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Morning Star, Midnight Sun
- The Early Guadalcanal-Solomons Campaign of World War II August–October 1942
- Narrated by: Joe Barrett
- Length: 20 hrs and 42 mins
- Categories: History, Asia
Non-member price: $55.66
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By the end of February 1944, thanks to hard-fought and costly American victories in the first and second naval battles of Guadalcanal, the battle of Empress Augusta Bay and the battle of Cape St George, the Japanese would no longer hold the materiel or skilled manpower advantage. From this point on, although the war was still a long way from being won, the American star was unquestionably on the ascendant, slowly, but surely, edging Japanese imperialism towards its sunset.
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In November 1921, the first purpose-built aircraft carrier was launched by the Japanese, followed a year later by the launch of the British Hermes. The conversion of battle cruisers into aircraft carriers after World War I required the consideration of issues including handling aircraft on the flight deck and the techniques of attacking enemy ships, and the evolution of carrier operations was ongoing when World War II broke out.
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A Different and VERY Interesting Viewpoint.
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a very detailed account of Americas pacific war
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Highly recommended
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It's 1942. America have just joined the war. Greyhound, an international convoy of 37 allied ships, is in operation. As Captain Ernest Krause leads his first command of a US destroyer, the convoy ploughs through icy, submarine-infested North Atlantic seas. All the while hotly pursued by wolf packs of Nazi U-boats. Grappling with his newfound superiority and haunting self-doubt in 48 hours of desperate peril, Captain Krause's hopeless mission is doomed to fail. But armed with extraordinary courage and grit, hope may just be on the horizon.
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By the end of February 1944, thanks to hard-fought and costly American victories in the first and second naval battles of Guadalcanal, the battle of Empress Augusta Bay and the battle of Cape St George, the Japanese would no longer hold the materiel or skilled manpower advantage. From this point on, although the war was still a long way from being won, the American star was unquestionably on the ascendant, slowly, but surely, edging Japanese imperialism towards its sunset.
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It's 1942. America have just joined the war. Greyhound, an international convoy of 37 allied ships, is in operation. As Captain Ernest Krause leads his first command of a US destroyer, the convoy ploughs through icy, submarine-infested North Atlantic seas. All the while hotly pursued by wolf packs of Nazi U-boats. Grappling with his newfound superiority and haunting self-doubt in 48 hours of desperate peril, Captain Krause's hopeless mission is doomed to fail. But armed with extraordinary courage and grit, hope may just be on the horizon.
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On 21 July 1942, a large Japanese reconnaissance mission landed along the north-eastern coastline of Papua. It would soon turn into an all-out attempt to capture Port Morseby. This is the powerful story of the three weeks of battle by a small Australian militia force, the 39th Battalion, supported by the 1st Papua Infantry Battalion and the Royal Papuan Constabulary, to keep the Japanese at bay. Outnumbered by at least three to one, they fought courageously to hold the Kokoda Plateau - the gateway to the Owen Stanleys.
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Thanks
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very good
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Under the leadership of her fearless skipper, Captain Gene Fluckey, the Barb sank the greatest tonnage of any American sub in World War II. At the same time, the Barb did far more than merely sink ships-she changed forever the way submarines stalk and kill their prey.
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Throughout history, military engagements have altered the course of historical events. In these 36 dynamic lectures, Professor Aldrete leads you in discovering the military conflicts that have had the greatest impact in shifting the direction of events and defining our world. Across 4,000 years of history, you'll explore nearly 40 key military engagements, from the milestone battles of Western civilization to their counterparts in the Middle East, India, and Asia.
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In 1944, David Render was a 19-year-old second lieutenant fresh from Sandhurst when he was sent to France. Joining the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry five days after the D-Day landings, the combat-hardened men he was sent to command did not expect him to last long. However, in the following weeks of ferocious fighting in which more than 90 per cent of his fellow tank commanders became casualties, his ability to emerge unscathed from countless combat engagements earned him the nickname of the 'Inevitable Mr Render'.
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A great story
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When Guy Sajer joins the infantry full of ideals in the summer of 1942, the German army is enjoying unparalleled success in Russia. However, he quickly finds that for the foot soldier the glory of military success hides a much harsher reality of hunger, fatigue and constant deprivation. Posted to the crack Grosse Deutschland division, with its sadistic instructors who shoot down those who fail to make the grade, he enters a violent and remorseless world where all youthful hope is gradually ground down, and all that matters is the brute will to survive.
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Amazing Journey!
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Beaufighter Boys
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- Narrated by: Shawn Compton
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Graham Pitchfork has built on these reminiscences to trace the roles of Beaufighter squadrons spread across all the theaters of World War Two operations. From home bases, through north-west Europe, North Africa, Malta, and the Mediterranean to the far Far East and south-west Pacific, the Beaufighter served far and wide as did the crews of the RAF, RAAF, SAAF, and New Zealand and Canadian squadrons. All are covered in this quite unique book to be savored by all those interested in the war in the air from 1939-1945.
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Great story , performance , boot so much
- By Anonymous User on 27-05-2020
Publisher's Summary
Following the disastrous Java Sea campaign, the Allies went on the offensive in the Pacific in a desperate attempt to halt the Japanese forces that were rampaging across the region. With the conquest of Australia a very real possibility, the stakes were high. Their target: the Japanese-held Soloman Islands, in particular the southern island of Guadalcanal.
Hamstrung by arcane pre-war thinking and a bureaucratic mind-set, the US Navy had to adapt on the fly in order to compete with the mighty Imperial Japanese Navy, whose ingenuity and creativity thus far had fostered the creation of its Pacific empire. Starting with the amphibious assault on Savo Island, the campaign turned into an attritional struggle where the evenly matched foes sought to grind out a victory.
Following on from his hugely successful book Rising Sun, Falling Skies, Jeffrey R. Cox tells the gripping story of the first Allied offensive of the Pacific War, as they sought to prevent Japan from cutting off Australia and regaining dominance in the Pacific.
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What listeners say about Morning Star, Midnight Sun
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Michael Ryan
- 20-10-2020
Excellent work
Clear and concise capturing bot the technical and human aspects of the fighting. An apt title which reflects the overall strategic and operational aspects of the campaign. Nice to see allied support included.
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- IRB
- 28-07-2020
An exceptional story and well narrated
I was captivated by this well written and brilliantly narrated book. This was not a dry account of a pivotal time in world history, but told in such a manner that the reader was almost there living the horror with these brave men.
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- Ron Party
- 24-05-2018
great narration great storytelling.
out of all the books I've read on the Guadalcanal campaign and there's been a few this was by far the most readable and interesting.
7 people found this helpful
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- Davidsol Cometa
- 09-05-2018
Both sides told
It was good to hear both sides of the history. Narrator had a good cadence and kept it interesting.
7 people found this helpful
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- Sheldon Campbell
- 17-08-2019
Very enjoyable popular history
This is a VERY 2018 popular history of the early Guadalcanal campaign. The only possible word for the style is 'snarky'. The text is full of side-snide comments that might strike some reader / listeners as unprofessional, and that occasionally cross from the editorial into the overly speculative. The upside -- and it's a very big upside -- is that most of 'em are funny and right on-point. They're comments that every serious student of the campaign must've said to themselves. There are minor errors of fact, but none of consequence, and the overall themes and complex decisions involved at every level are clearly outlined. The author is to be commended for being meticulous about putting names to the players on both sides; it's not 'three Wildcats shot down three Vals', it's John Smith in his Wildcat (describe action) shot down Takeo Nakajima's Val. It's a marker of genuine respect for the people at all levels who fought (mostly) bravely and (mostly) skillfully for their countries in this most difficult theater of WWII. Highly entertaining and educational, well written and read; the reader serves the voice of the author beautifully.
5 people found this helpful
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- ROBERT GOFF
- 25-07-2018
Okay Sloppy research
Butch O'Hare was a Naval aviator. not Army! Nothing earth shattering, reader was okay at best. Try Richard B. Frank or James Hornfischer
9 people found this helpful
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- Scottk
- 13-07-2019
Very good book
This book has a lot of detail for military history buffs. If you are looking for a story, this is probably not the book for you.
1 person found this helpful
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- WWF
- 04-06-2019
Left hanging
Did not take story to its conclusion. The book would have been much better if the author had told the complete story.
1 person found this helpful
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- Derek
- 22-05-2019
great detail, phenomenal story telling
I have gone through this book many times and I couldn't recommend it enough. Jeffery Cox does a phenomenal job of combining technical details, human story, and entertainment into this book. The last point needs clarification. I feel in this very technical book, the author does a great job having some fun blatancy with the crazyness that ensued in this important moment in history. I recommend listening to, and recommend listening to it multiple times.
1 person found this helpful
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- SCOTT
- 20-04-2019
well done
Great narrative and well read, close you eyes and picture the battles. Not to be a background book but you must engage the authors words to get the most out of the narrative, it is fast paced and detailed.
1 person found this helpful
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- Dan
- 26-03-2019
Very Detailed
At times it got confusing trying to keep timelines and facts straight....it was hard to put down once the story developed though
1 person found this helpful
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- David J. Skulstad
- 23-08-2018
Good history
Very detailed account of the long battle to stop the IJN from conquest of Guadalcanal.
1 person found this helpful
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