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Back Over There
- One American Time-Traveler, 100 Years Since the Great War, 500 Miles of Battle-Scarred French Countryside, and Too Many Trenches, Shells, Legends and Ghosts to Count
- Narrated by: Richard Rubin
- Length: 13 hrs and 2 mins
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Publisher's summary
Based on Richard Rubin's wildly popular New York Times series, Back Over There is a timely journey, in turns reverent and iconoclastic but always fascinating, through a place where the past and present are never really separated.
In The Last of the Doughboys, Richard Rubin introduced readers to a forgotten generation of Americans: the men and women who fought and won the First World War. Interviewing the war’s last survivors face-to-face, he knew well the importance of being present if you want to get the real story. But he soon came to realize that to get the whole story, he had to go Over There, too. So he did, and discovered that while most Americans regard that war as dead and gone, to the French, who still live among its ruins and memories, it remains very much alive.
Years later, with the centennial of the war only magnifying this paradox, Rubin decided to go back Over There to see if he could, at last, resolve it. For months he followed the trail of the American Expeditionary Forces on the Western Front, finding trenches, tunnels, bunkers, century-old graffiti and ubiquitous artifacts. But he also found an abiding fondness for America and Americans, and a colorful corps of local after-hours historians and archeologists who tirelessly explore these sites and preserve the memories they embody while patiently waiting for Americans to return and reclaim their own history and heritage. None of whom seemed to mind that his French needed work.
This program is read by the author.
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Critic reviews
“A century after the Great War, the battlefields of France are still littered with the evidence of the barbarous fighting--trenches, the abandoned foundations of destroyed villages, and shell fragments galore. But Richard Rubin doesn’t pursue this subject merely to give new meaning to the genre of ‘deep travel.’ This thoroughly researched and entertaining narrative refreshes our understanding of a tragic war and will be welcomed by anyone who enjoys good writing and history.” - Rinker Buck, author of The Oregon Trail: A New American Journey,and Flight of Passage
“Richard Rubin is a highly-skilled time-traveler whose passion and diligence make the haunted sites of the First World War yield up their amazing stories. By reminding us how real and how recent that war was he has produced an engrossing, important book.” - Ian Frazier, author of Great Plains and Travels in Siberia
"Delightful may seem like a strange word for a book about war—but it’s the word that came repeatedly to mind as I turned the pages of Richard Rubin’s narrative of his adventures on the French and Belgian battlefields where Americans fought in the Great War. With vast erudition and effervescent style, Rubin brings to life what the Doughboys endured “over there” a century ago and what he experienced as he retraced their footsteps." - David Laskin, author of The Family: A Journey into the Heart of the 20th Century and The Long Way Home: An American Journey from Ellis Island to the Great War
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- Unabridged
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When prize-winning war correspondent Tony Horwitz leaves the battlefields of Bosnia and the Middle East for a peaceful corner of the Blue Ridge Mountains, he thinks he's put war zones behind him. But awakened one morning by the crackle of musket fire, Horwitz starts filing front-line dispatches again this time from a war close to home, and to his own heart.
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A Must Read for Civil War Buffs!
- By Ms Winston on 12-06-14
By: Tony Horwitz
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Pumpkinflowers
- A Soldier's Story
- By: Matti Friedman
- Narrated by: Eric Michael Summerer
- Length: 5 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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Using humor, pop culture, and even musical references, Michael Friedman re-creates the wartime experience in a narrative that is part memoir, part journalism, part military history. The years in question were pivotal ones, seeing the perfection of a type of warfare that would eventually be exported to Afghanistan and Iraq and has come to seem like the only kind of warfare in existence - wars in which there is never any clear victory, but not quite enough lives are lost to rally the country against it.
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Israeli Defense Fighter’s Story of War in Lebanon
- By Debbie on 05-02-19
By: Matti Friedman
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I Will Hold
- The Story of USMC Legend Clifton B. Cates from Belleau Wood to Victory in the Great War
- By: James Carl Nelson
- Narrated by: Sean Pratt
- Length: 9 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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The incredible true story of Clifton B. "Lucky" Cates, whose service in World War I and beyond made him a legend in the annals of the Marine Corps. Cates knew that he and his small band of marines were in a desperate spot. Before handing the note over to a runner, he added three words that would resound through Marine Corps history: I WILL HOLD.
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I Cannot Hold!
- By Matthew on 10-22-16
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The Long Way Home
- An American Journey from Ellis Island to the Great War
- By: David Laskin
- Narrated by: Erik Synnestvedt
- Length: 13 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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The United States has always been a nation of immigrants---never more so than in 1917 when the nation entered the First World War. Of the 2.5 million soldiers who fought with U.S. armed forces in the trenches of France and Belgium, some half a million---nearly one out of every five men---were immigrants. In The Long Way Home, David Laskin, author of the prizewinning history The Children's Blizzard, tells the stories of 12 of these immigrant heroes.
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Incredible story of immigration and war
- By Daryl on 01-06-14
By: David Laskin
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The Fracture Zone
- A Return to the Balkans
- By: Simon Winchester
- Narrated by: Steven Crossley
- Length: 8 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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Award-winning journalist and author Simon Winchester takes readers on a personal tour of the Balkans. Combining history and interviews with the people who live there, Winchester offers a fascinating glimpse into the complex issues at work in this chaotic region. Unrest in the Balkans has gone on for centuries. A seasoned reporter, Winchester visited the region twenty years ago. When Kosovo reached crisis level in 1997, Winchester thought a return visit to the beleaguered area would help to make sense out of the awful violence.
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Loved this-Great combo:Story and History Explained
- By Jeremy on 07-10-14
By: Simon Winchester
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Hue 1968
- A Turning Point of the American War in Vietnam
- By: Mark Bowden
- Narrated by: Joe Barrett
- Length: 18 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
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By January 1968, despite an influx of half a million American troops, the fighting in Vietnam seemed to be at a stalemate. Yet General William Westmoreland, commander of American forces, announced a new phase of the war in which "the end begins to come into view". The North Vietnamese had different ideas. In mid-1967, the leadership in Hanoi had started planning an offensive intended to win the war in a single stroke.
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I KNEW This Book Would Sting Me . . . .
- By Rum Runner on 07-28-17
By: Mark Bowden
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The Liberator
- One World War II Soldier's 500-Day Odyssey from the Beaches of Sicily to the Gates of Dachau
- By: Alex Kershaw
- Narrated by: Fred Sanders
- Length: 11 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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From July 10, 1943, the date of the Allied landing in Sicily, to May 8, 1945, when victory in Europe was declared - the entire time it took to liberate Europe - no regiment saw more action, and no single platoon, company, or battalion endured worse, than the ones commanded by Felix Sparks, who had entered the war as a greenhorn second lieutenant of the 157th "Eager for Duty" Infantry Regiment of the 45th "Thunderbird" Division. Sparks and his fellow Thunderbirds fought longest and hardest to defeat Hitler.
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Now I Know What a Hero Really Is
- By Steven on 11-27-12
By: Alex Kershaw
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We Are Soldiers Still
- A Journey Back to the Battlefields of Vietnam
- By: Lt. Gen. Harold G. Moore (USA Ret.), Joseph L. Galloway
- Narrated by: Joseph L. Galloway
- Length: 7 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
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Harold G. Moore and Joseph L. Galloway revisit their relationships with 10 American veterans of the battle, as well as Lt. Gen. Nguyen Hu An, who commanded the North Vietnamese Army troops on the other side, and two of his old company commanders.
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A must listen for lovers of history
- By Borgnimbblefoot on 08-24-08
By: Lt. Gen. Harold G. Moore (USA Ret.), and others
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Flags of Our Fathers
- By: James Bradley, Ron Powers
- Narrated by: Stephen Hoye
- Length: 13 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
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In this unforgettable chronicle of perhaps the most famous moment in American military history, James Bradley has captured the glory, the triumph, the heartbreak, and the legacy of the six men who raised the flag at Iwo Jima. Here is the true story behind the immortal photograph that has come to symbolize the courage and indomitable will of America.
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awesome
- By Thomas on 11-29-06
By: James Bradley, and others
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Fighting With the Filthy Thirteen
- The World War II Story of Jack Womer - Ranger and Paratrooper
- By: Jack Womer, Stephen Devito
- Narrated by: John Allen Nelson
- Length: 11 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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In this long awaited work one of the squad’s integral members - and probably its best soldier - reveals his own inside account of fighting as a spearhead of the Screaming Eagles in Normandy, Market Garden, and the Battle of the Bulge.
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Interesting listen
- By Nick on 11-27-14
By: Jack Womer, and others
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Lady Death
- The Memoirs of Stalin's Sniper
- By: Lyudmila Pavlichenko, David Foreman, Martin Pelger, and others
- Narrated by: Emily Durante
- Length: 14 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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In June 1941, when Hitler launched Operation Barbarossa, Lyudmila Pavlichenko left her university studies and ignored the offer of a position as a nurse to become one of Soviet Russia's 2,000 female snipers. Less than a year later, she had 309 recorded kills, including 29 enemy sniper kills. She was withdrawn from active duty after being injured. She was also regarded as a key heroic figure for the war effort.
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Wow
- By History is awsome on 10-14-18
By: Lyudmila Pavlichenko, and others
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The Women Who Wrote the War
- The Riveting Saga of World War II's Daredevil Women Correspondents
- By: Nancy Caldwell Sorel
- Narrated by: Tavia Gilbert
- Length: 14 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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Nancy Sorel’s portrait pays homage to these unsung heroes. They came from Boston, New York, Milwaukee, and St. Louis; from Yakima, Washington; Austin, Texas; and Sioux City, Iowa; from San Francisco and all points east. They left comfortable homes and safe surroundings for combat-zone duty. As women war correspondents, they brought to the battlefields of World War II a fresh optic, and reported back home what they witnessed with a new sensibility.
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Nonfiction Account of WW2 Female News Reporters
- By DHackney on 08-30-13
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Airborne
- The Combat Story of Ed Shames of Easy Company
- By: Ian Gardner
- Narrated by: P.J. Ochlan
- Length: 10 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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Some men are born to be warriors, and Ed Shames is one of these men. His incredible combat record includes service at D-Day, Operation Market Garden, and Bastogne and finally in Germany itself.
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Let down
- By Craig W. Mcsorley on 06-30-15
By: Ian Gardner
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Hell and Good Company
- The Spanish Civil War and the World It Made
- By: Richard Rhodes
- Narrated by: Christian Coulson
- Length: 8 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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The Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) inspired and haunted an extraordinary number of exceptional artists and writers, including Pablo Picasso, Joan Miro, Martha Gellhorn, Ernest Hemingway, George Orwell, and John Dos Passos. The idealism of the cause--defending democracy from fascism at a time when Europe was darkening toward another world war--and the brutality of the conflict drew from them some of their best work.
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Awkward approach to a civil war
- By sabas on 01-17-17
By: Richard Rhodes
What listeners say about Back Over There
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Lady Wesley
- 04-22-24
Fascinating and enjoyable
I learned a lot of new things about France and World War I. The author made me feel like I was walking right beside him. It’s a very long book, but the time seemed to fly. Highly recommended.
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- jquincy
- 12-23-17
excellent
Loved it. Richard Rubin is as likeable and knowledgeable as they come. I just wished I'd read this before I took my own tour of the Western Front.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Denise
- 02-01-24
Great Book
Author gave great descriptions of people and places. There were a few French phrases he didn't explain but still would highly recommend this book!!
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- Robert F.
- 07-10-17
VIRTUAL TOUR OF THE AMERICAN BATTLEFIELDS
Would you listen to Back Over There again? Why?
YES---AS SOON AS I FINISH. IT'S LIKE A GREAT FILM THAT THE MORE YOU SEE, THE BETTER YOU LOVE AND UNDERSTAND.
What did you like best about this story?
THE NARRATION IS DEEPLY RESPECTFUL OF THE AMERICAN SERVICE MAN. BECAUSE DE GUALLE HATED AMERICANS SO MUCH, I THOUGHT ALL THE FRENCH THOUGHT OF US AS BIG LOUD MOUTH SOLDIERS. THE FRENCH TRULY CARE ABOUT, AND LOVE--AND MEAN LOVE--WHAT THE DOUGHBOY, SAMMIES DID IN FRANCE, FOR FRANCE IN 1917 AND 1918.
What does Richard Rubin bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
HIS UNIQUE VOICE. MANY TIMES I PREFER A PROFESSIONAL. THIS IS DIFFERENT. I FEEL LIKE I'M WALKING RIGHT BEHIND HIM ON THE BATTLEFIELD, FALLING IN FOXHOLES, STUMBLING OVER MESS KITS AND BARBED WIRE..
If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?
GUYS JUST LIKE US.
Any additional comments?
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, RICHARD RUBIN, DO A "BACK OVER THERE" FOR THE SECOND WORLD WAR!
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2 people found this helpful
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- az-joe
- 09-21-18
Very glad I read this book
A little different from anything else I have read about WW 1. Totally enjoyable. I wish I would have been with him as he traveled through all the sites. While stationed in Germany I traveled to the more popular sites and cemeteries, after reading this book I realize how much I missed. I was moved by his description of how empty the memorials and cemeteries were. his interviews with the last of the survivors was moving. It’s been 100 years and sadly it’s become largely forgotten
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3 people found this helpful
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- in1ear (John Row)
- 05-27-17
Truly Interesting
What did you love best about Back Over There?
Sometimes the past seems too distant to grasp on any human level. This work brings a chapter in the Great War to life through the actions of American Doughboys. The geography, history and rememberances of generations after the events.
What did you like best about this story?
I'm a fairly avid History buff. I remember when a child, meeting an uncle of my father who had been gassed in World War I. He was a grumpy, mean spirited man probably in his early 60's and I could never imagine him as a young man, with aspirations and his whole life ahead of him. This work brings the people to life. And brings that Time to life.
What does Richard Rubin bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
Passion, thoroughly familiar. He is, afterall, the author of the work. And actually he's a fairly decent narrator. Actually, my research says he has done voice talent for NPR. Among lots of other things.
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
To tell the truth, I wasn't sure what to expect. I had some extra AUDIBLE credits and as I hunted around, this and Rubin's other audio book work " Thr Last of the Doughboys" showed up in my search. So I'm pleased! Both are interesting, educational and historical but written in a personable way.
Any additional comments?
This has been an eye opening listen. I've learned quite a bit and it wasn't even painful! lol. If you have an interest in World War I, history, etc. you might give this a listen.It's worth both the Audible credit and my listening time investment. And I can see myself relistening sometime in the future.
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2 people found this helpful
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- BaaBaa
- 04-24-17
Tour the French countryside of the Great War
Any additional comments?
Richard Rubin takes the listener along on his visits to the battle scenes of 100 years ago in France. His words create pictures that illustrate the military history he describes clearly. His stories of the people affected by the Great War are fascinating. I felt as though I were there with him during his travels through the battlefields and wanted to fly to France to see for myself. I loved this book and Richard Rubin was the perfect narrator for his book. A great achievement.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Amy Pritchett
- 11-10-22
An Exceptional Trip
I loved Rubin's first book on the subject, and this follow-up is just as good, if not better. His respect for the material, and the people of France, is obvious, and the stories he tells about going places and meeting people along the way (and all the ways they help him uncover stories of the AEF nobody will ever hear otherwise), is amazing. If you liked "The Last of the Doughboys," do yourself a favor and read this follow-up.
My only qualm with the audio production was Rubin's insistence on trying to pronounce French and German words as close to correctly as possible. I found it really distracting and hard to listen to, but other than that, it was top-notch. And that's just my nit-pick with it. The book is beautifully researched and lovingly written, and all I'm saying is, Rubin's a better writer than he is a narrator.
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- Amazon Customer
- 08-28-18
Loved this book!
I listened to this book after listening yo The Last of the Doughboys. I loved it!! Richard Rubin narrating it made it even better! Well done!!
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1 person found this helpful
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- WCB
- 04-11-21
Wonderful sequel to Last of the Doughboys!
This is a wonderful finish to the author’s “Last of the Doughboys,” inspired by multiple interviews with centenarian World War 1 vets and their varied backgrounds and experiences. It broadens the general history of the conflict by taking you on intimate tours of battlefields, museums, local personalities, and what experts encountered “over there.”
My Grandfather was there in 1918, and he returned to raise the greatest generation through the roaring 20’s, the Great Depression, and beyond. He passed in 1966. This book and its prequel enabled my oldest son and I to feel much closer to him and his world. Thank you, Richard Rubin, for letting us tag along on your adventure. Tres bien!
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1 person found this helpful