Superb History

An excellent analysis of what happened in WW2 by examining critically what might have been and what other options were available to the key players.

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2 people found this helpful

Fantastic Narrator, Barnaby Edwards

Incredibly detailed, sometimes to a fault. Arguable choice of the 10 decisions that Changed the World, with a big US emphasis. Still, overall, excellent material.

But, what I really want to stress is the fantastic job done by the narrator, Barnaby Edwards. I have listened to dozens of history books, most over the 15 hour mark, and enjoyed most of them, but rarely has the narrator made such a mark on me.

Barnaby Edwards reading is fast, but unfaltering. One does not feel rushed, but one feels that the reading speed is almost at the level of silent reading, with no loss to intelligibility. I would guess that, read by anyone else, the 25 hours of the book would have stretched by 1 or 2 hours.

Last, but certainly not least, Barnaby Edwards' pronunciation of the foreign names of a language I know (French, Italian and German) is excellent, neigh faultless. So many good books are massacred by readers who cannot pronounced foreign names that this deserves a special mention.

PS: I am not related to Barnaby Edwards in any manner.

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28 people found this helpful

I wish Audible would use the chapter headings

I wish Audible would use the chapter headings. The book is a great investigation of complex decision making processes. Narration was perfect.

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Entertaining, but factual errors

Like Peter Zeihan's other books, a very entertaining look at the current geopolitical situation. However there are occasional glaring factual errors in areas I am more familiar with e.g. claims that Turkey was at war with Austria-Hungary, Germany and Greece in WW1, and that Scotland is part of the UK by conquest. These errors do undermine confidence in the veracity of claims in areas I am less familiar, and therefore the overall thesis of the book.

Additionally, this book's conclusions don't concur with the conclusions of Zeihan's recent books e.g. the speculated future of the US and Germany are markedly different. Zeihan may have changed his mind, but it doesn't give confidence in his latest predictions!

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A necessary read amongst WW2 books

A fulfilling read structured so each perspective sits independently. inevitably this approach ends up repetitive in areas and which I found useful. I had my doubts over the narration at the beginning but settled into the voice and style quicker than expected. Having read a fair bit on the war, its political villains and heroes Its a book that helped to understand a fair few gaps.

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Great perception on history

Kershaw is a master of the detail ... and it is an interesting way to retell the history of the Second World War through the key decisions and what if. There is some repetition but considering the overlapping events, may not be surprising. Certainly one of the books you listen to more than once. Never ceases to amaze me how the Brits escaped not being a German colony!!

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Challenge your beliefs

Loved it. Opens your eyes to the complexities of the war situation and the importance of the leaders, their personalities and beliefs. Makes it clear there were other choices but highlights the ways in which these decisions were at times almost inevitable.

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Kershaw shows his usual quality

Edwards is a great narrator.
I felt Kershaw repeated himself a fair amount without reason several times, but overall his writing is the historiography-shaping quality belied by his reputation. Also, the frequent belittling of counterfactual history was also unnecessary.

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Filled in the blanks

My Father told me that the day I arrived in this world, my mother seemed more exercised about the fact that Germans were marching through Paris. I have always wondered what that must have really felt like. Ian Kershaw's book supplied some of the answers with a masterly reading by Barnaby Edwards (as always). The combination of "what ifs" and giant personalities of the time has always been a happy hunting ground for unbridled speculation. However, I found this volume to be fascinating, interesting and most engaging. Some of the detail I could have done without, but perhaps I'm being picky!.
After reading Fateful Choices, I feel that a lot of colour has been added to my understanding about these times and the colossal impact of decisions taken in the face of international peril.

An absorbing read.

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Brilliant

This is a stunning examination of WW11 and the choices that were made and the reasoning behind them. Puts the great conflict in a real context that will help the reader to more fully understand the war and it's futility

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5 people found this helpful