Audiobooks narrated by Bruce Mann

12th Hitlerjugend SS Panzer Division in Normandy

Raised in 1943 with seventeen-year-olds from the Hitler Youth movement, and following the twin disasters of Stalingrad and 'Tunisgrad', the Hitlerjugend Panzer Division emerged as the most effective German division fighting in the West. The core of the division was a cadre of offices and NCOs provided by Hitler's bodyguard division, the elite Leibstandarte, with the aim of producing a division of 'equal value' to fight alongside them in I SS Panzer Corps. During the fighting in Normandy, the Hitlerjugend proved to be implacable foes to both the British and the Canadians, repeatedly blunting Montgomery's offensives, fighting with skill and a degree of determination well beyond the norm. This they did from D+1 through to the final battle to escape from the Falaise Pocket, despite huge disadvantages, namely constant Allied air attack, highly destructive naval gunfire, and a chronic lack of combat supplies and replacements of men and equipment. Written with the advantage of new materials from archives in the former Eastern Bloc, this book is no whitewash of a Waffen SS division and it does not shy away from confronting unpalatable facts or controversies.

Richard Hone, Tim Saunders (Author), Bruce Mann (Narrator)

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A Meal with Jesus: Discovering Grace, Community, and Mission around the Table

Meals have always been important across societies and cultures, a time for friends and families to come together. An important part of relationships, meals are vital to our social health. Author Tim Chester sums it up: 'Food connects.' Chester argues that meals are also deeply theological-an important part of Christian fellowship and mission. He observes that the book of Luke is full of stories of Jesus at meals. These accounts lay out biblical principles. Chester notes, 'The meals of Jesus represent something bigger.' Six chapters in A Meal with Jesus show how they enact grace, community, hope, mission, salvation, and promise. Moving from biblical times to the modern world, Chester applies biblical truth to challenge our contemporary understandings of hospitality. He urges sacrificial giving and loving around the table, helping listeners consider how meals can be about serving others and sharing the grace of Christ.

Tim Chester (Author), Bruce Mann (Narrator)

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A Question of Leadership: Leading Organizational Change in Times of Crisis

Whether planned or unexpected, change presents leaders with their toughest sustained challenges-regardless of the leader's seniority or the organization's size. For many leaders, change brings drama-and the replaying of familiar stories. In A Question of Leadership, Keith Leslie provides a wide range of illustrative case studies derived from both research and his firsthand experience in the public and private sectors as a former partner at both Deloitte and McKinsey. Each chapter first provides an engaging narrative that presents a relatable leadership dilemma, before an analysis of what works and when, followed by a selection of research which supports this thesis and, finally, actionable advice for leaders who find themselves in comparable circumstances. Alongside their individual takeaways, each of these case studies are united behind an overarching thesis: the failure of many change initiatives is caused by the leader's inability to fully consider the consequences and magnitude of the situation. Whether they consider it 'just a game,' or they are 'gaming the system,' they often fail to recognize the full consequences of the change initiative. Across business and society, the prevalence and impacts of such short-sighted mistakes have become more overt than ever following the onset of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Keith Leslie (Author), Bruce Mann (Narrator)

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Aliens: The World's Leading Scientists on the Search for Extraterrestrial Life

In these lively and fascinating essays, scientists from around the world weigh in on the latest advances in the search for intelligent life in the universe and discuss just what that might look like. Since 2000, science has seen a surge in data and interest on several fronts related to E.T. (extraterrestrials); A.I. (artificial intelligence); and SETI (search for extraterrestrial intelligence). The debate has intensified over whether life exists outside our solar system, what that life would look like, and whether we’ll ever make contact. Included in this audiobook are essays from a broad spectrum of the scientific community: cosmologists, astrophysicists, NASA planetary scientists, and geneticists, to name just a few, discussing the latest research and theories relating to alien life. Some of the topics include: If life exists somewhere in space, what are the odds that it evolves into something we would recognize as intelligent? What will space travel look like in the future, and will it all be done by cyborg technology? How long until we are ruled by robot overlords? (This is actually a serious consideration.) Are we simply a simulation in the mind of some supreme being, acting out a virtual reality game? For those who have ever wondered, Is there anybody out there? here are the latest theories and evidence that move us closer to answering that question. Read by Nicholas Guy Smith, Bruce Mann, Katharine McEwan, Paul Michael, and Kimberly Farr

Jim Al-Khalili (Author), , Bruce Mann, Nicholas Guy Smith, Various Narrators (Narrator)

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Anatomy of a Soldier: A novel

Anatomy of a Soldier is a stunning first novel-of patriotism, heroism, and profound humanism-that will immediately take its place on the shelf of classics about what it truly means to be at war. Let's imagine a man called Captain Tom Barnes, aka BA5799, who's leading British troops in the war zone. And two boys growing up together there, sharing a prized bicycle and flying kites before finding themselves estranged once foreign soldiers appear in their countryside. And then there's the man who trains one of them to fight against the other's father and all these infidel invaders. Then imagine the family and friends who radiate out from these lives, people on all sides of this conflict where virtually everyone is caught up in the middle of something unthinkable. But then regard them not as they see themselves but as all the objects surrounding them do: shoes and boots, a helmet, a bag of fertilizer, a medal, a beer glass, a snowflake, dog tags, and a horrific improvised explosive device that binds them all together by blowing one of them apart-forty-five different narrators in all, including the multiple medical implements subsequently required to keep Captain Barnes alive. The result is a novel that reveals not only an author with a striking literary talent and intelligence but also the lives of people-whether husband or wife, father or mother, son or daughter-who are part of this same heart-stopping journey. A work of extraordinary humanity and hope, created out of something hopeless and dehumanizing, it makes art out of pain and suffering and takes its place in a long and rich line of novels that articulate the lives that soldiers lead. In the boom of an instant, and in decades of very different lives and experiences, we see things we've never understood so clearly before.

Harry Parker (Author), Bruce Mann, Gildart Jackson, Jayne Entwistle, Jean Gilpin, John Lee, Jonathan Cowley, Katharine McEwan, Kirby Heyborne, Nicholas Guy Smith, Paul Boehmer, Peter Altschuler, Rob Shapiro, Steve West, Susan Duerden (Narrator)

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Asking Questions The Sandler Way: Or: Good Question-Why Do you Ask?

When does the sales process really begin? Some say that sales starts at the very first 'hello.' Everything before that first critical opening word, these people say, is marketing; everything after that is sales. Others say that the real work of sales doesn't begin till the prospect first says, 'No.' 'Otherwise,' they insist, 'it's just order-taking.' Antonio Garrido's Asking Questions the Sandler Way rejects both of those answers. It holds that selling begins when you start asking good questions. This book is about asking the right questions, so that both the seller and the buyer discover the right solution as efficiently and as effectively as possible-even if they discover that the right solution right now is for the prospect to buy from the competition. Although that may be an unconventional selling standard, it's a powerful and extremely effective one. This book is about not looking, sounding, or thinking like the average salesperson. It's about keeping barriers down and communication lines open. It's about getting to the right solution, faster, more efficiently, and with less stress. It's about asking the right questions, in the right way, at the right time, for the right reason. It's about asking questions the Sandler way.

Antonio Garrido (Author), Bruce Mann (Narrator)

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Barth, Bonhoeffer, and Modern Politics

Recent political events around the world have raised the specter of an impending collapse of democratic institutions. Contemporary concerns about the decline of liberal democracy are reminiscent to the tumult of the 1930s and 1940s in Europe. Karl Barth and Dietrich Bonhoeffer lived in Germany during the rise of National Socialism, and each reflected on what the rise of totalitarianism meant for the aspirations of modern politics. Engaging the realities of totalitarian terror, they avoided despairing rejections of modern society. Beginning with Barth in the wake of the First World War, following Bonhoeffer through the 1930s and 1940s in Nazi Germany, and concluding with Barth's post-war reflections in the 1950s, this study explores how these figures reflected on modern society during this turbulent time and how their work is relevant to the current crisis of modern democracy.

Josh Mauldin (Author), Bruce Mann (Narrator)

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Bid My Soul Farewell

The stunning finale of the epic fantasy duology from New York Times bestselling author Beth Revis. Alchemy student turned necromancer Nedra Brysstain has made a life-changing decision to embrace the darkness--but can the boy who loves her bring her back to the light before she pays the ultimate price? Lunar Island is trying to heal. The necromantic plague that ravaged the land has been eradicated, and Emperor Auguste, the young and charming leader of the Allyrian Empire, has a plan: rid the island of necromancy once and for all. Though Greggori 'Grey' Astor wants what's best for his people, he knows that allying himself with Auguste threatens the one person he loves most: necromancer Nedra Brysstain. Feeling like he already failed to save Nedra once, Grey becomes determined to help the Emperor rebuild Lunar Island while still keeping Nedra safe from harm. Back at the quarantine hospital, Nedra's army of revenants are growing increasingly inhuman by the day. Wracked with guilt for imprisoning their souls, Nedra vows to discover a way to free the dead while still keeping her sister by her side. But still reeling from the trauma of the plague, the people of Lunar Island are looking for someone to blame, and Grey can only protect Nedra for so long. And when Nedra and Grey are thrust into a battle with an even more terrifying adversary, Nedra will be pushed to the darkest depths of her necromantic powers. But can Grey let her go that far?

Beth Revis (Author), Bruce Mann, Mhairi Morrison (Narrator)

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Bloody Verrières: The I. SS-Panzerkorps Defence of the Verrières-Bourguebus Ridges: Volume 2: The De

South of the Norman city of Caen, Verrieres Ridge was seen a key stepping-stone for the British Second Army if it was to break out of the Normandy bridgehead in late July 1944. Imposing in height and containing perfect terrain for armored operations, the Germans viewed it as the lynchpin to their defenses south of the city of Caen and east of the Orne river. Following the failure of British Operation Goodwood on 18-20 July and the containment of the Canadian Operation Atlantic, further Allied attacks to seize the ridge would have to defeat arguably the strongest German armored formation in Normandy: The I. SS-Panzerkorps 'Leibstandarte.' The fighting of 23 July-3 August is chronicled in detail, specifically the premier Anglo-Canadian operation to capture Verrieres Ridge, Operation Spring on 25 July. Designed as an attack to seize the ridge and exploit south with armor, this battle saw the 2nd Canadian Corps attack savaged again by German armored reserves brought in specifically to defeat another Goodwood. Not satisfied with this defensive victory, German armored forces would then seek to restore an earlier defensive line further north, attacking to destroy the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division. Largely unknown, these were some of the strongest and most successful German armored operations to take place in the Normandy campaign.

Arthur W. Gullachsen (Author), Bruce Mann (Narrator)

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Bloody Verrieres: The I. SS-Panzerkorps Defence of the Verrieres-Bourguebus Ridges: Volume I: Operat

South of the Norman city of Caen, the twin features of the Verrieres and Bourguebus ridges were key stepping stones for the British Second Army in late July 1944. To capture this vital ground, Allied forces would have to defeat arguably the strongest German armored formation in Normandy: the I. SS-Panzerkorps 'Leibstandarte.' The resulting battles of late July and early August 1944 saw powerful German defensive counterattacks south of Caen inflict tremendous casualties, regain lost ground, and at times defeat Anglo-Canadian operations in detail. These defeats and the experience of meeting an enemy with near-equal resources exposed a flawed Anglo-Canadian offensive tactical doctrine that was overly dependent on the supremacy of its artillery forces. Furthermore, weaknesses in Allied tank technology inhibited their armored forces from fighting a decisive armored battle. Confronted with the full force of the Panzerwaffe, Anglo-Canadian doctrine at times floundered. In response, the Royal Artillery and Royal Canadian Artillery units pummeled the German tankers and grenadiers, but despite their best efforts, ground could not be captured by concentrated artillery fire alone. This is a detailed account of the success of I. SS-Panzerkorps' defensive operations, aimed at holding the Verrieres-Bourgebus ridges in late July 1944.

Arthur W. Gullachsen (Author), Bruce Mann (Narrator)

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Bridling Dictators: Rules and Authoritarian Politics

Galtieri, Lukashenka, and Putin are some of the dictators whose untrammeled personal power has been seen as typical of the dog-eat-dog nature of leadership in authoritarian political systems. This book provides an innovative argument that, rather than being characterized by permanent insecurity, fear, and arbitrariness, the leadership of dictatorships is actually governed by a series of rules. The rules are identified, and their operation is shown in a range of different types of authoritarian regime. The operation of the rules is explained in ten different countries across five different regime types: the Soviet Union and China as communist single party regimes; Argentina, Brazil, and Chile as military regimes; electoral authoritarian Malaysia and Mexico; personalist dictatorships in Belarus and Russia; and the Gulf monarchies. Through close analysis of the way leadership functions in these different countries, the book shows how the rules have worked in different institutional settings. It also shows how the power distribution in authoritarian oligarchies is related to the rules. Bridling Dictators transforms our understanding of how authoritarian systems work.

Graeme Gill (Author), Bruce Mann (Narrator)

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Centuries Will Not Suffice: A History of the Lithuanian Holocaust

Centuries Will Not Suffice explores how different people responded to the Lithuanian Holocaust and the roles that they played. It considers the past history of the perpetrators and those who took great risks to save Jews, as well as describing the experiences of many who were caught up in the maelstrom. Unlike the figures at the top of the Nazi hierarchy, the men who were responsible for these killings have been largely forgotten. Karl Jäger was a senior SS figure who was in charge of the units that carried out most of them. He complained that his experiences caused him to suffer nightmares but continued to order his units to carry on and regarded it as his duty to remain in his post. He took refuge in compiling detailed reports of the killings, listing the numbers executed and breaking them down into men, women and children. The roles played by other figures are all described. Before the German invasion of Lithuania, two diplomats recognized the danger that lay ahead for the Jews of the Baltic region and did what they could to help them escape. Karl Plagge, a major in the army, did all he could to save Jews. What perhaps make the terrible story of the Baltic genocide unique is that the Nazi regime was able to rely upon collaboration by convincing the populace that the Soviet invasion of the area was the responsibility of the Jews.

Prit Buttar (Author), Bruce Mann (Narrator)

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Audiobooks Narrated by Bruce Mann