A-Train by Charles W. Dryden
Read by Jake Williams. Reading time 16 hours
Autobiography by a retired lieutenant colonel of the United States Air Force who was one of the original African American fighter pilots in World War II. Dryden discusses his experiences in a segregated military institution where he and his colleagues, although they never lost a bomber, were denied privileges at American bases because of their race.
Download A-Train, DB47159

An Album of Memories by Tom Brokaw
Read by Michael Russotto. Reading time 13 hours 16 minutes
Reflections of men and women who served in World War II, as well as their families, selected by Tom Brokaw from letters he received after publishing The Greatest Generation Speaks (DB 49312). Includes a brief overview of events from the Great Depression through the end of the war. Bestseller. 2001.
Download An Album of Memories, DB52102

America's Fighting Admirals by William Tuohy
Read by Ted Stoddard. Reading time 16 hours 29 minutes
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and navy veteran describe U.S. naval action in World War II. Examines the skills and personalities of the American admirals who led the battles. Provides background information on the commanders and includes facts about the Naval War College. 2007.
Download America's Fighting Admirals, DB65466

And There Was Light: the autobiography of a blind hero of the French Resistance  by Jacques Lusseyran
Read by Ted Stoddard. Reading time 9 hours 39 minutes
Lusseyran describes his life up to the age of twenty. Blinded at seven, he was a teenager when the Nazis invaded France. After he joined the Resistance, his group was turned in by informers and imprisoned. He tells of surviving in a German concentration camp until the war's end. Includes an introduction by the editors.
Download And There Was Light, DB46611

Battleship Oklahoma, BB-37 by Jeff Phister
Read by Ted Stoddard. Reading time 10 hours 40 minutes
History of the U.S. battleship Oklahoma, which was first conceived of during the 1898 Spanish-American War and designed in 1911 with state-of-the-art armor protection, fuel, and engines. Describes the personal experiences of the men who served on the ship before its destruction on December 7, 1941, at Pearl Harbor. 2008.
Download Battleship Oklahoma, BB-37, DB68497

Beyond Band of Brothers by Dick Winters
Read by Jonathan Davis. Reading time 11 hours 54 minutes
Memoirs of the leader and men of Easy Company profiled in Stephen Ambrose's Band of Brothers (DB 40283) book and HBO series. The major describes the WWII battles fought to liberate Europe and the spirit of camaraderie and friendship within his infantry regiment. Violence and strong language. Bestseller. 2006.
Download Beyond Band of Brothers, DB61999

Blood for Dignity by David P. Colley
Read by Barry Bernson. Reading time 8 hours 40 minutes
Chronicles the experiences of the first African American platoon integrated with white units since the Revolutionary War. Drawing on interviews with WWII veterans, Colley describes the division's three months of European combat in 1945, examines frontline race relations, and discusses the broader implications of military integration for American society. 2003.
Download Blood for Dignity, DB57597

A Bridge Too Far by Cornelius Ryan
Read by Jake Williams. Reading time 23 hours 41 minutes
Recounts the 1944 battle of Arnhem and the daring Allied airborne assault on Nazi-occupied Holland. The attack, which was intended to capture a crucial bridge and end the war early, resulted in heavy losses and a defeat for the Allies. Violence.
Download A Bridge Too Far, DB44181

Day of Infamy by Walter Lord
Read by Randy Atcher. Reading time 8 hours 48 minutes
Describes events before, during, and after the December 7, 1941, Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor, as well as the reactions of the men who lived through the attack. 1957.
Download Day of Infamy, DB49907

Enemy at the Gates by William Craig
Read by Mark Ashby. Reading time 13 hours 47 minutes
Historical account of a pivotal World War II battle: the 1943 surrender of the elite German Sixth Army to the Russians at Stalingrad. Describes the incredible march of the German army across southern Russia and the equally amazing victory of the Soviet army. Bestseller. 1973.
Download Enemy at the Gates, DB52163

Ernie Pyle's War by James Tobin
Read by Ted Stoddard. Reading time 11 hours 47 minutes
Biography of the journalist whose columns on the German bombing of London in December 1940 were immediately popular back in the United States. Provides information on Pyle's personal life and career; traces his perspective on covering the war from the ordinary soldier's viewpoint; includes quotes from his writings that ended with his death near Okinawa in April 1945.
Download Ernie Pyle's War, DB47264

The First Heroes by Craig Nelson
Read by Lou Harpenau. Reading time 19 hours 20 minutes
Chronicles the first U.S. retaliatory attack on Japan following Pearl Harbor. Details the planning, training, execution, and aftermath of the daring mission of the Doolittle Raid, focusing on the heroes' personal experiences. Draws extensively on firsthand accounts as well as military records. Some violence. 2002.
Download The First Heroes, DB56859

Flags of Our Fathers by James Bradley
Read by Ted Stoddard. Reading time 14 hours
Recounts the story of the six young marines who raised the flag at Iwo Jima during fierce combat on the obscure Japanese-held island in 1945. Author Bradley, the son of one of the soldiers, recreates his father's experiences as well as those of the five men who fought beside him.
Download Flags of Our Fathers, DB50264

Ghost Soldiers Hampton Sides
Read by Ted Stoddard. Reading time 13 hours 21 minutes
In 1945, 121 U.S. Army Rangers raided the Cabanatuan prisoner of war camp in the Philippines to rescue long-suffering soldiers. Depicts the atrocities of war, the conditions endured by the prisoners, and the bravery of the liberators. Violence. Bestseller. 2001.
Download Ghost Soldiers, DB52290

Hess by J. Bernard Hutton
Read by Richard Davidson. Reading time 11 hours 11 minutes
Account of Hitler's deputy Rudolph Hess, who in 1941 attempted to negotiate peace between Germany and Britain. Describes Hess's mysterious flight to Scotland and his dubious mental state. Argues that Hitler approved the mission. Includes the complete text of Hess's statement as told to the Nuremberg Tribunal in 1945. 1970.
Download Hess, DB68092

Hiroshima by John Hersey
Read by Barry Bernson. Reading time 5 hours
A Pulitzer Prize-winning author's updated account of the tragedy of the world's first atomic bomb. In 1945, while the ashes of Hiroshima were still warm, Hersey traveled to Japan to interview survivors, whose narratives articulate the devastating aftermath. The last chapter was added nearly forty years later. 1985.
Download Hiroshima, DB50148

Jimmy Stewart by Starr Smith
Read by Lewis Grenville. Reading time 8 hours 36 minutes
Former Eighth Air Force intelligence officer chronicles Academy Award-winning actor Jimmy Stewart's World War II service as squadron commander of a combat bombardment group. Recounts Stewart's volunteering for service before the United States entered the war and later leading his men across Nazi Germany. Foreword by Walter Cronkite. 2005.
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The Kamikazes by Edwin P. Hoyt
Read by Robert Sams. Reading time 10 hours 50 minutes
An account of Japan's kamikaze special attack forces that were formed to defend their homeland against the approaching Allies in October 1944. Explains how the belief that their self-sacrifice would ensure an eternal reward enabled the young aviators to inflict damage on 300 warships and to kill or wound 15,000 troops. 1983.
Download The Kamikazes, DB49713

The Mighty Eighth by Gerald Astor
Read by Richard Hauenstein. Reading time 22 hours 5 minutes
Accounts of World War II aerial battles mounted from Britain by the newly formed Eighth Air Force of the U.S. Army Air Corps against the German Luftwaffe. Based on diaries, journals, and letters of pilots, navigators, and crew members, including those of the P-51 Mustang fighter and the B-17 Flying Fortress. 1997.
Download The Mighty Eighth, DB52211

The Navajo Code Talkers by Doris A. Paul
Read by Bill Quinn. Reading time 5 hours 38 minutes
History of the Navajos' development of a radio transmissible code for the U.S. military that remained unbreakable throughout World War II. Explains why the code confused the Japanese enemy forces. Contains the Navajo communicators' personal accounts of action in the field under fire. 1973.
Download The Navajo Code Talkers, DB55315

Once Upon a Town by Bob Greene
Read by Tom Burch. Reading time 6 hours 5 minutes
The inspirational story of North Platte, Nebraska, a town that served as a brief haven for millions of WWII American soldiers. From Christmas Day 1941 until the end of the war, the residents welcomed every troop train with food, drink, magazines, and words of encouragement. Bestseller. 2002.
Download Once upon a Town, DB54433

Patton and Rommel by Dennis Showalter
Read by Fred Major. Reading time 19 hours 39 minutes
Military historian offers a dual biography of American general George Patton (1885-1945) and German general Erwin Rommel (1891-1944), the "Desert Fox." Chronicles the lives, careers, and military campaigns of the World War II leaders, depicting their complex personalities within the contexts of their respective national and military cultures. 2005.
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Return to Midway by Robert D. Ballard
Read by Ted Stoddard. Reading time 5 hours 54 minutes
Fifty-six years after the fateful World War II sea and air conflict, underwater explorer Ballard returns in search of the lost ships. Describes the events of June 4, 1942, and the author's discovery of sunken remains. 1999.
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The Rising Sunby John Toland
Read by Erik Sandvold. Reading time 47 hours 5 minutes.
Chronicles well-known military actions of World War II, such as Pearl Harbor, Iwo Jima, and Hiroshima, from the Japanese perspective. Also details individual motivations and perceptions underlying Japan's military decisions before and during the war. Violence and some strong language.
Download The Rising Sun, DB44604

Sea of Sharks by Elmer Renner
Read by Peter Johnson. Reading time 7 hours 34 minutes
Veteran Elmer Renner recounts the sinking of his U.S. Navy minesweeper YMS-472 during a Pacific typhoon in September 1945. Describes how he and eight crewmembers drifted aboard a raft for five days without food or water, battling shark attacks, panic, and madness until only four were rescued. 2004.
Download Sea of Sharks, DB60551

The Second World War by Martin Gilbert
Read by Bruce Huntey. Reading time 38 hours 44 minutes
This detailed account of the entire war in all regions focuses on the suffering and achievements of individuals. Gilbert incorporates anecdotes and personal accounts into his descriptions of battles, events behind the lines, the treatment of prisoners, and public attitudes in the warring countries. Companion to The First World War (DB 40464). Violence.
Download The Second World War, DB40822

Soldier from the War Returning by Thomas Childers
Read by Brian Conn. Reading time 12 hours 14 minutes
Documents the hardships experienced by U.S. veterans who returned home from World War II. Discusses problems such as unemployment, homelessness, alienation, and physical and psychological wounds. Highlights the lives of a former prisoner of war, an infantryman without legs, and the author's father, who suffered from undiagnosed post-traumatic stress. 2009.
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The Story of the Second World War by Henry Steele Commager
Read by Lou Harpenau. Reading time 18 hours 59 minutes
A collection of firsthand reports and analyses from combatants and observers, tracing the history of World War II. Includes accounts from mostly American writers, such as Ernie Pyle and Eric Severeid, as well as from war correspondents and military officers.
Download The Story of the Second World War, DB42784

The Story of World War II by Donald L. Miller
Read by Ray Foushee. Reading time 25 hours 16 minutes
Historian offers an account of war through the firsthand experiences of soldiers, journalists, and civilians. Covers European and Pacific land, air, and sea campaigns. Updated and expanded from Henry Steele Commager's The Story of the Second World War (DB 42784). Violence and some strong language. 2001.
Download The Story of World War II, DB65116

Touched with Fire by Eric Bergerud
Read by Lewis Grenville. Reading time 22 hours 3 minutes
Recounts the experiences of Allied soldiers in South Pacific battles against the Japanese from 1942 to 1944. Depicts the harsh conditions of climate, terrain, and disease that exacerbated the difficulties of fierce, close-in combat. Describes the campaign as unique in this century. Violence.
Download Touched with Fire, DB43849

The Two-Ocean War by Samuel Eliot Morison
Read by Lou Harpenau. Reading time 19 hours 38 minutes
Describes the major sea battles and campaigns of World War II, beginning with the unexpected attack on Pearl Harbor and the subsequent struggle in the Pacific. Traces naval operations in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, including U-boat attacks on the eastern seaboard of the United States. 1963.
Download The Two-Ocean War, DB52841

The Victors by Stephen E. Ambrose
Read by Roy Avers. Reading time 13 hours 50 minutes
Drawing material from his previous works on World War II and General Eisenhower, Ambrose provides an account of the last year of the war. Portrays Eisenhower as supreme commander and those who served under him from D-Day, June 6, 1944, to Germany's unconditional surrender on May 7, 1945.
Download The Victors, DB47706

Voices of War by Tom Wiener
Read by Fred Major. Reading time 11 hours 2 minutes
Personal accounts of American soldiers and medical personnel active in World War I, World War II, the Korean and Vietnam wars, and the Persian Gulf conflicts. Extracts from interviews, letters, and diary entries collected by the Library of Congress Veterans History Project are grouped by themes: Answering the Call, Under Fire, Coming Home. 2004.
Download Voices of War DB59334

War at Sea by Nathan Miller
Read by Bruce Huntey. Reading time 22 hours 32 minutes
Compresses the naval history of World War II into a single volume. Using official documents and interviews, Miller recounts the political, strategic, and human sides of the war at sea.
Download War at Sea, DB43097

War Stories III by Oliver L. North
Read by Jake Williams. Reading time 11 hours 25 minutes
Former marine presents personal accounts from American and Allied men and women who participated in the European theater during World War II. Includes testimony from the Battle of Britain, the Eastern Front, Italy, Normandy, the Battle of the Bulge, and other armed combats. Based on FOX News documentaries. Violence. 2005.
Download War Stories III, DB65292

With Wings Like Eagles by Michael Korda
Read by Ted Stoddard. Reading time 10 hours 9 minutes
Emphasizes political battles that divided England's air force before World War II. Describes Fighter Command leader Hugh Dowding's efforts to train pilots, build Spitfires and Hurricanes, and establish defense systems using newly developed radar to combat Hermann Goring's Luftwaffe. Details aerial fighting over Britain in the summer of 1940. 2009.
Download With Wings like Eagles, DB68678