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- Title: Killing England: The Brutal Struggle for American Independence
- Author: Bill O’Reilly, Martin Dugard
- Narrator: Robert Petkoff
- Length: 11:32:05
- Version: Abridged
- Release Date: 19/09/2017
- Publisher: Macmillan Audio
- Genre: History, North America, Europe, History, North America, Europe
- ISBN13: 9.78E+12
There’s something profoundly intimate about hearing history’s grandest moments whispered through headphones as landscapes roll by your window. I first experienced Killing England: The Brutal Struggle for American Independence while driving through Virginia’s backroads, where stone markers commemorating Revolutionary battles would occasionally flash by like visual footnotes to Robert Petkoff’s compelling narration. The synergy between place and storytelling reminded me of those magical evenings in Oaxaca, where history wasn’t just learned but felt through a grandmother’s vivid storytelling.
Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard’s Killing series has always excelled at making history breathe, but this audiobook version transforms their meticulous research into something approaching time travel. Petkoff’s narration captures the gravitas of Washington, the wit of Franklin, and the petulance of King George III with such distinct vocal textures that I found myself pulling over near Yorktown just to sit with the weight of history. His delivery during the Battle of Bunker Hill sequence had my hands gripping the steering wheel – the musket volleys and shouted commands so visceral I could almost smell the gunpowder.
The authors’ decision to tell the revolution through multiple perspectives creates a rich tapestry that audiobook format enhances tremendously. We shift seamlessly from Washington’s frozen camp at Valley Forge to Versailles’ glittering halls where Franklin worked his diplomatic magic. These transitions work particularly well in audio, with Petkoff subtly adjusting tone and pacing to signal perspective changes. It reminds me of how my Oaxacan host grandmother would physically turn to address different ‘characters’ in her tales.
What surprised me most was how the audiobook format amplifies the sensory details O’Reilly and Dugard embed in their writing. When describing the Continental Army’s desperate winter at Valley Forge, Petkoff’s voice takes on a raw, hollow quality that makes you feel the soldiers’ chattering teeth. The narration makes you hear the crunch of frozen ground beneath starving men’s feet and taste the metallic fear before battle in a way print simply can’t convey.
Petkoff particularly shines in capturing Benjamin Franklin’s wry humor and Thomas Jefferson’s idealistic fervor. There’s a scene where Franklin, negotiating French support, delivers a perfectly timed barb about British arrogance that had me laughing aloud in my car. The narrator understands that revolutionary history wasn’t all solemn declarations – it was lived by real people with quirks and tempers and unexpected moments of levity.
The battle sequences benefit tremendously from audio treatment. The chaos of Long Island and the strategic brilliance at Saratoga unfold with cinematic intensity. Petkoff’s controlled escalation of pace and volume during combat sequences creates genuine tension, even when we know the historical outcome. I found myself holding my breath during the Yorktown siege description as if hearing a thriller’s climax.
Some listeners might find the book’s traditional ‘great men’ approach limiting – we hear little from common soldiers or enslaved people who fought on both sides. Yet the audio performance adds emotional depth that partially compensates. When Petkoff reads Washington’s letters expressing doubt or King George’s diary entries revealing his growing frustration, we glimpse the human vulnerability beneath historical marble.
Compared to other Revolutionary War histories in audio format, Killing England stands out for its narrative drive. It lacks the academic density of a David McCullough work but compensates with propulsive storytelling perfect for commutes or road trips. The production quality is excellent throughout, with clear enunciation and well-balanced audio levels – crucial for catching subtle details during complex battle descriptions.
For history lovers who’ve only read the Killing series in print, this audiobook offers a revelation. The combination of O’Reilly and Dugard’s sharp prose with Petkoff’s masterful narration creates what I can only describe as ‘driveway moments’ – those times when you arrive home but stay in the car to finish a chapter. It’s history that doesn’t just inform but immerses, perfect for listeners who want to feel the revolution’s heartbeat rather than just understand its chronology.
With stories in my ears and history beneath my feet,
Marcus Rivera
