Clara’s Verdict
Peter Westwick’s Stealth is a model of popular military history: it takes an extraordinary technological achievement — the development of aircraft invisible to radar — and traces its origins, its politics, its science, and its human cost with the care of a serious historian and the storytelling instincts of a novelist. That stealth technology can be traced back in part to a Russian physicist’s theoretical work is the kind of detail that makes you pause your audiobook and think for a moment. Westwick earns those moments.
David de Vries delivers a clear, authoritative narration. Rated 4.4 from an impressive 508 Audible UK listeners — this is clearly striking a chord with aviation enthusiasts and Cold War history readers alike.
About the Audiobook
On a January night in 1991, a dozen US aircraft appeared above Baghdad. To Iraqi air defences, each one — over sixty feet long, with a forty-foot wingspan — registered on radar as approximately the size of a ball bearing. The opening of Stealth is as gripping as any thriller, and it is entirely true.
From that vivid starting point, Westwick moves backwards through the history of radar itself — its development from the 1930s, its critical role in the Second World War (where American investment exceeded even that in the Manhattan Project) — and then traces the decades-long, largely secret effort to defeat it. The competition between Lockheed’s Skunk Works and Northrop, the classified projects, the extraordinary engineers and scientists involved: Westwick renders all of it with both technical precision and human insight. Published by Tantor Media in May 2021, running seven hours and forty-six minutes.
The Narration
David de Vries is an experienced narrator who handles technical material with particular skill — he never allows the scientific passages to become arid, and he maintains consistent energy across the nearly eight hours. The narrative switches between historical overview and close-focus character study are navigated smoothly, and the overall delivery has the measured authority appropriate to serious military history. A clean, confident performance throughout.
What Readers Say
Rated 4.4 from 508 listeners. One UK reviewer calls it « an excellent historical account » that succeeds in explaining « with more than expected technical detail the methods used to defeat radar. » An aviation enthusiast describes it as « superb » for capturing « the sacrifices made by staff to make the next technological leap. » Those seeking more technical depth have noted that it skews towards narrative over engineering minutiae — « a bit basic » for specialists — while those coming fresh to the subject found it perfectly judged. The consensus among the general audience is strongly positive.
Who Should Listen?
Ideal for anyone interested in Cold War history, military aviation, or the history of science and technology. Accessible enough for listeners with no technical background, while offering sufficient detail to satisfy enthusiasts. Also recommended as an entry point into the broader literature on Skunk Works and classified US defence projects. Find Stealth on Audible UK.
