Listen free for 30 days
-
Fifteen Days
- Stories of Bravery, Friendship, Life and Death from Inside the New Canadian Army
- Narrated by: Matilda Novak
- Length: 13 hrs and 27 mins
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wish list failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy Now for $29.14
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Publisher's Summary
Long before she made her first trip to Afghanistan as an embedded reporter for The Globe and Mail, Christie Blatchford was already one of Canada’s most respected and eagerly followed journalists. Her vivid prose, her unmistakable voice, her ability to connect emotionally with her subjects and audiences, her hard-won and hard-nosed skills as a reporter – these had already established her as a household name. But with her many reports from Afghanistan, and in dozens of interviews with the returned members of the 1st Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry and others back at home, she found the subject she was born to tackle. Her reporting of the conflict and her deeply empathetic observations of the men and women who wear the maple leaf are words for the ages, fit to stand alongside the nation’s best writing on war.
It is a testament to Christie Blatchford’s skills and integrity that along with the admiration of her listeners, she won the respect and trust of the soldiers. They share breathtakingly honest accounts of their desire to serve, their willingness to confront fear and danger in the battlefield, their loyalty towards each other and the heartbreak occasioned by the loss of one of their own. Grounded in insights gained over the course of three trips to Afghanistan in 2006, and drawing on hundreds of hours of interviews not only with the servicemen and -women with whom she shared so much, but with their commanders and family members as well, Christie Blatchford creates a detailed, complex, and deeply affecting picture of military life in the 21st century.
You may also enjoy...
-
Operation Medusa
- The Furious Battle That Saved Afghanistan from the Taliban
- Written by: Major General David Fraser, Brian Hanington, Gen. Lord David Richards
- Narrated by: Paul Gross
- Length: 5 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the summer of 2006, David Fraser was the Canadian general in charge of NATO's Regional Command South, a territory spanning six Afghan provinces surrounding the Arghandab Valley. Birthplace of the Taliban decades earlier, this fertile region had since become Afghanistan's most deadly turf. It would soon turn deadlier still. Advised in the night by his intelligence officers that the Taliban had secretly amassed for a full-scale military assault, Fraser knew it would fall to him, his Canadians and their allies to avoid the wholesale slaughter of NATO troops.
-
-
Came across as making excuses
- By Peter on 2018-05-24
Written by: Major General David Fraser, and others
-
A Thousand Shall Fall
- The True Story of a Canadian Bomber Pilot in World War Two
- Written by: Murray Peden
- Narrated by: Anthony Haden Salerno
- Length: 19 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
During World War II, Canada trained tens of thousands of airmen under the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. Those selected for Bomber Command operations went on to rain devastation upon the Third Reich in the great air battles over Europe, but their losses were high. German fighters and anti-aircraft guns took a terrifying toll. The chances of surviving a tour of duty as a bomber crew were almost nil.
-
-
Excellently written and read
- By Amazon Customer on 2022-02-03
Written by: Murray Peden
-
The Secret History of Soldiers
- How Canadians Survived the Great War
- Written by: Tim Cook
- Narrated by: J.D. Nicholsen
- Length: 10 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There have been thousands of books on the Great War, but most have focused on commanders, battles, strategy, and tactics. Less attention has been paid to the daily lives of the combatants, how they endured the unimaginable conditions of industrial warfare: the rain of shells, bullets, and chemical agents. In The Secret History of Soldiers, Tim Cook, Canada's foremost military historian, examines how those who survived trench warfare on the Western Front found entertainment, solace, relief, and distraction from the relentless slaughter.
-
-
A look into the minds of the boys at the front
- By C Anderson on 2024-05-07
Written by: Tim Cook
-
White School, Black Memories
- Written by: CWO John G. Barnes
- Narrated by: Frank Block
- Length: 21 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Barnes's extremely frank and highly detailed memoir is a fast-paced tale of courage, loss, and eventual redemption that feels like someone telling you their story across the kitchen table. Above all else, this book tells the unvarnished truth of the modern-day veteran experience from a senior non-commissioned officer's point of view.
-
-
very good read
- By Simon T Logan on 2024-05-11
Written by: CWO John G. Barnes
-
On Combat
- The Psychology and Physiology of Deadly Conflict in War and in Peace
- Written by: Dave Grossman, Loren W. Christensen
- Narrated by: Dave Grossman
- Length: 18 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On Combat looks at what happens to the human body under the stresses of deadly battle and the impact on the nervous system, heart, breathing, visual and auditory perception, memory - then discusses new research findings as to what measure warriors can take to prevent such debilitations so they can stay in the fight, survive, and win. A brief, but insightful look at history shows the evolution of combat, the development of the physical and psychological leverage that enables humans to kill other humans, followed by an objective examination of domestic violence in America.
-
-
over the top American Patriotism
- By Elle on 2017-12-14
Written by: Dave Grossman, and others
-
Lions of Kandahar
- The Story of a Fight Against All Odds
- Written by: Major Rusty Bradley, Kevin Maurer
- Narrated by: Eric G. Dove
- Length: 8 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Southern Afghanistan was slipping away. That was clear to then-Captain Rusty Bradley as he began his third tour of duty there in 2006. The Taliban and their allies were infiltrating everywhere, poised to reclaim Kandahar Province, their strategically vital onetime capital. To stop them, the NATO coalition launched Operation Medusa, the largest offensive in its history. The battlefield was the Panjwayi Valley, a densely packed warren of walled compounds that doubled neatly as enemy bunkers.
-
-
Great listen! Must read for Afghanistan veterans!
- By Christian Saulnier on 2019-09-11
Written by: Major Rusty Bradley, and others
-
Operation Medusa
- The Furious Battle That Saved Afghanistan from the Taliban
- Written by: Major General David Fraser, Brian Hanington, Gen. Lord David Richards
- Narrated by: Paul Gross
- Length: 5 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the summer of 2006, David Fraser was the Canadian general in charge of NATO's Regional Command South, a territory spanning six Afghan provinces surrounding the Arghandab Valley. Birthplace of the Taliban decades earlier, this fertile region had since become Afghanistan's most deadly turf. It would soon turn deadlier still. Advised in the night by his intelligence officers that the Taliban had secretly amassed for a full-scale military assault, Fraser knew it would fall to him, his Canadians and their allies to avoid the wholesale slaughter of NATO troops.
-
-
Came across as making excuses
- By Peter on 2018-05-24
Written by: Major General David Fraser, and others
-
A Thousand Shall Fall
- The True Story of a Canadian Bomber Pilot in World War Two
- Written by: Murray Peden
- Narrated by: Anthony Haden Salerno
- Length: 19 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
During World War II, Canada trained tens of thousands of airmen under the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. Those selected for Bomber Command operations went on to rain devastation upon the Third Reich in the great air battles over Europe, but their losses were high. German fighters and anti-aircraft guns took a terrifying toll. The chances of surviving a tour of duty as a bomber crew were almost nil.
-
-
Excellently written and read
- By Amazon Customer on 2022-02-03
Written by: Murray Peden
-
The Secret History of Soldiers
- How Canadians Survived the Great War
- Written by: Tim Cook
- Narrated by: J.D. Nicholsen
- Length: 10 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There have been thousands of books on the Great War, but most have focused on commanders, battles, strategy, and tactics. Less attention has been paid to the daily lives of the combatants, how they endured the unimaginable conditions of industrial warfare: the rain of shells, bullets, and chemical agents. In The Secret History of Soldiers, Tim Cook, Canada's foremost military historian, examines how those who survived trench warfare on the Western Front found entertainment, solace, relief, and distraction from the relentless slaughter.
-
-
A look into the minds of the boys at the front
- By C Anderson on 2024-05-07
Written by: Tim Cook
-
White School, Black Memories
- Written by: CWO John G. Barnes
- Narrated by: Frank Block
- Length: 21 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Barnes's extremely frank and highly detailed memoir is a fast-paced tale of courage, loss, and eventual redemption that feels like someone telling you their story across the kitchen table. Above all else, this book tells the unvarnished truth of the modern-day veteran experience from a senior non-commissioned officer's point of view.
-
-
very good read
- By Simon T Logan on 2024-05-11
Written by: CWO John G. Barnes
-
On Combat
- The Psychology and Physiology of Deadly Conflict in War and in Peace
- Written by: Dave Grossman, Loren W. Christensen
- Narrated by: Dave Grossman
- Length: 18 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On Combat looks at what happens to the human body under the stresses of deadly battle and the impact on the nervous system, heart, breathing, visual and auditory perception, memory - then discusses new research findings as to what measure warriors can take to prevent such debilitations so they can stay in the fight, survive, and win. A brief, but insightful look at history shows the evolution of combat, the development of the physical and psychological leverage that enables humans to kill other humans, followed by an objective examination of domestic violence in America.
-
-
over the top American Patriotism
- By Elle on 2017-12-14
Written by: Dave Grossman, and others
-
Lions of Kandahar
- The Story of a Fight Against All Odds
- Written by: Major Rusty Bradley, Kevin Maurer
- Narrated by: Eric G. Dove
- Length: 8 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Southern Afghanistan was slipping away. That was clear to then-Captain Rusty Bradley as he began his third tour of duty there in 2006. The Taliban and their allies were infiltrating everywhere, poised to reclaim Kandahar Province, their strategically vital onetime capital. To stop them, the NATO coalition launched Operation Medusa, the largest offensive in its history. The battlefield was the Panjwayi Valley, a densely packed warren of walled compounds that doubled neatly as enemy bunkers.
-
-
Great listen! Must read for Afghanistan veterans!
- By Christian Saulnier on 2019-09-11
Written by: Major Rusty Bradley, and others
-
Operation Husky
- The Canadian Invasion of Sicily, July 10–August 7, 1943
- Written by: Mark Zuehlke
- Narrated by: Paul Christy
- Length: 16 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On July 10, 1943, two great Allied armadas of over 2,000 ships readied to invade Sicily. This was Operation Husky, the first step toward winning a toehold in fascist-occupied Europe. Among the invaders were 20,000 Canadian troops serving in the First Canadian Infantry Division and First Canadian Tank Brigade - in their first combat experience. Over the next 28 days, the Allied troops carved a path through the rugged land, despite fierce German opposition.
-
-
Great history of a lesser known battle.
- By Megan on 2019-02-12
Written by: Mark Zuehlke
-
Canadian Sniper
- Written by: Eric Hilton
- Narrated by: Donnie Sipes
- Length: 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Francis Pegahmagabow has long been considered the most prolific killing machine of the First World War as he has been credited with over 378 deaths. This book chronicles his reputation as both a sniper and scout as the Canadian/British Army allowed him to roam freely throughout the "No Man's Land" region of France where he singlehandedly took down German troops.
Written by: Eric Hilton
-
Holding Juno
- Canada's Heroic Defence of the D-Day Beaches: June 7-12, 1944
- Written by: Mark Zuehlke
- Narrated by: Kyle Munley
- Length: 15 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At D-Day's end, the Canadians, who had landed on Juno Beach, were six miles inland - the deepest penetration achieved by Allied forces on this infamous day. But every soldier on this front line knew worse was yet to come. For in the darkness the Germans were massing, intent on throwing them back to sea. With dramatic intensity, Holding Juno re-creates the ensuing battle and ultimate Canadian triumph and includes fascinating first-person soldier accounts as well as photos and maps.
-
-
Excellent review of the Canadian experience on D-Day
- By Chris Winwood on 2022-12-12
Written by: Mark Zuehlke
-
The Operator
- Firing the Shots That Killed Osama Bin Laden and My Years as a SEAL Team Warrior
- Written by: Robert O'Neill
- Narrated by: Robert O'Neill
- Length: 9 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Stirringly evocative, thought provoking, and often jaw dropping, The Operator ranges across SEAL Team Operator Robert O'Neill's awe-inspiring 400-mission career that included his involvement in attempts to rescue "Lone Survivor" Marcus Luttrell and abducted-by-Somali-pirates Captain Richard Phillips and culminated in those famous three shots that dispatched the world's most wanted terrorist, Osama bin Laden.
-
-
Amazing... but
- By James on 2021-05-15
Written by: Robert O'Neill
-
We Were Soldiers Once... and Young
- Ia Drang - The Battle That Changed the War in Vietnam
- Written by: Harold G. Moore, Joseph L. Galloway
- Narrated by: Jonathan Davis
- Length: 16 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In November 1965, some 450 men of the First Battalion, Seventh Cavalry, under the command of Lt. Col. Hal Moore, were dropped by helicopter into a small clearing in the Ia Drang Valley. They were immediately surrounded by 2,000 North Vietnamese soldiers. Three days later, only two and a half miles away, a sister battalion was chopped to pieces. Together, these actions at the landing zones X-Ray and Albany constituted one of the most savage and significant battles of the Vietnam War. How these men persevered makes a vivid portrait of war at its most inspiring and devastating.
-
-
WOW, Exceptional
- By Gerald Lefebvre on 2022-10-18
Written by: Harold G. Moore, and others
-
Civil War of 1812
- American Citizens, British Subjects, Irish Rebels, & Indian Allies
- Written by: Alan Taylor
- Narrated by: Andrew Garman
- Length: 20 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Alan Taylor tells the riveting story of a war that redefined North America. In a world of double identities, slippery allegiances, and porous borders, the leaders of the American Republic and the British Empire struggled to control their own diverse peoples. Taylor’s vivid narrative of an often brutal—sometimes farcical—war reveals much about the tangled origins of the United States and Canada.
-
-
Very Powerful
- By Robert Hoskins on 2021-07-22
Written by: Alan Taylor
What the critics say
“Blatchford has the rare ability to make her descriptions of combat, particularly those involving loss of life and serious injury, almost embarrassing to the reader. You feel that you are eavesdropping on very private matters. Her extensive research and her own recollections as she was caught up in the thick of some of the heaviest fighting are compelling, gut-wrenching and, unfortunately, real.... I’ve never felt prouder of being Canadian then when I’ve had the pleasure of commanding, or, in the case of Afghanistan, observing Canadian soldiers performing their duties abroad. Fifteen Days reinforced that pride even more. Bravo Zulu, Christie Blatchford.” (Major-General Lewis MacKenzie [ret’d] in The Globe and Mail)
"Her work, at its best, tends to reflect life’s mirror. There is death in her book, of course. It’s about war, after all — our war, to those who support it, and our soldiers, even to those who don’t. Blatch [sic] gives them more than just faces, she gives them life. And, for those who died wearing Canada’s uniform, she gives them a life that no newspaper has the length and space to describe, and no television documentary can convey in an hour’s time slot.” (London Free Press)
“Christie Blatchford brings to the theatre of hostilities her keen eye and curiosity. She writes superb prose that conveys the experience of the Canadians’ war in Afghanistan. She understands the soldiers and has grasped the comradeship that binds them together. She not only informs Canadians of today’s military realities, but champions values such as honour and sacrifice. She is exceptionally evocative, superbly descriptive, and develops a compelling storyline.” (Citation from the 2006 Ross Munro Media Award)
What listeners say about Fifteen Days
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Hard Stop Publishing @hardstoppublish
- 2024-10-21
Reader is terrible!!
Matilda Novak and her producer ruin an otherwise compelling first person narrative. She couldn’t bother to properly pronounce Regina, pronouncing it Regeena. She butchers poor Mr Gagnon’s name by pronouncing it phonetically. These are just two examples of her utter disregard for Canada and lack of professionalism. Perhaps taking the time to learn to pronounce these things properly would be more professional. Otherwise it is disrespectful to Canada, the listener, and the author. A terrible and disrespectful production.
If you can get past this unprofessionalism, it is an important story that Canadians should listen to so they understand what our neglected military does and to be proud to be a Canadian.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anne Walker
- 2023-10-05
Eye-opening and very respectful.
This author provides a bird's eye view and a sensitive awareness of the realities of war - and the Canadian military. I'm grateful for my new perspective and learning.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- brian
- 2022-02-24
Gut Wrenching
With the recent breakout of war in Ukraine, my heart goes out to the soldiers protecting their homeland. This documentation gives me a renewed appreciation for the men and women who make the ultimate sacrifice for our way of life. This is the best narration of any audible book I have listened to. This is real. This is now. This is horrific.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- R M
- 2024-02-14
Honoured Canadian hero’s
A story that needed to be told. I hope this period in Canadian military history is remembered forever. The sacrifices made were unthinkable by most of our population. Hold your heads high. Once a patricia!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- David Young
- 2022-01-10
Pronunciation
I honestly can't get past the annoying Author's notes. Someone should have informed Matilda Novak how Lieutenant is pronounced in Canada. Maybe I'll try listening to the entire book another time.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!