Vincent Mattaliano Jr.
- 23
- reviews
- 8
- helpful votes
- 46
- ratings
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Pacific Crucible: War at Sea in the Pacific, 1941-1942
- By: Ian W. Toll
- Narrated by: Grover Gardner
- Length: 22 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 3,988
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 3,556
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Story5 out of 5 stars 3,541
On the first Sunday in December 1941, an armada of Japanese warplanes appeared suddenly over Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and devastated the U.S. Pacific Fleet. Six months later, in a sea fight north of the tiny atoll of Midway, four Japanese aircraft carriers were sent into the abyss. Pacific Crucible tells the epic tale of these first searing months of the Pacific war, when the U.S. Navy shook off the worst defeat in American military history and seized the strategic initiative.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Astonishingly good.
- By Mike From Mesa on 09-01-12
great narrative
Reviewed: 08-31-22
put what has always been a confusing part of WW2 history, into focus. it was well organized.
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Arnhem
- Ten Days in the Cauldron
- By: Iain Ballantyne
- Narrated by: Ralph Lister
- Length: 9 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 5
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 4
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Story5 out of 5 stars 4
September 17, 1944: 30,000 airborne soldiers prepare to drop 64 miles behind enemy lines into Nazi-occupied Holland; tens of thousands of ground troops race down Hell’s Highway in tanks and armored cars, trucks, and half-tracks to link up with them. The goal - to secure eight bridges across the Rhine and end the war by Christmas. Ten days later, over 15,000 of these soldiers have died, and 6,000 have been taken prisoner.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Better as an adjunct
- By Vincent Mattaliano Jr. on 01-28-21
- Arnhem
- Ten Days in the Cauldron
- By: Iain Ballantyne
- Narrated by: Ralph Lister
Better as an adjunct
Reviewed: 01-28-21
I did enjoy the book, but in the absence of maps and charts it does full short. The audio book is better as an adjunct to a paper and ink book.
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1 person found this helpful
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The Second World War: Milestones to Disaster
- By: Winston Churchill
- Narrated by: Christian Rodska
- Length: 10 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 3,199
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,396
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2,380
Churchill's history of the Second World War is, and will remain, the definitive work. Lucid, dramatic, remarkable for its breadth and sweep and for its sense of personal involvement, it is universally acknowledged as a magnificent reconstruction.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Brilliant! Only Churchill could have done this.
- By John M on 10-30-08
one of the best accounts
Reviewed: 01-04-20
I was impressed, from start to finish! This has to be one of the finest accounts of the beginnings of the second world war, that I have ever read. Impressive, was the voicing by the performer. Never exaggerated, but very similar to Churchill's actual voice.
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It Burns
- The Scandal-Plagued Race to Breed the World’s Hottest Chilli, An Audible Original
- By: Marc Fennell
- Narrated by: Marc Fennell
- Length: 2 hrs and 52 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 8,659
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 7,790
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Story4 out of 5 stars 7,773
It’s a war filled with larger than life characters. There will be sledging, accusations of cheating, theft and performance enhancing drugs. And allegations that Australia was cheated out of a Guinness World Record. In the process of charting the scandal-plagued race to breed the world’s hottest chilli, the audio documentary lifts the lid on the subculture of ‘Chilli-heads’, hardcore chilli fans spread across the globe who compete in chilli eating and breeding competitions.
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3 out of 5 stars
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I liked this book EXCEPT for...
- By Wayne on 08-05-19
- It Burns
- The Scandal-Plagued Race to Breed the World’s Hottest Chilli, An Audible Original
- By: Marc Fennell
- Narrated by: Marc Fennell
Fun and educational
Reviewed: 12-23-19
Learned more about chilis, than I thought there was to know. I recommend this, for a quick read!
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Cannery Row
- By: John Steinbeck
- Narrated by: Jerry Farden
- Length: 5 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 3,473
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,991
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2,974
Published in 1945, Cannery Row focuses on the acceptance of life as it is: both the exuberance of community and the loneliness of the individual. Drawing on his memories of the real inhabitants of Monterey, California, Steinbeck interweaves the stories of Doc, Henri, Mack and his boys, and the other characters in this world where only the fittest survive, to create a novel that is at once one of his most humorous and most poignant works.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Five stars with a Caveat
- By Bette on 04-23-12
- Cannery Row
- By: John Steinbeck
- Narrated by: Jerry Farden
One of Steinbeck's Best
Reviewed: 08-24-19
Of the many great works by Steinbeck, this is probably one of the quickest reads, of all. The book moves apace through the various lives of the denizens of Cannery Row. As with all of Steinbeck's books, this gives deep insight into the hearts and Minds of those living at a very difficult time of America's economic history. I heartily recommend it!
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Tortilla Flat
- By: John Steinbeck
- Narrated by: John McDonough
- Length: 7 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,047
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 904
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 908
Adopting the structure and themes of the Arthurian legend, Steinbeck created a Camelot on a shabby hillside above the town of Monterey, California, and peopled it with a colorful band of knights. At the center of the tale is Danny, whose house, like Arthur’s castle, becomes a gathering place for men looking for adventure, camaraderie, and a sense of belonging—men who fiercely resist the corrupting tide of honest toil and civil rectitude.
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4 out of 5 stars
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A Good Book
- By LTCKEL on 09-06-14
- Tortilla Flat
- By: John Steinbeck
- Narrated by: John McDonough
Quintessential Steinbeck
Reviewed: 08-03-19
I never, ever tire of Steinbeck. And this is one of my favorites. now, on to Cannery Row.
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Rise
- In Defense of Judeo-Christian Values and Freedom
- By: Brigitte Gabriel
- Narrated by: Brigitte Gabriel
- Length: 10 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 90
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 78
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Story5 out of 5 stars 77
Issuing a bold wake-up call to America, New York Times best-selling author Brigitte Gabriel reveals the people, organizations, and forces at work to dismantle our Judeo-Christian values and freedoms, destabilize and threaten our national security, and radically redefine our very way of life. Gabriel regularly faces death threats from terrorists, condemnation from critics, and attacks from the "PC police", yet she refuses to back down.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Love Brigitte’s Passion for our country!!!
- By MCL on 10-02-18
- Rise
- In Defense of Judeo-Christian Values and Freedom
- By: Brigitte Gabriel
- Narrated by: Brigitte Gabriel
Lots of information, well presented!
Reviewed: 06-01-19
At first I was literally overwhelmed, with all the information presented. Percentages, proportions, numbers and more numbers. But frankly, once you get into the rhythm, it's an easy book to follow and a quick read.
I think that there are lots of things that remain unpresented and unexplored in the mainstream media. and one of the points that I think was well-made, is that we all need the right to present our opinions without being shouted down.
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Scipio Africanus: Greater Than Napoleon
- By: B. H. Liddell Hart
- Narrated by: John Klicman
- Length: 6 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 24
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 22
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 22
Scipio Africanus (236183 B.C.) was one of the most exciting and dynamic leaders in history. As commander, he never lost a battle. Yet it is his adversary, Hannibal, who has lived on in public memory. As B.H. Liddell Hart writes, "Scipio's battles are richer in stratagems and ruses - many still feasible today - than those of any other commander in history." Any military enthusiast or historian will find this to be an absorbing, gripping portrait.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Story good, pronunciation bad.
- By m on 04-10-19
- Scipio Africanus: Greater Than Napoleon
- By: B. H. Liddell Hart
- Narrated by: John Klicman
adequate military history. Poor execution.
Reviewed: 03-25-19
the book was very much in line with this author's other works. Extensive, detailed, and well-researched.
But the performance was less than mediocre. As a narrator, it is incumbent to research things like pronunciation and to be well-versed on words coming to the English language. When I hear a narrator of ancient military history use the word Calvary instead of Cavalry, it says that the narrator didn't do his job. And frankly, it's difficult to follow story when someone makes such an egregious narrating error.
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The Quiller Memorandum
- By: Adam Hall
- Narrated by: Simon Prebble
- Length: 7 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 394
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 319
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Story4 out of 5 stars 317
You are a secret agent working for the British in Berlin. You are due to go home on leave, but you are being followed by the enemy - or your own people. A man meets you in the theater and briefs you on a plot to revive the power of Nazi Germany. You do not believe him, but you remember that one of the suspects mentioned was a senior SS officer you met while you were working as a spy in Nazi Germany. Next, you make contact with a beautiful girl who may know something. Someone tries to kill both of you.
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2 out of 5 stars
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It starts off pretty strong, but...
- By Brian on 12-31-12
- The Quiller Memorandum
- By: Adam Hall
- Narrated by: Simon Prebble
Droning on
Reviewed: 03-17-19
a fairly typical Cold War Era spy-type novel, replete with secret codes, handshakes, etc. Narrator droned on and on. And his pronunciation of German words/names was, at times, appalling.
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Flashforward
- By: Robert J. Sawyer
- Narrated by: Mark Deakins
- Length: 10 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 2,051
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 1,432
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Story4 out of 5 stars 1,443
A scientific experiment begins, and as the button is pressed, the unexpected occurs: everyone in the world goes to sleep for a few moments while everyone's consciousness is catapulted more than twenty years into the future. At the end of those moments, when the world reawakens, all human life is transformed by foreknowledge.
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5 out of 5 stars
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How would you digest the fruits of knowledge??
- By Phelix_da_Kat on 07-23-08
- Flashforward
- By: Robert J. Sawyer
- Narrated by: Mark Deakins
Great Story
Reviewed: 03-08-19
I truly enjoyed this book! I read it, because I had seen a rather abortive attempt at a TV serial version of this, several years ago. as in most cases, the book was far, far better!
The book proceeds at a good Pace, but near the end I came to bog down in the metaphysics and physics, and I finished up, hoping that the ending would be much more philosophical, and perhaps even romantic, than the way it did end. But overall, I recommend it!
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