Heroes’ Journeys: Audiobooks Exploring American History

In November 1919, President Woodrow Wilson marked the first commemoration of Armistice Day with these words: “To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory.” More than a century later, one way to continue honoring those who have served in the armed forces is to listen to their stories. Here are some of Spotify’s editors’ top picks for audiobooks focused on pivotal moments in American military history. 

American Heroes

By James Patterson, Matt Eversmann, Tim Malloy

Narrated by Joe Mantegna

U.S. soldiers who served in overseas conflicts—World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan—recount the actions that earned them some of America’s most distinguished military medals, like the Medal of Honor. Described as the stories of those who acted in the spirit of camaraderie, patriotism, and for the good of our beloved country, American Heroes invites readers to think about duty, sacrifice, and what it means to be an American.

The Fly Girls Revolt: The Story of the Women Who Kicked Open the Door to Fly in Combat

By Eileen A. Bjorkman

Narrated by Lisa S. Ware 

In 1993, U.S. women earned the right to fly in combat, but the full story of how it happened is largely unknown. The Fly Girls Revolt chronicles the actions of a band of women who overcame decades of discrimination and prevailed against bureaucrats, chauvinists, anti-feminists, and even other military women. Drawing on extensive research, interviews with women who served in the 1970s and 1980s, and her experiences in the Air Force, Eileen Bjorkman weaves a riveting tale of the women who fought for the right to enter combat and be treated as equal partners in the U.S. military. 

Masters of the Air: America’s Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany

By Donald L. Miller

Narrated by Joe Barrett

Masters of the Air is the gripping history of the American Eighth Air Force in World War II and the story of the young men who flew the bombers that helped bring Nazi Germany to its knees. Told by historian and World War II expert Donald L. Miller, the book is also a chronicle of life in wartime England and in the German prison camps, where tens of thousands of airmen spent part of the war. And it ends with a vivid description of the grisly hunger marches captured airmen were forced to make near the end of the war through the country their bombs destroyed.

When the Sea Came Alive: An Oral History of D-Day

By Garrett M. Graff

Narrated by Edoardo Ballerini, Garrett M. Graff

The surprise sunrise landing of more than 150,000 Allied troops on the beaches of occupied northern France on June 6, 1944, is one of the most consequential days of the twentieth century. Garrett M. Graff, historian and author of The Only Plane in the Sky and Watergate, brings it all together in a one-of-a-kind, bestselling oral history of D-Day that explores this seminal event in vivid, heart-pounding detail.  

Miracle at Midway

By Gordon W. Prange, Donald M. Goldstein, Katherine V. Dillon

Narrated by Qarie Marshall

Thanks to cutting-edge code-breaking technology, tactical daring, and a huge stroke of luck, the Americans under Admiral Chester W. Nimitz dealt the Japanese navy its first major defeat of the war. Three years of hard fighting remained, but it was at Midway that the tide turned. This graphic, in-depth bestseller is the first book to tell the story of the epic battle from both the American and Japanese sides, showing how America won its first and greatest victory in the Pacific.

Keep digging into the past with more historical audiobooks here on Spotify.