Wonderful book! Terrible editing and narration.

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Yes, because this is a seminal book in understanding the actual functioning of the British army on campaign in North America during the revolutionary war. Excellent use of first person accounts. Some of the material is dense but it's written clearly. Unfortunately, the narrator was not up to the task of bringing this fascinating account to live. I urge the potential listener to persevere, the content is worth it.

What was one of the most memorable moments of With Zeal and with Bayonets Only?

There is no single memorable moment. Overall however, Matthew Spring smashes long-held (and erroneous) beliefs about how the British Army conducted warfare when on campaign during the Revolutionary War. The opening chapters and the contemporary accounts cited liberally throughout the book help the reader understand strategy and tactics employed by the British army, how the army adapted to warfare on the North American continent, and why suppression of the revolution was a doomed enterprise from the outset. I might add, that to me at least, there appear to be obvious parallels between the British strategy and tactics, the rebel response, the geographical and physical context of the war, and the US prosecution of the war in Vietnam.

How could the performance have been better?

This book deserves a better narrator. Non-fiction history requires oral reading skills that the narrator does not possess. The major flaw with this performance is that about the beginning of Chapter Nine (a couple of hours into the second download) the Editors were asleep at the wheel. As a result, the listener will hear 30-45 minutes of the narrator stopping, starting, repeating words and phrases, stumbling over names, trying several different inflections, clearing his throat, making side comments, and the like. It's clear that either no one at the production company listened to the whole book, or they mistakenly uploaded the wrong version. I simply had to skip much of that chapter. Were I the author, I'd be foaming at the mouth.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Yes, and it would be an interesting movie too!

Any additional comments?

I've notified Audible about the problems with Chapter Nine, but have not heard back from them. I hope they will put up a properly edited version soon!

5 people found this helpful

Terrible, mechanical narration!

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

It was painful to listen to this book. I thought it was narrated by a robot. I deleted this book before the end.

What did you like best about this story?

The history was great.

What didn’t you like about John Skinner’s performance?

A dreadfully boring narration. PLEASE re-record with another voice. No robots.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

A great documentary in this material.

Any additional comments?

PLEASE re-record with a live narrator!!! Or provide a refund.

3 people found this helpful

they recorded the guy while he was practicing!

great book, but in chapter 13 or 14 you cab hear the narrator messing up, and rereading part of the chapter lol

2 people found this helpful

Excellent Book, TERRIBLE Narration

Would you try another book from Matthew H. Spring and/or John Skinner?

I loved the book; I have it on my Kindle. I read more of Spring's books. The Narration was terrible, wooden, blocky, WORSE than a computer voice. I would rarther have the Kindle computer voice read than this Narration. I cannot listen to this!

What other book might you compare With Zeal and with Bayonets Only to and why?

I love the book,

Would you be willing to try another one of John Skinner’s performances?

The Narration was Terrible. I have 200 + Audible titles. This is the WORST Reading ever. NO do not get a Skinner reading.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from With Zeal and with Bayonets Only?

I would not cut from the book, but i would change the Reader.

Any additional comments?

This was BAD!

2 people found this helpful

The editing is terrible at the the 13 hour mark.

I struggled to finish this book. It's a dry book, I came in with that anticipation, but it's a topic I have a great deal of interest and I was able to adjust to to the narrator being a bit robotic and gained the knowledge and learning I was looking for. until I hit about the 13 hour mark where the editing ceases. The narrator begins regularly clearing his throat, coughing, at one point he states, "I need water." and "That's not even a word." That is a problem with editing. It continues for approximately 45 minutes. it was excruciatingly painful. That section needs to be fixed. I will be seeking a refund.

Very disappointing

This audio book was disappointing. It spent too much time discussing minutiae of the British army often in battles that are largely unknown to people familiar with the battles of the revolutionary war. Virtually no time on analysis of leadership and strategy or personalities of British leadership/campaign objectives. Chapter 8/13 was the worst audio segment I have heard with it sounding like a stuck recording and the narrator clearing his throat/repeating himself. I would not recommend this audio book to others

Very informative, awful narrator.

Great book and very informative, however the narrator was very dull and the and the reading was not edited in about the 14th chapter when the narrator struggled for about 5 minutes stumbling over words and even commenting that he needed a drink of water. overall it was a great book.

Where Was The Editor?

Around the 3hr 30min remaining mark there is no editing. It was humorous in the beginning when the narrator stumbled, cleared his throat, asked for water, messed up over and over again, restarted over and over and over, but after several minutes it becomes very tiring. I returned this book, the only one I have ever exercised that option to do so.

narration was robotic and unemotional unfortunatel

narration was slow and robotic and unfortunately unemotional. the listening of this book stopped after 1 chapter very sad