To Hell and Back

By: Audie Murphy

Narrated by: Tom Parker

The time is 1943, the place is Sicily, and the event is the start of the most remarkable career of any American infantryman in the war. Audie Murphy was a desperately poor eighteen-year-old orphan when he joined the Army, nineteen when he first saw a buddy die from an enemy bullet and an enemy die from one of his own. During the next two years, he fought in Italy, France, and Germany. By VE-day, he had killed at least 240 Germans, had single-handedly destroyed a German tank in one battle and held off six tanks in another, and had become the most decorated soldier in American history, winning every medal his country offered, including the Congressional Medal of Honor.

Four years later he was living in Hollywood trying to get an acting career off the ground when he and a friend decided to turn his story into a book. Instantly recognized for its grim authenticity and its unblinking accounts of some of the most terrible fighting in the war, To Hell and Back became a best seller and, in 1955, the basis for one of the most successful WWII films ever made, with Murphy playing himself.

©1949 Audie Murphy (P)1998 Blackstone Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"Audie Murphy hit the big time with this simple, compelling narrative....It is a book of raw honesty, clipped descriptions and simple courage." (AudioFile)
"Tom Parker brings this terse yet vivid and articulate memoir to life....Parker's clear and well-paced reading is a joy." (Library Journal)

A gripping, tough, hold no prisoners take on WWII

This is a great book for WWII &/or history buffs. Audie kinda shines over his remarkable burning tank scene that earned him the Medal of Honor. And you can tell he really misses some brothers from his original company, most who died. The sudden way he relates events really brings home the realities of the war...

Excellent Reading

Thoroughly enjoyed both the reading and the story. I think the book itself is good a giving a lot of information without spoon-feeding it to you (i.e. "showing" the reader and not "telling"). The 4-star overall is merely because when I went to do some more research on Audie Murphy, I found that I wanted more detail about which actions earned him which awards. In my research, I found that the took over his company at one point, but that isn't explicitly stated in the book. However, the reading is excellent. The variety of voices makes it clear which characters are speaking and helps flesh out the story. Overall highly recommend.

Excellent reading of this book

Audio Murphy's book is one of the best telling of what happens to our young men when they go off to war and the aftermath in the event they survive and make it home. I read the book several times and saw the movie several times many years ago. It as a delight to hear it on audio.

The narrator actually sounded like Audie. He will always be remembered as a hero but there was so much more to The young man who went to war and returned suffering from PTSD.

This book should help us remember and care about the walking wounded among us.

Outstanding Story

Outstanding story of true events a real life heroes. The narrator has been my favorite so far. He read it very well and did great impersonations of different voices. Loved it!

WWII

very enlightening, gives good insight in to horrors of war, especially wars of days gone bye.