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Adolf Hitler

My Part in His Downfall

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Adolf Hitler

By: Spike Milligan
Narrated by: Spike Milligan
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About this listen

Penguin presents the unabridged, downloadable audiobook edition of Adolf Hitler: My Part in His Downfall, written and read by Spike Milligan.

At Victoria station the R.T.O. gave me a travel warrant, a white feather and a picture of Hitler marked 'This is your enemy'. I searched every compartment, but he wasn't on the train....

In this, the first of Spike Milligan's uproarious recollections of life in the army, our hero takes us from the outbreak of war in 1939 ('it must have been something we said') through his attempts to avoid enlistment ('time for my appendicitis, I thought') and his gunner training in Bexhill ('there was one drawback. No ammunition') to the landing at Algiers in 1943 ('I closed my eyes and faced the sun. I fell down a hatchway').

Filled with bathos, pathos and gales of ribald laughter, this is a barely sane helping of military goonery and superlative Milliganese.

©2015 Spike Milligan (P)2015 Penguin Audio Entertainment & Celebrities Historical Military Military & War World War II Celebrity War
All stars
Most relevant  
I originally read Spike’s book back in the mid 70’s. But listening to it this time, with Spike actually narrating, still elicits a good laugh. Actually just hearing the mirth in Spikes voice building before the delivery make the laughter totally uncontrollable.

Timeless

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This is a true depiction of so many characters at the beginning of the war seen through Pickwickian eyes of a man who finds the goodness in the absurdity of life. Whenever I get depressed I listen to Spike he shows me how to laugh again. There are also subtle allusions to the darker sides of war but he deliberately suppresses despair and marches on, drinking and playing jazz and laughing at fart jokes. If I had to go to war I’d love to be stuck in a trench with Spike.

“A Canadian poured a beer in my saxophone”

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I have read this a few times but to hear it in Milligans own voice was priceless.

Wonderful

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I've rated this highly because Milligan voices it, and I loved his writing, The Goons, and Beachcomber. His reading doesn't quite measure up; over inflected, and his mouth keeps going dry and you can hear it.

A lovely book, and so good to hear Spike's voice

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I read this book as a teenager and remembered it as being much funnier than it actually is. it is excellent to hear Spike Milligan though

Very nostalgic

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Would you try another book written by Spike Milligan or narrated by Spike Milligan?

No - there are several more in this series, but I won't be buying them

What was one of the most memorable moments of Adolf Hitler?

What were memorable moments in the book as read were not memorable in the recitation ... very little really caught my attention, except the annoyance.

How could the performance have been better?

Authors should not read their own books; Milligan's presentation was marred by too much 'Goonism'; sniggering before a funny story - telegraphing that it was a funny story. Breathless recitation of anecdote as he tried to suppress his own laughter at stories which were funnier to him than me as audience.

Was Adolf Hitler worth the listening time?

Not really, I persevered because i had no internet access to download another book

Any additional comments?

I know from experience with others that I find authors reading their own work a distraction from the work; I had hoped for better; I was disappointed.

Authors should not read their own books

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Not as good as his audio version which is still available on You Tube. Disappointing.

Dissapointing

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