Dunkirk: The History Behind the Major Motion Picture

Joshua Levine

Jun 2017 · HarperAudio · Narrated by Jonathan Keeble and Leighton Pugh

About this audiobook

New York Times Bestseller

The epic true story of Dunkirk—now a major motion picture, written and directed by Christopher Nolan, and starring Kenneth Branagh, Tom Hardy, and Mark Rylance

In 1940, the Allies had been beaten back by the Nazis across France to the northern port of Dunkirk. In the ultimate race against time, more than 300,000 Allied soldiers were daringly evacuated across the Channel. This moment of German aggression was used by Winston Churchill as a call to Franklin Roosevelt to enter the war. Now, Joshua Levine, the film's official historian, explores the real lives of those soldiers, bombed and strafed on the beaches for days on end, without food or ammunition; the civilians whose boats were overloaded; the airmen who risked their lives to buy their companions on the ground precious time; and those who did not escape.

Ratings and reviews

So I have listened to this on CD and the narration is really on point. The book (I should read it too but yes listened) is wildly informative and great for wanting to know more of the story of Dunkirk all in all, and different characters having to do with it. It may talk of the battles a bit less and the main event less though but it is still well. It is also good in talking about the film more. Totally interesting for sure.

Good compliment to the 2017 Chris Noland/ Warner Brothers movie, which you should see. Gives historical context to the film, with out too many spoilers. Contains behide-the-scenes content on the film. It is great as a general history of Dunkirk.

About the author

Joshua Levine has written six bestselling histories including titles in the hugely popular 'Forgotten Voices' series. ‘Beauty and Atrocity’, his account of the Irish Troubles, was nominated for the Writers' Guild Book of the Year award. ‘On a Wing and a Prayer’, his history of the pilots of the First World War, has been turned into a major British television documentary. He has written and presented a number of programmes for BBC Radio 4. In a previous life, he was a criminal barrister. He lives in London.