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Daring Young Men: The Heroism and Triumph of the Berlin Airlift---June 1948-May 1949 Audiobook
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(3.10) - 149 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
The Second World War had been over for three years when pilots, navigators, and air traffic controllers all over America were recalled to active duty to rescue Berlin. They were there within days and weeks, flying tired planes filled with food, coal, medicine, and mail. Many had bombed the place to rubble in 1944 and 1945. Now they and the British airmen were bringing it survival. Drawing on hundreds of interviews in the United States, Germany, and Great Britain, bestselling author Richard Reeves tells the stories of these civilian airmen, the successors to Stephen Ambrose's "Civilian Soldiers," ordinary boys called to extraordinary tasks. Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin had ordered Berlin blockaded, betting that the Americans, the British, and the French would abandon the city. Many of President Truman's advisers wanted to retreat; others wanted to risk war with the USSR. Truman ordered the Berlin Airlift, neither retreat nor confrontation. It ended only when West Germany was established by the three powers and NATO was born. The Soviets did the backing down. Led by Generals Lucius Clay and Curtis LeMay, the first battle in the Cold War was won. The young men came home again, some of them trying to remember where they had left their cars.
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"An interesting read of an often forgotten time. This book had some strong points and some weaknesses. It did good job of explaining the politics of the airlift and surrounding events from both sides. In that way it showed that the airlift could really be considered the opening salvo of the Cold War. It's weakness seemed to be in the way it was organized. The chapters were chronological, but still seemed all over the place, and some times repetitive. This may have partly been due to the nature of the airlift though. That said, it was a very quick and compelling read though it seemed to drag in parts. That's to be expected I guess in a long book on a complicated issue that nonetheless spanned only 11 months, roughly a quarter of the time frame of the World War that came just before, and yet the feats of daring described were just as big if not more amazing then some things in the war. Over all a compelling read."
— Allison (4 out of 5 stars)
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“This probing book reveals the intricate talks that led to the unraveling of Stalin’s demands, the partitioning of Germany, and the creation of NATO. Reeves gives us a mesmerizing portrait of America at its best when challenged by Russia’s tyranny.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review) -
“Reeves delivers a comprehensive work that achieves his goal of reviving the memory of this consequential cold war confrontation.”
— Booklist -
With considerable insight, Richard Reeves brings this dramatic first great battle of the Cold War to life.... This is a wonderful book, richly told.
— Jay Winik, author of the New York Times bestseller The Great Upheaval
Daring Young Men Listener Reviews
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" Mildly interesting book about a subject I knew little about, the Berlin Airlift of 1948 and 1949. The fact that the airlift happened, and that it was successful, is definitely worth noting, and the first post-war triumph for America and its allies, but the details in many cases are less than fascinating. "
— Richard, 2/16/2014 -
" Made me realize how important the Berlin Airlift was in postwar European history. "
— John, 1/1/2014 -
" AWESOME BOOK ABOUT THE BERLIN AIRLIFT. THE CREATION OF THE 'IRON CURTAIN,' AND THE START OF THE COLD WAR. "
— Joe, 12/22/2013 -
" Well-written history of a moment in our country's history that is often overlooked. True testament to the beauty of our country's willingness to win a war AND win the peace. "
— Marcus, 12/19/2013 -
" Fascinating subject, but I couldn't hack the writer's style. Too many things to read to spend time on a book I'm not enjoying. "
— Vivianne, 12/10/2013 -
" good information but slow going much of the time. "
— Dwanna, 10/20/2013 -
" Once again America's greatest generation rallied and overcame a seemingly impossible challenge in overcoming the Soviet blockade of post war Berlin. A fascinating documentary of an incredible effort by men and women from all walks of life. "
— Frank, 9/22/2013 -
" Wonderful story, well told. "
— Christel, 6/20/2013 -
" I don't normally read non-fiction but this was so interesting, I flew through it. So amazing what our troops are capable of. "
— Amy, 1/27/2013 -
" Not griping but in parts revealing. "
— Jim, 4/28/2012 -
" Excellent book! I loved it "
— Kash, 4/7/2012 -
" This book gives you an excellent description of what it was like on the front lines of the war and how many men and women gave their lives to support this effort to keep people in Europe alive. "
— Erika, 2/26/2012 -
" It was well-written, but I think the book was missing something. "
— Barbara, 12/14/2011 -
" Interesting and informative and caused me to want to learn more about what happened in Berlin. "
— Shannon, 6/1/2011 -
" A fascinating story about an event that really helped to determine how Post War Germany would look. "
— Janet, 3/27/2011 -
" A fascinating story about an event that really helped to determine how Post War Germany would look. "
— Janet, 10/18/2010 -
" Made me realize how important the Berlin Airlift was in postwar European history. "
— John, 9/26/2010 -
" Fascinating subject, but I couldn't hack the writer's style. Too many things to read to spend time on a book I'm not enjoying. "
— Vivianne, 4/10/2010 -
" I knew so little about the Berlin Airlift until I picked this book up. It's an amazing story for anyone who enjoys history. This is a nonfiction book. "
— Amy, 3/17/2010 -
" good information but slow going much of the time. "
— Dwanna, 2/26/2010
About Richard Reeves
Richard Reeves is the bestselling author of presidential biographies, including President Nixon and President Kennedy, acclaimed as the best nonfiction book of the year by Time magazine. A syndicated columnist and winner of the American Political Science Association’s Carey McWilliams Award, he lives in New York and Los Angeles.
About Johnny Heller
Johnny Heller, winner of numerous Earphones and Audie Awards, was named a “Golden Voice” by AudioFile magazine in 2019. He has been a Publishers Weekly Listen-Up Award winner from 2008 through 2013 and he has been named a top voice of 2008 and 2009 and selected as one of the Top 50 Narrators of the Twentieth Century by AudioFile magazine.