Catastrophe 1914: Europe Goes to War by Max Hastings and read by Simon Vance

Sir Max Hastings is an author, journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in every British national newspaper. He has published twenty-six books, and rumour has it that he rises at 5 a.m. and writes 2,000 words before breakfast – every day.

Catastrophe 1914 amounts to about 25 hours of listening, and bear in mind that it only covers the lead-up to the war, and the war’s first few months. Knowing that, you might expect this audiobook to plod along, but Hastings is a master storyteller (as is legendary audiobook narrator Simon Vance). Even if you only have a passing interest in military history and trivia, there’s a chance you’ll enjoy this immensely, and if you’re like me and read about the world wars as a hobby, you’re in for a real treat. As a special note, I’d like to thank John, an Audiobook fan from Reddit (DeadParrot78), for recommending this title!

Audio production by Graham Stephenson

Episode music: Caprese by Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue).