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Fateful Choices

Ten Decisions That Changed the World, 1940-1941

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Fateful Choices

By: Ian Kershaw
Narrated by: Bruce Mann
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About this listen

The newest immensely original undertaking from the historian who gave us the defining two-volume portrait of Hitler, Fateful Choices puts Ian Kershaw's analytical and storytelling gifts on dazzling display.

From May 1940 to December 1941, the leaders of the world's six major powers made a series of related decisions that determined the final outcome of World War II and shaped the course of human destiny.

As the author examines the connected stories of these profound choices, he restores a sense of drama and contingency to this pivotal moment, producing one of the freshest, most important books on World War II in years - one with powerful contemporary relevance.

©2007 Ian Kershaw (P)2020 Tantor 20th Century Military Modern World War Interwar Period Imperialism Middle Ages Imperial Japan Soviet Union Self-Determination Holocaust Russia Winston Churchill
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A fascinating topic, which is mostly tackled with aplomb and with impressive depth. Kershaw's forensic analysis helps explain why decisions which in retrospect seem clear-cut were, with the limited or misleading information available to the participants at the time, anything but.
Unfortunately the listening experience was marred by a truly awful narrator. his delivery has plenty of modulation in tone and cadence; it's just that this modulation is seemingly done at random, quite divorced from the meaning of the words he's delivering. It's like an actor reading a script in a language he doesn't understand a word of. Moreover, there's a few places where he addresses the editor to give an "alt" rereading of the same passage - do publishers not listen to recording at all before releasing it?
So, whilst I'm glad I listened to this audiobook, I was much relieved when I got to the end and will studiously avoid choosing any other titles with this narrator.

interesting book, terrible narration

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Good look at the 'choices' made which influenced the conduct and outcomes of World War 2.

Interesting details

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Such a shame, Is it being read by AI?! Totally unlistenable. I’d be interested in a proper version but I couldn’t get through this.

Unlistenable

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