugh's story captures the fine details of wartime military life and the strange perspective of the British upper classes in well crafted writing. Delivered by Christian Rodska in a brilliant narration - the best I have heard from over 200 books in my collection.