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The Story of World War II

By: Donald L. Miller, Henry Steele Commager
Narrated by: Michael Kramer
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Publisher's Summary

Drawing on previously unpublished eyewitness accounts, prizewinning historian Donald L. Miller has written what critics are calling one of the most powerful accounts of warfare ever published. Here are the horror and heroism of World War II in the words of the men who fought it, the journalists who covered it, and the civilians who were caught in its fury. Miller gives us an up-close, deeply personal view of a war that was more savagely fought - and whose outcome was in greater doubt - than one might imagine. This is the war that Americans on the home front would have read about had they had access to the previously censored testimony of the soldiers on which Miller builds his gripping narrative.

Miller covers the entire war - on land, at sea, and in the air - and provides new coverage of the brutal island fighting in the Pacific, the bomber war over Europe, the liberation of the death camps, and the contributions of African Americans and other minorities. He concludes with a suspenseful, never-before-told story of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, based on interviews with the men who flew the mission that ended the war.

Donald L. Miller is the John Henry MacCracken Professor of History at Lafayette College. He is a creator and associate producer of the HBO documentary He Has Seen War and has been chief consultant for numerous award-winning PBS productions. He is author of the prizewinning City of the Century: The Epic of Chicago and the Making of America.

©1945 Henry Steele Commager; renewed by Lou Reda Productions and Mary Steele Commager. Revisions; and introduction 2001 by Donald L. Miller (P)2012 Blackstone Audio, Inc.
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History

Critic Reviews

"This is the book that deserves to be titled The Story of World War II...." (James Bradley, New York Times best-selling author)
"A major publishing event. Donald Miller’s additions to the original account are outstanding, and the total effect is one few readers will ever forget." (David McCullough, Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award-winning author)
"Whenever you do a film, there’s always a book that you want in your hip pocket to settle all questions. The Story of World War II was that book." (Ken Burns, creator of the seven-part documentary The War)

What listeners say about The Story of World War II

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Well presented and written

Easy to listen, good story line. Well narrated. Would recommend it because very well researched.

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Insightful

The book is prefaced as an American view on the Second World War and I’m glad it was done. A beautiful recognition of the unparalleled destruction and death on a macro scale, as well as an exploration of the angst and impact of war on an individual scale. Is a great overview of the perspectives of the Americans who fought and died in Europe, the Atlantic, Africa, the Pacific, and Asia.

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Best Audible Book I've Listened To!

Where does The Story of World War II rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is the best audible book I've listened to!

So well written and so well narrated, I can unreservedly recommend.

(BTW first review I've written having felt compelled to do so given the high quality of this audio book.)

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5 people found this helpful

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Great Read

A great read, detailed with great personalised stories interwoven into the overall history. Top class.

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Brilliant

So many accounts from the people on the front line. Very in depth. American focused to a degree.

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Awsome

Best overview of the war I've ever come across. Everyone should know this story and understand the sacrifices and horrors of war.

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Heart Breaking

Let us never forget the ultimate sacrifice these men and women have made for our freedom! I salute you all, fallen enemy and Allies!!

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Thank you for these accounts, thank you

Thank you for all the accounts collected in this book and thank you for bring it onto Audible. For one it's a 26hours of intense listening experience, also I feel my WW2 knowledge has been improved so much after finishing this book. It's really helpful to be able to see things on an different angle during the war. This book had so many forgotten stories of WW2 which should have been taught to us in school. Even by listening to it made me wet my eyes many times. Now it would be hard for me to find a similar book for my next read......

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Well spoken!

What an excellent summary of World War 2. I have learnt a lot from this book. One of the best spoken books I’ve heard so far. If you’re looking for a book to learn about World War 2. I would recommend listening to this!

They should share this knowledge to every school in the world, to avoid further war!

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Gripping

One thing comes round while listening to this book
'Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it’ (George Santayana). '

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