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The Start
- 1904-1930
- Narrated by: Grover Gardner
- Length: 22 hrs and 9 mins
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Great first listens
Publisher's summary
William L. Shirer was a CBS foreign correspondent and renowned author of New York Times best-selling nonfiction about World War II, and this is the first part of his three-part autobiography.
A renowned journalist and author of The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, William L. Shirer chronicles his own life story in a personal history that parallels the greater historical events for which he served as a witness.
In this first volume, Shirer tells of his early life, growing up in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and later serving as a new reporter in Paris. In this surprisingly intimate account, Shirer details his youthful challenges, setbacks, rebellions, and insights into the world around him. He offers personal accounts of his friendships with notable people, including Isadora Duncan, Ernest Hemingway, and Sinclair Lewis.
This fascinating personal account also provides an illuminating look into the lost era of pre-World War II - and is notable as much for its historical value as for its autobiographical detail.
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The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich
- A History of Nazi Germany
- By: William L. Shirer
- Narrated by: Grover Gardner
- Length: 57 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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Since its publication in 1960, William L. Shirer’s monumental study of Hitler’s German empire has been widely acclaimed as the definitive record of the 20th century’s blackest hours. The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich offers an unparalleled and thrillingly told examination of how Adolf Hitler nearly succeeded in conquering the world. With millions of copies in print around the globe, it has attained the status of a vital and enduring classic.
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Held my interest for 57 hours and 13 minutes
- By Jonnie on 11-08-10
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The Last Ridge
- The Epic Story of America’s First Mountain Soldiers and the Assault on Hitler’s Europe
- By: McKay Jenkins
- Narrated by: Grover Gardner
- Length: 11 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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When World War II broke out in Europe, the American army had no specialized division of mountain soldiers. But in the winter of 1939-40, after a tiny band of Finnish mountain troops brought the invading Soviet army to its knees, an amateur skier named Charles Minot “Minnie” Dole convinced the United States Army to let him recruit an extraordinary assortment of European expatriates, wealthy ski bums, mountaineers, and thrill-seekers and form them into a unique band of Alpine soldiers.
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Disappointingly Average
- By Dave on 09-23-22
By: McKay Jenkins
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The Last 100 Days
- The Tumultuous and Controversial Story of the Final Days of World War II in Europe
- By: John Toland
- Narrated by: Ralph Cosham
- Length: 27 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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A dramatic countdown of the final months of World War II in Europe, The Last 100 Days brings to life the waning power and the ultimate submission of the Third Reich. To reconstruct the tumultuous hundred days between Yalta and the fall of Berlin, John Toland traveled more than 100,000 miles in twenty-one countries and interviewed more than six hundred people - from Hitler's personal chauffeur to Generals von Manteuffel, Wenck, and Heinrici.
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More the sum of the parts
- By Mike From Mesa on 08-27-15
By: John Toland
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1946
- The Making of the Modern World
- By: Victor Sebestyen
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 12 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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In 1946, Victor Sebestyen creates a taut, panoramic narrative and takes us to meetings that changed the world: to Berlin in July 1945, when Truman tells Stalin that we have successfully tested the bomb; to Ye'nan, China, in January 1946, when General George Marshall tells the Chinese Communist leader Mao Zedong that Americans won't send troops to China, assuring that the Communists will attain power.
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An education. Somber, detailed, many-faceted
- By Philo on 08-20-16
By: Victor Sebestyen
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The Anatomy of the Nuremberg Trials
- A Personal Memoir
- By: Telford Taylor
- Narrated by: James Patrick Cronin
- Length: 30 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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In 1945, the Allied nations agreed on a judicial process, rather than summary execution, to determine the fate of the Nazis following the end of World War II. Held in Nuremberg, the ceremonial birthplace of the Nazi Party, the British, American, French, and Soviet leaders contributed both judges and prosecutors to the series of trials that would prosecute some of the most prominent politicians, military leaders, and businessmen in Nazi Germany.
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Amazing story
- By Kevin Stever on 10-16-23
By: Telford Taylor
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Edward R. Murrow and the Birth of Broadcast Journalism
- By: Bob Edwards
- Narrated by: Bob Edwards
- Length: 4 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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Long before the era of the news anchor, the pundit, and the mini-cam, one man blazed a trail that thousands would follow. Reporting live from the streets and rooftops of London as Nazi war planes rained terror from the skies during the Battle of Britain, Edward R. Murrow brought the stark horror of war and the shock of breaking news events directly into American living rooms for the first time, and that was just the beginning.
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Very interesting book, easy-listening
- By D. Littman on 12-18-04
By: Bob Edwards
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The Third Reich at War
- By: Richard J. Evans
- Narrated by: Sean Pratt
- Length: 35 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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Evans interweaves a broad narrative of the war’s progress with viscerally affecting personal testimony from a wide range of people - from generals to front-line soldiers, from Hitler Youth activists to middle-class housewives. The Third Reich at War lays bare the dynamics of a nation more deeply immersed in war than any society before or since. Fresh insights into the conflict’s great events are here, from the invasion of Poland to the Battle of Stalingrad to Hitler’s suicide in the bunker.
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Masterful
- By Karen on 09-03-10
By: Richard J. Evans
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Alexander Hamilton
- By: Ron Chernow
- Narrated by: Grover Gardner
- Length: 11 hrs and 51 mins
- Abridged
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Pulitzer Prize-winning author Ron Chernow presents a landmark biography of Alexander Hamilton, the Founding Father who galvanized, inspired, scandalized, and shaped the newborn nation.
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Abridged history
- By Nick on 02-19-07
By: Ron Chernow
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Goering
- The Rise and Fall of the Notorious Nazi Leader
- By: Roger Manvell, Heinrich Fraenkel
- Narrated by: Joe Barrett
- Length: 14 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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In Goering, Roger Manvell and Heinrich Fraenkel use firsthand testimonies and a variety of historical documents to tell the story of a monster lurking in Hitler's shadows. After rising through the ranks of the German army, Hermann Goering became Hitler's right hand man and was hand-picked to head the Luftwaffe, one of history's most feared fighting forces. As he rose in power, though, Goering became disillusioned and was eventually shunned from Hitler's inner circle.
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From Fighter Pilot Ace to Cartoon Villain
- By aaron on 03-27-21
By: Roger Manvell, and others
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Lincoln's Lieutenants
- The High Command of the Army of the Potomac
- By: Stephen W. Sears
- Narrated by: George Guidall
- Length: 32 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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The high command of the Army of the Potomac was a changeable, often dysfunctional band of brothers, going through the fires of war under seven commanding generals in three years, until Grant came east in 1864. The men in charge all too frequently appeared to be fighting against the administration in Washington instead of for it, increasingly cast as political pawns facing down a vindictive congressional Committee on the Conduct of the War.
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Good, but not what I thought
- By Paul S. on 08-10-17
By: Stephen W. Sears
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Hitler
- A Biography
- By: Ian Kershaw
- Narrated by: Alan Robertson
- Length: 46 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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Hailed as the most compelling biography of the German dictator yet written, Ian Kershaw's Hitler brings us closer than ever before to the heart of its subject's immense darkness. From his illegitimate birth in a small Austrian village to his fiery death in a bunker under the Reich chancellery in Berlin, Adolf Hitler left a murky trail, strewn with contradictory tales and overgrown with self-created myths. One truth prevails: the sheer scale of the evils that he unleashed on the world has made him a demonic figure without equal in the 20th century.
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An Excellent Read
- By Rodney on 09-19-13
By: Ian Kershaw
What listeners say about The Start
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Peter W. Kalnin
- 10-08-23
An Excellent Review of Decades of History
William Shirer gives the reader an excellent understanding of the events and society of the early 1900s. He is a magnificent raconteur who reflects the values and thoughts of people of that time.
Grover Gardner is the perfect narrator for this book.
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- Andrew Darlow
- 04-28-24
A Truly Superb Work!
This book had a profound impact on me for many reasons. Here are a few:
1. After reading Mr. Shirer’s comprehensive book on the rise and fall of the 3rd Reich about 5 years ago, this book was helpful to understand how it was possible for Mr. Shirer to create such a compelling and comprehensive history book.
2. I like how Mr. Shirer covered events like the 1927 Atlantic crossing by Lindbergh. It’s rare to read about the people who lost their lives just weeks before his trip, and the hour-by-hour commentary since Mr. Shirer was there when he landed in Paris.
3. Because I lived and studied in a few countries in Europe and Asia as a 20 something year old, I felt a kinship with Mr. Shirer as he explored the world.
4. The commentary about the 1929 stock market crash was also very interesting.
5. Mr. Shirer’s brief and extended relationships with authors and other well-known figures of his time was also fascinating to me.
I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants many firsthand reports from life in the early to mid 20th Century.
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- Craig W.
- 10-02-23
A hidden gem
I’ve read and listened to both of Shirer’s epic reads the rise and fall of the third Reich and the collapse of the third republic, I’ve listened to so many hours of Grover Gardner voice I couple pics of Shirer with Gardners voice.
I stumbled upon this story and thought what the hell. I’m so glad I listened, I learned a ton about Shirer and of history during this era - my parents era. It’s been extremely valuable and educational to me and Gardner’s reading makes it all the better, he’s a superb reader, totally believable, excellent cadence and easy to understand and follow.
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2 people found this helpful
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- jennifer
- 06-01-23
very captivating
Part autobiography and part biography of all the people he met, this is a very interesting book. It captures the 1910s-1920s like no other story I've ever read.
And the reader reads it like only he can. Highly recommended.
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- JHM
- 04-24-23
Not Just An Autobiography
This a wonderful history of the first decades of the 20th century in our country and in Europe. A splendid look at the life and times of a youth from the Midwest whose curiosity and drive made him a gifted reporter and broadcaster and, as we see in this volume, historian.
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- HellRazor
- 08-28-23
You are there! First Rate!
Shirer is the author of the iconic Rise and Fall of The Third Reich. He is one of the most underrated writers of the 20th C.
A journalist who was on the scene of most of the first half of the 20th C’s most historical events.
From his roving reportage throughout Europe pre- and post-WWII, Shirer observes, interviews and reports on the notable WHO’s Who of the era, whether in politics, culture or the arts: Hitler, Churchill, Mussolini, Petain, Chamberlain, Attlee, Michael Collins, Hemingway, Sinclair Lewis, Gertrude Stein, Grant Wood et.al.
But for me, what is most fascinating are perhaps the descriptions of all the lesser known notables and Shirer’s highly honed sense of timing and ability to distill what is important to the story and likely to be of the highest historical import.
Grover Gardener is brilliant as narrator, his style and manner suits the era and material perfectly. I can’t imagine anyone else eliciting the texture and ambiance of the times so on point.
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- Nancy
- 08-12-20
Clouds gathering on the horizon in Europe
The first of three books in this famous series (The Start, Berlin Diary, End of a Berlin Diary) by William L. Shirer, I'm glad that I happened upon the "Berlin Diary" books first. They put you right into the middle of Berlin, as Adolph Hitler was gaining power. "The Start," which covers this renown Journalist and Author's early life, from growing up in middle America through his fantastic early career and experiences in pre-WWII Europe, gets off to a slow start. In fact, I'm afraid I would never have finished it, if I didn't already know what was in store for him and the reader in his latter two books in the series. Even after he gets a job right out of college in France as a cub reporter, this true story suddenly picks up tempo, as he ends up greeting Charles Lindbergh on a grass airstrip outside Paris. From that point on, it seems, he is always in the right place at the right time, interviewing European Heads of State and world-renown celebrities of the time, including Lindbergh. But this is also a story, as seen through his eyes, of an optimistic America in the first third of the Century, having survived "the War to End All Wars" and going into the Great Depression. So, hang in there for a great ride after he gets to Paris. The narration is excellent, although you might get real tired of hearing all the French names of people he meets and the addresses of dozens of cafe's he regularly visits. It is truly remarkable the level of detail he has written into his diary throughout his life, knowing from the very beginning, it seems, that he would write an excellent autobiographical piece like this some day. All three books comprise a story of one of America's finest Journalists. What a life!
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16 people found this helpful
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- JohnDoe
- 03-13-23
I've been being enlightened by the author
for more than 40 years. I've read all of his books at least once. (Fall of 3rd French Republic was only one I didn't enjoy, likely because i still know little about French culture. I did study German.)
other reviewer noticed that this is less dramatic. However, I thotoughk enjoyed listening to him present a broader view introducing information and analyses involving other genres. this corresponds to a great broadening in my horizons from 46 years ago.
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- Amazon Customer
- 05-10-20
Grover Gardner brings this memoir to life
Grover Gardner is probably my favorite reader, and he does a great job as usual bringing this memoir of the early life of William Shirer to life. Since Shirer was a progressive historian and journalist this is more than just a personal memoir, but also a bit of a history of America and even the world during these first three decades of the 20th century. If you're a history buff and enjoy the nuanced, lively, and yet somehow calming readings of Grover Gardner this is highly recommended.
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10 people found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 02-23-21
You will laugh and cry
If you love William Shirer you will love this book - I laughed so much for
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7 people found this helpful