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Lonely Vigil
- Coastwatchers of the Solomons
- Narrated by: Norman Dietz
- Length: 11 hrs and 54 mins
- Categories: History, Military
Non-member price: $34.76
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Publisher's Summary
From the best-selling author of Day of Infamy: In the bloodiest island combat of WWII, one group of men kept watch from behind Japanese lines.
The Solomon Islands was where the Allied war machine finally broke the Japanese empire. As pilots, marines, and sailors fought for supremacy in Guadalcanal, Bougainville, and the Slot, a lonely group of radio operators occupied the Solomon Islands' highest points. Sometimes encamped in comfort, sometimes exposed to the elements, these coastwatchers kept lookout for squadrons of Japanese bombers headed for Allied positions, holding their own positions even when enemy troops swarmed all around.
They were Australian-born but Solomon-raised, and adept at survival in the unforgiving jungle environment. Through daring and insight, they stayed one step ahead of the Japanese, often sacrificing themselves to give advance warning of an attack.
In Lonely Vigil, Walter Lord, the number one New York Times best-selling author of A Night to Remember and The Miracle of Dunkirk, tells of the survivors of the campaign and what they risked to win the war in the Pacific.
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What listeners say about Lonely Vigil
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Anonymous User
- 19-01-2019
Excellent insight into the Coastwatchers
Enjoyed this audio very much. Narration was pretty good, some of the pronunciation a bit strange to Australian ears but not to bad. Would recommend to anyone with an interest in the war in the South Pacific.
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- Charles N. Ward
- 25-03-2019
Fantastic story, difficult narration.
Not sure if it’s editing or the author himself (really it’s both) but the narration was performed in a monotone voice that was edited so that all the sentences would run on to eachother. The real saving grace is the content itself. Very interesting story.
1 person found this helpful
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- Luis
- 31-10-2020
took a while to get into the story but was good
It took a while to get into the story but was good. At the beginning I did not like the readers voice but got use to it and it fit the story telling.
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- Michael
- 09-11-2019
One of the best books about a little known group of brave men.
If you are even remotely interested in World War 2 and some of the backstories of the war in the Pacific, this book is a must read/listen.
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- David
- 10-03-2019
Re: Outstanding history
This is an outstanding history of the Coastwatcher's subject, it's history and important during the critical span of December 1941 to mid-1944. The narration is easy to follow and a joy to hear throughout.
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- wilmacan
- 27-06-2020
Excellent book; great performance
This book provides a thorough and detailed coverage of the Coastwatchers. It's extrememly well-written and covers the human side of lives of these brave souls, as well as all the factual details of their operational tasks that one could want. This certainly isn't a dry history book. The narration is also good - albeit that the narrator has something of a caricature American drawl. I'd have preferred it if I had the maps to hand, because that would have increased my understanding of the strategies. Absolutey, highly recommended.
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