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The Pathfinders
- The Elite RAF Force That Turned the Tide of WWII
- Narrated by: Richard Burnip
- Length: 16 hrs and 17 mins
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The Pathfinders
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Summary
Brought to you by Penguin.
Military History Matters Book of the Year Bronze Award Winner
The incredible story of the crack team of men and women who transformed RAF Bomber Command and helped the Allies deliver decisive victory over Nazi Germany.
The Pathfinders were ordinary men and women from a range of nations who revolutionised the efficiency of the Allies' air campaign over mainland Europe. They elevated Bomber Command—initially the only part of the Allied war effort capable of attacking the heart of Nazi Germany—from an impotent force on the cusp of disintegration in 1942 to one capable of razing whole German cities to the ground in a single night, striking with devastating accuracy, inspiring fear and loathing in Hitler's senior command.
With exclusive interviews with remaining survivors, personal diaries and previously classified records, The Pathfinders brings to life the characters of the airmen and women—many barely out of their teens—who took to the skies in legendary British aircraft such as the Lancaster and the Mosquito, facing almost unimaginable levels of violence from enemy fighter planes to strike at the heart of the Nazi war machine.
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What listeners say about The Pathfinders
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- tillymax
- 01-05-22
A Little known group within Bomber Command
This book is a terrific listen on audible. A story of a group formed from within Bomber command to improve on the targeting accuracy at a time when if the bombs fell within 5 miles of the target you were lucky.
The book has everything, bravery, determination, commitment, disappointment. So many human interest stories involving love and loss. The appalling casualties of bombers and bombed. The politics of the time are brought to light in what seems to me to be fair assessments. Throughout the camaraderie of the pathfinders crews shines out for us all to admire
Excellent narration
The author has brought so many stories of the men and women involved to the book that would otherwise have gone unheard.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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- brendan walsh
- 28-09-21
A little Gem
I loved it, 11 words to describe a brilliant book, not enough, to describeabrilliantread, marvelous
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- P. Mason
- 05-01-23
Well researched + interesting personal stories
My mother was an air traffic controller at Warboys, a Pathfinder base. The book has helped me understand more about my mother’s service life.
This well researched book describes the history of the Pathfinders including the development of units, the technological developments, the political battles and the effects of using the Pathfinders.
In every section one or two, well chosen, individual, personal stories of how the the developments and the war affect individuals.
The narration is good.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Ruth
- 11-09-21
Fascinating and moving
Having no knowledge or prior interest in the Pathfinders, this excellent book opened my eyes to so much.
What a great debt we owe to these young men now almost all gone. This book told their story plus the bravery of this generation of the young men and women.
We must remember them.
It also highlighted the death and destruction of war.
The narration was perfect for this book. One certainly to listen to again.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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- Mr. S. Hindmarsh
- 08-03-22
Brilliant
Great crafting of personal accounts, technology and politics of the RAF into an intriguing narrative.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Nick Himaras
- 25-01-23
A Hidden Chapter of Heroism and Sacrifice
The author takes us with him to another time where young men and women overcame fears an insecurities, rising to a level of commitment, performance and heroism, which appears fictional today. Their writings, memories and mostly the memorials they created where they fell, tell their story to those who want to listen. This is a seminal work presented in intense, realistic narrative, where the voices of the warriors, their leadrs, those who loved them and the voices of the plain people of the time, on both sides, are heard clearly. The utter despair, needless death, cruelty and hopelessness of war is painted in vivid color. We will remember them...always.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Stephen
- 27-03-22
Revealing history
A well read history of a little known unit and a very revealing insight into the way Harris ran Bomber Command. It's shocking, the way Harris threw away the lives of the aircrew and deliberately killed civilians. In what we are describing in the Ukraine as war crimes, Harris dehoused Germans and devastated cities.
This book will open your eyes as to the life and life expectancy of bomber crews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- David Glasspoole
- 23-08-22
Great book
Very well written and excellent narrative would recommend for anyone interested in aviation, just ask yourself what you were doing at 24 years of age?
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Ollie
- 28-08-22
Eye opening
Great book - would highly recommend. Very informative, easy listening and indeed sad in some places
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- R E DOWNS
- 21-01-22
A wonderful book
A history of the very brave crews of bomber command during the Second World War. Without them the outcome of the conflict may have had a very different outcome.
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