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The Unknowns: The Untold Story of America’s Unknown Soldier and WWI’s Most Decorated Heroes Who Brought Him Home Audiobook
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The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is sacred ground at Arlington National Cemetery. Originally constructed in 1921 to hold one of the thousands of unidentified American soldiers lost in World War I, it now also contains unknowns from World War II and the Korean and Vietnam Wars and receives millions of visitors each year who pay silent tribute.
When the first unknown soldier was laid to rest in Arlington, General John Pershing, commander of the American Expeditionary Force in World War I, selected eight of America’s most decorated, battle-hardened veterans to serve as body bearers. For the first time, O’Donnell portrays their heroics on the battlefield one hundred years ago, thereby animating the tomb by giving voice to all who have served.
The body bearers appropriately spanned America’s service branches and specialties. Their ranks include a cowboy who relived the charge of the light brigade, a Native American who heroically breached mountains of German barbed wire, a salty New Englander who dueled a U-boat for hours in a fierce gunfight, a tough New Yorker who sacrificed his body to save his ship, and an indomitable gunner who, though blinded by gas, nonetheless overcame five machine gun nests. Their stories slip easily into the larger narrative of America’s involvement in the conflict, transporting readers into the midst of dramatic battles during 1917 and 1918 that ultimately decided the Great War.
Celebrated military historian and bestselling author Patrick O’Donnell illuminates the saga behind the creation of the tomb itself and recreates the moving ceremony during which it was consecrated and the eight body bearers, and the sergeant who had chosen the one body to be interred, solemnly united. Brilliantly researched, vividly told, The Unknowns is a timeless tale of heeding the calls of duty and brotherhood and humanizes the most consequential event of the twentieth century, which still casts a shadow a century later.
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“Few authors have the same kind of enthusiasm and gusto that O’Donnell brings to his topic. His gift is taking the reader from the map room to the battlefield. It’s an exciting, often harrowing, trip worth taking.”
— USA Today
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“A powerful and timely tribute…Superb history brilliantly told.”
— Alex Kershaw, New York Times bestselling author -
“Conveys the reverence and honor which is deserved from the citizens of this nation to all of those who go in harm’s way to protect us and guarantee our rights and freedoms.”
— New York Journal of Books -
“O’Donnell has succeeded admirably in conveying that we need heroes as much as we need reminders of war.”
— Library Journal -
“O’Donnell brings to life America’s involvement in the Great War…an excellent primer for understanding the full significance of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.”
— Booklist -
“Highly readable and extremely interesting, The Unknowns is a masterful tour de force of that bygone era.”
— Col. Richard Camp, author of The Devil Dogs at Belleau Wood: U.S. Marines in World War I -
“ A breakthrough book with a crackling narrative. Prepare to discover an iconic American saga long hidden in plain sight.”
— Adam Makos, author of A Higher Call -
“Brilliant…The Unknowns presents the awe-inspiring and profoundly moving story of the Great War from the viewpoint of the men who fought, sacrificed, and bled to win it.”
— James Lacey, author of Pershing -
“Not only the story of the Unknown Soldier but that of the unknown comrades who carried him there. Their stories of courage in deadly combat are finally made known to the rest of us in searing detail.”
— Glenn F. Williams, PhD, US Army Center of Military History
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About Patrick K. O’Donnell
Patrick K. O’Donnell is a bestselling military historian and the critically acclaimed author of numerous books, including Beyond Valor, Dog Company, and First SEALs. He has provided historical consulting for DreamWorks’ award-winning miniseries Band of Brothers and for documentaries produced by the BBC, the History Channel, and Fox News. He lives in Arlington, Virginia.
About Dan Woren
Dan Woren is an American voice actor and Earphones Award–winning narrator. He has worked extensively in animation, video games, and feature films. He is best known for his many roles in anime productions such as Bleach and as the voice of Sub-Zero in the video game Mortal Kombat.