Listen free for 30 days
-
The Winds of War
- Narrated by: Kevin Pariseau
- Length: 45 hrs and 48 mins
Add to basket failed.
Add to wishlist failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
The Winds of War
Buy Now for £36.69
No valid payment method on file.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
Summary
A masterpiece of historical fiction, this is the Great Novel of America's "Greatest Generation".
Herman Wouk's sweeping epic of World War II, which begins with The Winds of War and continues in War and Remembrance, stands as the crowning achievement of one of America's most celebrated storytellers. Like no other books about the war, Wouk's spellbinding narrative captures the tide of global events - and all the drama, romance, heroism, and tragedy of World War II - as it immerses us in the lives of a single American family drawn into the very center of the war's maelstrom.
Critic reviews
More from the same
What listeners love about The Winds of War
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story3 out of 5 stars
- Richard H
- 16-01-19
Very good in parts, creaky in others
It seems almost curmudgeonly to give this novel only 3 stars overall. It is undoubtedly a work of great significance and ambition, with its great historical and geographical sweep and searing commentary on many of the real characters involved. The author is very good at action scenes, for example when Americans are trapped in Nazi-invaded Warsaw: this chilled me to the bone. Equally, the flim-flam, cynicism and hypocrisy of Hitler’s Berlin are deftly depicted in all their raging lunacy, against a background of sheer dullness and poverty as experienced by any sane person, i.e. the book’s American protagonists. And I liked the ‘interruptions’ of commentary: extracts from the post war essays of a fictional but realistically portrayed German general who has survived the gallows and is now falling over himself to justify his nation’s crimes. This is very cleverly done and in among the vaingloriousness are some real historical nuggets. For example, I’d always known about the Maginot Line and how the Germans ‘just walked round it’, but had never understood exactly how. The mechanics of this exercise are minutely but not boringly described - a worthy addition to one’s education! There are several other instructive historical insertions of this nature.
But the book is seriously let down by its dialogue. This ranges from the preposterous to the plain boring! Far too many longeurs when the protagonist Pug is preparing for a meeting with his shady ‘boss’ Roosevelt, then the actual meeting - which just goes on and on, taking the narrative nowhere. Yes, we got the point that Mr R was vain and manipulative two pages ago! But capable of inspiring great loyalty - yes, we got that too. No need to replicate each speech over and over. For mere replications they are: nothing new is added, no character development. When it comes to dialogue in general, at first I was inclined to blame its creakiness on Kevin Pariseau’s inability to do accents. True, his attempts at British English are laughable but on closer listening I realised that poor Kevin was doing his best with some, frankly, very shoddy material. You can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear, and the author clearly had a tin ear for how people actually speak, or couldn’t be bothered to offer up anything other than tired stereotypes. He has all the British characters, male or female, posh or less posh, speak in exactly the same way, that way being one that never existed, even in wartime! Then I noticed that most of the American characters have the same turns of speech too, though presumably these are more authentic as one might suppose that Herman Wouk had actually listened to the lexicon of his own countrymen! It’s a struggle, sometimes, to figure out who’s talking. With such poor material Pariseau has performed valiantly with light and shade and, in the case of the Brits, making some of them speak in a slightly less strangulated way than others. And his renditions of German or Russian accents sounded superb. So ten out of ten to Kevin for making the best out of a bad job .... but I can’t forgive the author for being so lax and lazy over something - the dialogue - that occupies a large proportion of the book. Such a shame when there are scenes that really stand out in their grisly authenticity!
But that’s why it’s three from me!
17 people found this helpful
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
- Julie
- 11-11-12
Incredible!!!!
I have loved every minute over this incredibly long book!! My ipod earphones have been glued into my ears for days...I now fear there may be permanent damage. Despite that fact this book is over 45 hours long, it still rockets along nicely.
My one tiny issue is the narrator's attempt at some English accents, but hey, my New York accent is appalling!!!
I would strongly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in WW2 novels.
11 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Rachel
- 22-11-12
Winds of War
An absolutely amazing book! This is meticulously researched historically and a must read for anyone. I was never interested in the history and facts of WW II even though five uncles served. My father served as a Captain in the Medical Corps in the Pacific. I wish he was still alive. I have so many questions I wish I could ask. I guarantee even if you don't like "war stories" this book will have you hanging on every word. Thanks Audible!
10 people found this helpful
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars
-
Performance3 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Frances Wartnaby
- 07-02-14
Well researched, but not well written
I am in two minds about this book. The research and detail were brilliant, but the writing style is stilted. Conversations don't sound like real people. Almost all of the characters come across as synthetic. Having said that, I did enjoy listening to it. Maybe a better narrator would have helped.
9 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Sharon
- 15-07-13
Absolutely Wonderful..
Compelling.. there is so much in this book to digest that it will have to be reread, it will be no hardship. I thought I was pretty knowledgeable on the WWII but I was wrong, and it was so refreshing to see it from different POV's, it only takes you up to Pearl Harbour so looking forward to the next one in series... recommended.. the type of novel that does not get old or out of date, wonderful wish I had read it years ago.. I know it will stay with me in many years to come.
7 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Mrs. J. L. Reed
- 23-12-12
An epic story of love and war
I remember reading this book many years ago and was delighted to see it appear here as an audio book. I was concerned that my memories of Victor 'Pug' Henry and his family would not be as I remembered but I was not disapointed. Beautifully told and a joy to listen to. I would recommend this to both people with a love a huge sweeping stories and anyone interested in our recent history,
6 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Irene
- 05-05-13
I can listen this book again & again
Magnificently read by Kevin Pariseau, this history of the second world war as seen by Americans through the lives of an American family and their English friends was a great experience. The characters came alive and you feel their hopes, loses, happiness and sorrows.
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
- James
- 07-04-13
A view from a different angle.
A history af the run up to and the beginning of the second world war from the American viewpoint. up to thethe forced entry of the USA Into the conflict. Telling of the crucial mistakes of the leaders that contributed to the outcome.
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- eatough1999
- 05-12-17
Worthy marathon listen
Wasn't sure how I would take to this work, am currently 20hrs in and have found myself completely drawn into the narrative. It is a slow burn, there are heavy going chapters, but this actually adds to the appeal. The subject matter is weighty, it demands your attention and your thoughts about the content. It is in no way a 'light, easy listen'. I feel the narrator does a good job overall... he manages to keep my attention.
If you are looking for a listen that has meat on its bones...this really might be what you're looking for.
Update 17/12..completed, absolutely loved it, currently downloading book 2 war & remembrance, the scene is now well and truly set, characters established Pearl Harbour has happened. Cannot recommend this first book enough, I like weight to my books and this has satisfied wonderfully. Bravo!
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance3 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anita McCaul
- 31-10-17
Entertaining
The novel is a fantastic read and for the main part the narrator gets it bang on, sometimes however there are words that the narrator simple doesn’t understand and his pronunciation of those words are obvious and jarring. If you can overlook those mistakes as they happen, usually in the English sections, then I recommend this title. If however you are a stickler for the English language perhaps the writer book would suit you best
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Robert
- 24-05-13
A Masterpiece
Winds of War is the first in a two book historical fiction series about WWII. The time span of this first installment begins six months before the German invasion of Poland and ends with the attack on Pearl Harbor and the official entry of the US into the war. I found the story’s prelude to the war to be one of the most fascinating aspects of the book and it all mostly revolves around the life and naval career of one Victor “Pug” Henry, his immediate and extended family.
Prior to the war, this fictional character Pug, a naval attache to Berlin, draws the attention of FDR after writing an insightful prediction of the German-Russian nonaggression pact. Thus begins the relationship between Pug and FDR that will keep the former on land instead of at sea as the personal, though mostly unofficial, “intelligence” officer to the President. Pug’s goings and comings including his meetings with the likes of Hitler, Mussolini, Churchill and Stalin serve as the backbone of this novel.
I generally avoid books of this ilk aware that so many dwell on the Nazi atrocities that are more than this reader can handle. While mention is made of these, it is not what the book explores in detail and again, the novel is about the antecedent and beginning aspects of the war when not a great deal was known about what was going on in camps behind barbed wire.
I sometimes had issues with the book’s editing. The book is 46 hours (~900 pages) in length. I do not hesitate to take on a tome of this length as long as I don’t encounter too much fluff. And, while I felt there was not an inordinate amount of triviality, there were episodes of detail about the personal lives of friends and relatives of Pug that I could have done without. That said, this was still a “driveway” book; a book I would sit in my driveway upon returning home after my drive from work and continue listening to because it was just that captivating. Not to be misunderstood, I believe that the relating of the lives of Pug’s family and friends were essential to the book. It made the historical events personal, not just cold hard facts. I did feel, however, that the emotions of his immediate family were sometimes rather cavalier with respect to war in general. But they were what they were.
IMHO, the book is a masterpiece. The three E’s are all there contained within its covers. The book is educational, enlightening and entertaining. The text is peppered with excerpts from a fictional dissertation by a German General Armin von Roon. I found his [Nazi] German perspective on Hitler and the war to be particularly fascinating.
Finally, the book is made even better by the superlative narration and performance of Kevin Pariseau. I do not believe a book has ever been better performed. I would recommend this book to everyone.
267 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- ann hartnell
- 25-10-11
Still a fantastic work
I read Winds of War 40 years ago when it came out & have reread it at least once since. It has always remained one of my all time favorites. The audio version is just wonderful with great narration that brings the characters to life. As with the book, I lived the story for the last several days as I listened every minute available.
The depth of the story, large cast of characters that Herman Wouk handles like a master so you never think, "now who is this?" & the way he paints visual images of people, places & events fully immerses the reader from page 1.
There is never a boring minute. Even with the length of this book, I was ready for more as it finished, not glad it was done.
I would recommend this audiobook to everyone & only hope War & Remembrance will come next & soon.
126 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Arken
- 07-11-11
Great storytelling
I have a real appreciation of the works of Herman Wouk. He was one of the first "grownup" authors I read, devouring "The Caine Mutiny" as a 14-year-old, and then a couple of years later reading this work. I was in college when "War and Remembrance" finally came out, and I remember going to the mall to buy a much-needed pair of pants and instead buying the book! Over the years I developed a taste for English literature, particularly 19th-Century stuff -- Austen, Dickens, Trollope, George Eliot -- the usual suspects. And Herman Wouk was always mentioned as an almost quintessential second-rate writer. Perhaps because of my youthful awakening under his spell, I have never thought of him like that. When people say he writes soap operas and wooden dialog, I don't see it. I think his characters are well-drawn, his plots full of interest, and his style very straightforward and middle-American (in a good way!) Maybe it's because one of his themes is the value of the seemingly boring, day-to-day doers who get most of the jobs in the world done. Pug Henry in "The Winds of War" is that sort of person. His other books don't make heroes out of these plodders -- lots of them in the role of the behind-the-scenes fathers, providing the wherewithal for the more interesting lives of the younger generations.
"The Winds of War" seems to me to be written as part English novel of manners and part a great, long complicated work of Dickens. There are lots of characters who are drawn realistically, but they are put in situations requiring strange coincidences and improbable virtues. Victor Henry is the chief example of this. He is a convincingly-portrayed career naval officer thrust into a minor diplomatic post against his will. But then he displays a level of acumen and presence of mind to rival the the greatest of statesmen. He always seems to come up with the perfect thing to say, earning him the surprised respect of the big shots of the era (Big big-shots, like Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin.) He is perhaps just a bit too perceptive and unfailingly correct to be quite believable, but he overall feels like a real person we are following around the globe. His rocky relationships with his children seem real enough, and his personal traits are well-drawn and always interesting.
The real model for this work and the sequel is the great "War and Peace" -- the mixture of personal stories with world events, the encounters with real historical personages, and the mixing of historical narratives with the story line. This works successfully as a plan for the two books, I think, despite the great chutzpah it took to try it. I don't claim that Wouk is the writer Tolstoy is, but WWII is a theme that can at least deserve the same kind of treatment. The brief interlude that the hero and his love interest spend at Tolstoy's estate accompanied by a moment of dejavu make this treatment explicit.
Finally, this very entertaining and even (I would argue) profound story is beautifully narrated by Kevin Pariseau. He does the usual different voices that all the good narrators pull off but he also does accents, and even impersonations when necessary (e.g., Roosevelt and Churchill.) I am very much looking forward to his rendition of "War and Remembrance", assuming that will be following soon.
106 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Olaf
- 23-10-11
Genius combination of writing and narrating
Contrary to the rule, I firstly want to extend my deepest appreciation to the narrator of this book. Kevin Pariseau performs marvelously and brings the book to life with colors and atmosphere coming close to pictures. He not only attaches well chosen timbre to the characters but even excels in singing - I see images by his reading. It is plainly outstanding. The story is - at least for me - extremely interesting and reveals a great deal of wartime in Europe. The characters are carefully developed and the alternation of political and private events and settings is very entertaining and consistent. I could hardly stop listening and recommend this book whole heartedly.
74 people found this helpful
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Jan
- 25-10-13
45 hours + 56 hours = 102 hours of listening
The "Winds of War" is actually the first of a pair of novels which ambitiously cover WWII from beginning to end. The books follow the "Pug" Henry family and close friends as they are conveniently placed into each location where important events occur leading up to and during the start of the war. The fictional family events are woven through the factual historical events with experiences, letters, book excepts, newspapers and conversations used to guide the reader through the war. This book ends with the bombing of Pearl Harbor and all characters are left dangling... scattered around the world. The story is completed in the next book - "War and Remembrance." So you are looking at 102 hours of listening to completely read. I have to admit I was ready for something new when I finished, and some parts were boring... but I did enjoy it and learned tons. I have read a lot of WWII books set in specific areas, but this one helped me understand the entire war... step by step what happened where, when and why. It is presented in a PG to PG 13 format with mild language, mild sexual content, lots of drinking and of course the violence of war. It is slowly paced with a vintage feel although written in 70's (it's not a action packed Ken Follet type novel). Not as beautifully written as Wouk's "The Cain Mutiny" but still very satisfying and lots of reading for a credit.
60 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- John-Mark Stensvaag
- 18-10-11
Stunning Novel by a Great Writer
I am going to jump the gun here, because I have not yet listened to this, but I recommended it to Audible some time back, and I am thrilled that it is now available. I am writing this review early, because I want to encourage Audible listeners to purchase it immediately. This book and its sequel, "War and Remembrance," are stunning works of historical fiction. I very much hope Audible is preparing the sequel. Thank you, Audible, for listening to your customers!
54 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Book and Movie Lover
- 31-10-11
Eagerly awaiting the next installment
This is one of those books you will not want to finish, even though it is over 40 hours of listening. A WW II novel, it starts soon after Hitler was elected and carries through the attack on Pearl Harbor, following the lives of the Henry family and those they encounter. The central character, Victor ("Pug") Henry is a Navy man who becomes one of FDR's confidantes, as a plot mechanism to bring FDR into the story in a personal way. Through the experiences of Pug and his family, we learn much about FDR, pre-war Nazi Germany, Stalin, and the crimes against the Jews of Europe. Also explored is the plight of Britain and the reluctance of 80% of Americans to participate in another European war. The characters throughout the book are well developed and quite familiar by the time the book ends. I am very much looking forward to the next installment, War and Remembrance, which I believe will be on audible.com by the end of November 2011.
47 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Hollace
- 03-11-11
Thrilled!
I read this book and "War and Rememberance" years ago. I have always hoped it would become available on Audible. I was not disappointed. I am really perplexed that anyone could find a reason to score this book below 5 stars in any area. Pariseau makes the story really pop!!! I can't wait for "War and Rememberance" to be available and I hope Pariseau once again is the narrator. Thank you Audible!
34 people found this helpful
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Connie
- 11-11-11
War & Peace lite, but still enlightening
As much as I love historical fiction, I didn't think any author short of Tolstoy could make battle strategy interesting to me, but Wouk did. My test of good historical fiction is being "driven" to fact check a detail then being able to jump right back into the world of the story, and not wanting to leave. This book beat a satisfying path to my reference shelf.
I expected only a pot-boiler with a traditional Yankee bias, but the novel exceeded that, both in style and content.
Narrator Parriseau does a good job, but with such a range of voices and characters there are some misses.
33 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Ryan
- 06-09-14
Epic historical drama
At over 100 hours, this audiobook and its sequel are a commitment, a 20th century War and Peace. Over 2000 pages, Herman Wouk spins both a family saga and a sort of “bearing witness” document, a detailed history of World War Two that leaves no one excused for humanity’s greatest calamity (so far) and the many acts of blindness on both sides that allowed it to unfold as it did
The fictional narrative centers around an American naval family headed by one Victor “Pug” Henry, a stolid, unpretentious career officer of classic mold. Yearning for a battleship command, Victor is instead sent to be the US’s naval attache in 1939 Berlin, at a time well before most Americans had any desire to get embroiled in another European mess. Because of his thorough reports, Victor finds himself coming to the attention of FDR, who makes him a high-powered informal go-between. Meanwhile, Victor’s two sons have their own stories -- one training as a Navy pilot, while the other “finds himself” in Italy, where he gets involved with a Jewish author and his lovely, headstrong niece. These two, trapped in Europe, become significant viewpoint characters in their own right. Others enter the narrative, too, including Victor’s wife, who is beginning to chafe at the sacrifices of being a Navy wife, and his daughter, who takes a job at a NYC radio station. While most of the action happens behind the lines, we do get a few tastes of the shooting war.
Wouk’s style is a bit nostalgic, but the characters are well-written and credible. For all the contrivances in the plot -- such as Victor managing to meet Hitler, FDR, Churchill, *and* Stalin -- Wouk makes us believe that such path-crossings were plausible. Maybe one family wasn’t in so many places, but history did have plenty of small actors who played such roles. In any case, the small details of the characters’ thoughts and actions give events a full, living color. Sometimes Wouk pulls the camera back and explains in a clear, compelling way what was happening on the broader stage, which was a counterpoint that appealed to me, since the protagonists seldom have all the facts themselves. It’s to his credit that almost nothing feels irrelevant -- personalities and family lives seem to dovetail neatly into greater events and vice-versa.
No, Herman Wouk isn’t Tolstoy, but he’s certainly a writer with a strong grasp of the forces of history, gentle insight into human behavior, the ability to connect small-scale events with large ones, and a storyteller’s gift for putting it all in familiar terms, through the eyes of some memorable characters.
What pleased me most about this book, though, and a big reason for my enthusiastic recommendation, is its absence of simplistic rah-rah patriotism. Instead, Wouk soberly examines the causes of the war and the dangers of nationalism and ideology. He also notes the hypocrisies of British and American imperialism, and the self-absorbed apathy of both countries in the face of fascism’s self-image of surety. One of the most fascinating features of the novel is the inclusion of the memoirs of a German general, translated decades after the war by Pug himself. There’s a creepy familiarity to his critiques of the “decadent” West, and one begins to remember that evil is often rationalized away, sometime quite convincingly, by those who worship strength and power. This mattered at the time the author was writing, around the height of the Vietnam War, and it matters now.
Ultimately, this novel and its sequel are a rich mix of intimate and broad-scale human themes, 20th century history, and wistful nostalgia for a time when the American middle class family embodied all that was hopeful. Audiobook narrator Kevin Pariseau rises to the occasion, with some impressive imitations of certain famous figures, a range of accents, and a narration voice that has both friendliness and gravity. Put the sequel on standby, because you’ll want to know what happens next.
32 people found this helpful